- 5 months ago
Tennessee law enforcement authorities announce the arrest of "Most Wanted Fugitive" and quadruple murder suspect Austin Robert Drummond.
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00:00Just grab a little.
00:30Good afternoon, everyone.
00:58Thank you for joining us today.
01:00I'm Kim Wheeler, Public Information Officer for the West Region of the Tennessee Bureau
01:04of Investigation.
01:06We couldn't be more relieved today to share with you an update that Austin Drummond is
01:10in custody.
01:12That is a significant win for all the dedicated agencies that worked tirelessly over the past
01:17week to bring him to justice.
01:20We want to thank the community for the incredible help.
01:23This successful apprehension was made possible by the countless tips and unwavering support
01:28that we received from you, the citizens.
01:32Without your partnership and willingness to come forward with information, this arrest
01:36would not have been made possible.
01:38Thank you for being the eyes and ears.
01:42After everyone speaks, we will open it up for questions, but please note, this is an ongoing
01:47investigation and you're going to have questions that absolutely cannot be answered at this time.
01:54With me here today to provide more information on the capture of Austin Drummond is TBI Director
01:59David Roush, Jackson Police Chief Tom Corley, U.S. Marshal Western District of Tennessee Tyrese
02:05Miller, 29th Judicial District Attorney General Danny Goodman, 26th Judicial District Attorney
02:12General Jody Pickens, Lake County Sheriff Brian Avery, Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box, and Madison
02:18County Sheriff Julian Weiser.
02:21Director Roush.
02:23Thank you, Kim.
02:27And thanks to each and every one of you that are here today.
02:31Let me start by making it very clear, this is a phase of the effort.
02:38The capture is a phase.
02:42We will move into the next phase.
02:44We've already started that at this time, but this is not done by any means.
02:51This is just we are now able to move into the next phase.
02:54So I do want to say thank you.
02:58This is a perfect example of police community cooperation, and there is no better example
03:07for this country, frankly, of the effort that's gone into this week-long challenge, trying
03:14to find the suspect after the horrible, tragic deaths of the family that was taken from the
03:25Lake County community.
03:27And so I do want to say thank you to the local, state, and federal agencies that all came
03:33together tirelessly, working 24 hours a day for an entire week until today when finally
03:44we were able to get the lead we needed to find the suspect and get him into custody.
03:52And it also took a very vigilant community.
03:58And so we're very appreciative of everyone here in Jackson for being vigilant, paying attention,
04:07and especially for the calls, the calls today that led us on the path, that led to this capture.
04:17And so we are so appreciative of a community that cares and a community that is looking out
04:25for the safety of everyone here.
04:28And so I wanted to make sure we expressed that.
04:32And again, I can't tell you how proud we are of the amazing team of police that have worked
04:41on this from our various levels within government.
04:46And it shows what can happen when we put everything aside with a focus on mission.
04:54And so I want to reiterate how important that has been and how proud we are of all that were
05:02engaged in this to be able to come to today's phase in our effort.
05:09And so with that, I will turn it over for the specifics of the capture over to Chief Tom
05:15Corley, which acts in PD.
05:16Good afternoon.
05:22Before anything else, I'd like to begin by expressing our heartfelt condolences to the families of
05:30the lost loved ones from this vicious crime of Lake County.
05:34We're praying for you.
05:36No words can fully capture the depth of that of your pain.
05:39But please know that you're not alone and the Jackson community mourns with you.
05:44Again, we're here today to confirm that Austin Drummond has been taken into custody.
05:49More importantly, his capture occurred without any further harm to the public or to any law enforcement officers.
05:57The outcome, as the director referred to, is the direct result of incredible coordination, skill,
06:04and determination shown by our local, state, and federal partners.
06:09It's a powerful example of what can happen when law enforcement agencies work together with the community
06:14who have a shared mission and a singular focus.
06:17I'd like to take a moment to recognize and sincerely thank the agencies who played a role in this effort.
06:23The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshal Service.
06:28From our state partners, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol,
06:33and the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security, and local law enforcement,
06:37the Jackson Police Department Special Operations Division, our Patrol Division,
06:41our Criminal Investigation Unit, and our JPD Dispatchers and Communications,
06:46and also the Madison County Sheriff's Department.
06:49Each of these agencies brought their resources, their people, and their expertise to the table,
06:53and they did so with excellence.
06:56I'd like to pause right now, though, and I'm a little biased,
07:00but I'm going to talk about the Jackson Police Department for just a minute.
07:04From the moment this case unfolded, you never hesitated.
07:09Our dispatchers, patrol officers, special operations, investigators, each of you demonstrated bravery,
07:14precision, and tireless dedication, even in the face of danger.
07:19Your courage has not gone unnoticed, and the citizens of this community are proud of you,
07:23and I'm deeply thankful for you.
07:26To briefly cover the apprehension this morning, I want to first address the process that led up to it.
07:32As you're aware for the past several days, law enforcement have been focusing on specific areas of the city based upon some intelligence,
07:41some physical evidence, and technology.
07:43From discovering the vehicle near MCO Road and the intelligence which led us to the area off of Pleasant Plains Drive,
07:50these type fugitive search operations are most typically made in a methodical fashion.
07:57When covering areas, particularly wooded areas, a cursory search is not sufficient for community safety.
08:03And I know that's difficult to have patience for.
08:06And I know several of you probably didn't get a lot of sleep because of the helicopters flying around
08:12and the officers being in your neighborhood.
08:15And I know that's tough, but for the last few days, that's what's been transpiring.
08:19This morning, however, a couple of encounters with Drummond changed that methodical search to a dynamic one.
08:26Just after 8 o'clock a.m., we received multiple calls of sightings of the suspect.
08:31Placing resources there immediately resulted in an additional citizen's call at about 8.57 a.m.
08:38We took advantage of that quickly evolving situation and made the arrest at 9.05 a.m.
08:44I'd like to introduce you right now to Officer Trout, Officer Compton, and Officer Drown.
08:50They were there, right at the right spot, and reacted immediately and are responsible for the apprehension of Austin Drummond.
08:59As this case moves forward, any additional charges or prosecutor decisions from any actions that may have occurred within Jackson will be deferred to District Attorney Jody Pickens.
09:10We will continue to support his office and the TBI as this process unfolds and ensure that every step toward justice is taken thoroughly and properly.
09:19Today, again, we find some peace in knowing that the suspect is no longer a threat, but remain committed to the families, the community, and the justice.
09:32Good afternoon.
09:41Tonight, families in West Tennessee can sleep more soundly.
09:45Austin Drummond is once again behind bars.
09:48He is suspected of an unthinkable crime that put all of us, an entire city, and area on edge.
09:55He thought he could outrun us, but he was wrong.
09:58That's because together, we cannot be stopped.
10:01Law enforcement from every level and the people who call West Tennessee home did our parts.
10:08We worked long hours, neighbors stayed vigilant, agencies donated reward money, and someone saw something.
10:18They saw something out of the ordinary this morning and did what he was supposed to do.
10:23Because of that action, Drummond is in custody.
10:28Thank you to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for leading this investigation, to the FBI for their unwavering support,
10:37and to the men and women of the Jackson Police Department, and the local agencies such as the Madison County Sheriff's Office,
10:48Dyer County Sheriff's Office, Lake County Sheriff's Office, and other agencies who show up every day to answer the call to duty.
10:56And to the men and women of the United States Marshal Service, thank you.
11:02Your relentless commitment to duty is unmatched.
11:07To the families in Lake County who lost loved ones, Drummond's arrest cannot restore what has been taken from you.
11:14We only hope that we can help give you assurance that justice will be had.
11:21And to the baby girl who will tell one day her story of survival, we look forward to all that you will do.
11:29God bless West Tennessee, and God bless America.
11:36Good afternoon, everyone.
11:38First thing I'd like to do is once again give our condolences to the family of the victims in this case.
11:44We have numerous victims, so obviously we have a lot of people in the communities that are hurting because of this,
11:50and we want them to know that we're going to do everything we can to seek justice in this matter.
11:54You know, this started almost seven days ago to the exact minute.
12:00It was last Tuesday a little after 3 p.m. when we got the first call of the infant who had been abandoned,
12:08and that started this whole process.
12:10I don't think I have ever seen so many agencies work together and work in sync.
12:17This has been so impressive.
12:20It has been what I would think should be a blueprint for the entire country on how to run an operation.
12:28You had numerous law enforcement agencies, not just one or two.
12:32We're talking about that goes across all of West Tennessee, federal agencies,
12:36and they all put their pride aside and had one common goal, and they all did whatever they had to to reach that goal.
12:42And because of that, today's a good day, and Austin Drummond is not going to be a threat to this community anymore.
12:52As Director Rouse said, this was phase one.
12:55The real work starts, and the lengthy work will start at this point.
13:01Investigations do not end when a person is arrested.
13:04That's just the part to get them into custody.
13:06This investigation is going to go on for a good period of time.
13:10In addition to that, there will be lots of court appearances, lots of hearings,
13:15and we will do everything we can to ensure that the communities are kept safe,
13:20and we're going to do that by seeking justice in this case.
13:24I'm going to work with General Jody Pickens because we do have a case this time that's a little bit different
13:32because we're going across a couple of different judicial districts,
13:35and because of that, he and I will be working closely together,
13:38but we will work together just as law enforcement did with one common goal,
13:42and that's going to be to make sure that we seek justice.
13:45And with that, I'm going to turn this over to General Jody Pickens.
13:51Good afternoon. My name is Jody Pickens, and I'm the elected district attorney for the 26th Judicial District,
13:58which is comprised of Chester, Henderson, and Madison counties.
14:03Like the others who have gone before me, I would like to begin by saying that my condolences go out to the families of these victims who lost their lives,
14:11and so we will continue to work to achieve justice for them.
14:16The other thing I would say that I want to say that we are very happy that we can, at this point,
14:23bring a degree of peace back to this community, which has been on edge since this incident
14:29and since they have learned that this person was back in our community.
14:33I, too, am a Madison County resident, and I just wanted to say that when it comes to law enforcement,
14:41we are blessed in this area. We don't have good law enforcement. We have great law enforcement.
14:48And as what has been said before, people put their differences aside and work toward a common goal,
14:56and that is why we are all standing here in front of you today, because working together,
15:01they were able to bring some security to this region.
15:06Like General Goodman said, arrest often is just the beginning of a prosecution.
15:13There will be, the investigation will continue.
15:16I will continue to consult with our law enforcement partners, also consulting with General Goodman,
15:23because there will be some decisions made.
15:26We will be working towards making sure that anybody that may have had a hand in assisting Drummond
15:32will be held to answer for that. Those investigations will continue.
15:37And we just encourage the public, which has been so important and so engaged in this situation,
15:46to continue to provide that information that you may think doesn't matter,
15:50but which may, in the end, provide the break that law enforcement needs.
15:54So with that, I would say God bless our state, God bless this community, and God bless America.
16:08Good afternoon. My name is Brian Avery. I'm the Sheriff of Lake County.
16:12For those of you that don't know, Lake County is a county of about 7,000 people.
16:17It's kind of one of those counties where if one person hurt, we all hurt.
16:22This happened right in our back door, and it put a lot of people on ease.
16:28And we all band together. Once this happened, we all band together.
16:37We all want to see this thing through. We all want to see it to the end.
16:40But today I want to say, share with our community, the Lake County community,
16:47the Madison County community, that Austin Drummond is in custody.
16:51This arrest is a significant step toward the ongoing investigation,
16:58and we are grateful of the outcome.
17:00I want to thank the local, state, and federal agencies that made this happen.
17:05Without them, Drummond would still be free today.
17:09The community stepped up with the phone calls, the text messages, the emails.
17:17If it wasn't for them, we would still be searching. We would still be looking.
17:24To the families of the victims, please know that our thoughts and prayers remain with you.
17:29While this arrest brings some measure of relief,
17:32we realize that the road to healing is going to be a long one.
17:37We, as a community, continue to pray for the families affected,
17:41for those still processing the trauma of these events.
17:45Justice will continue to be pursued, and we will remain committed to doing everything we can to support those impacted.
18:01I'm Jeff Box, Dyer County Sheriff.
18:03This incident, the baby was dropped off in my county.
18:08The victims were residents of Dyer County.
18:12I want to start today by recognizing those victims.
18:19I left the funeral home just before I got here today of one of the victims,
18:24and I spoke with both his mom and dad, and they wanted me to sincerely thank with great, great gratitude,
18:31each responding agency, and each one of you up here, and each officer that responded to this tragic incident
18:38that put an evil sense in the air throughout Lake County, Dyer County, Madison County, and all across the state of Tennessee.
18:48So today I want to begin thanking you from the family by calling those names that were tragically taken.
18:59Courtney Rose, Adriana Williams, Braden Williams, James Matthew Wilson.
19:08Their names deserve to be spoken.
19:10Their lives deserve to be remembered, and their families deserve justice.
19:16Our hearts go out to each of these families.
19:19We cannot begin to imagine the depth of your pain, the weight of your grief, or the heartbreak of what you are now facing.
19:30Please know that this community stands with you.
19:34We're lifting you up, and we will walk with you in the days and weeks to come.
19:56But we also recognize that these families, that the difficult journey is just beginning for them.
20:06I want to take a moment to thank those who helped make this possible.
20:09Sheriff Brian Avery from Lake County.
20:12Sheriff Troy Klaus of Crockett County.
20:16And Sheriff Julian Weiser.
20:18The Jackson Police Department, whose partnership and response was unwavering.
20:23Our state partners, the TBI Bureau of Investigation, who kept us informed every step of the way.
20:31And the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
20:33Our federal partners, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals.
20:37Every deputy, every officer, every dispatcher and investigator who contributed to this effort, we thank you.
20:47As well as the public information officers.
20:49Kim Wheeler of the TBI.
20:51And Stephen Sutton, who led an important work of keeping the community and the public informed while we had boots on the ground working this case, assisting in working this case.
21:07Thank you to the community.
21:08We can't say enough about how your support and cooperation has been the best.
21:14Not only to keep yourself safe, but to help in his capture today.
21:20Let me be clear that the manhunt is over.
21:23The justice process is just beginning.
21:25Just like General Goodman stated.
21:27We remain fully committed to continuing this investigation.
21:31Including the vehicle that was found in Dyer County.
21:34The infant that was abandoned in Dyer County.
21:37Every tip, every detail that we receive.
21:40Every lead that will be followed through completely and thoroughly.
21:46Everyone has been very concerned about the well-being of the baby.
21:50And we're glad to report the baby is healthy and doing well.
21:56As we leave here today, let us join with the victim's friends and other family members.
22:03As they lift up the victim's family in prayer for strength and support that they're going to need in the days ahead.
22:11So thank you.
22:15Sheriff Julian Wiser, Madison County.
22:18I just want to say thank you to the community for the support, the prayers, being vigilant.
22:24I got to witness some hard work this week.
22:27It was five, six days of high intensity of local, state, federal law enforcement officers across this county.
22:40You know, every door that we opened, every structure we checked, we didn't know if Drummond's was going to be behind there.
22:48And to have that amount of intensity over five or six days and our law enforcement personnel working 18 to 20 hours a day,
23:00they made ultimate sacrifice to keep our community safe.
23:03And I want to personally thank them.
23:06I want to thank their families for standing by them.
23:09There's a lot of people behind the scenes as far as with TBI, Intel analysts, support staff, the district attorney's office.
23:20You know, the troops in the field relied highly on our administrative staff.
23:26So they did a great job with providing us with Intel.
23:30And I know the community will get some rest tonight.
23:36And it was just amazing to see the hard work and commitment and sacrifice that our law enforcement personnel has made for our community.
23:51All right, that will conclude the remarks.
23:53Are there any questions that we might be able to handle?
23:56Yes, sir, please.
23:57Yeah, that – and at this point on a working motive, we are unable to speak about that.
24:10Still all part of the investigative process at this time.
24:13Yes, ma'am.
24:14In terms of his – his prior charges, charges that he also has picked up while he was – was in –
24:31prison, all of those certainly will be taking into consideration as we move forward in the justice process, as you've heard the generals speak to.
24:49So, yes, all of his activities will be certainly considered, not only in our investigative effort in the justice process, but certainly in his housing and how he'll be managed going forward.
25:08Yes?
25:09Can I tell you, Fox 13, you know, we saw those three accomplices get picked up.
25:13Are you all looking into Caitlin's feet?
25:15Yeah.
25:16Again, I appreciate the question in terms of, you know, those who were assisting Mr. Drummond as he was on the run.
25:25And – and I can tell you that we will continue to address those individuals, each that have been engaged.
25:34In terms of identifying specific individuals, I won't go into that at this time.
25:39Yes, ma'am.
25:40Yeah.
25:41In terms of the relationship between the suspect and the victims, the – the suspect's girlfriend
25:56is the sister of – of a victim, is the daughter of a victim, and is the sister of – well, two victims.
26:06So, yes, that's the – that's the familial connection at that – at that point.
26:11Yes, ma'am.
26:16Yeah.
26:17I'll – I'll let Chief Corley address that.
26:22Sure.
26:23Yes.
26:24So, the – the call that – the first call we got, he was out in that area.
26:29The second call that we got that led to the apprehension, he had been in that area and was
26:35in the wood line, I believe, the wood line right behind that.
26:40So – but as far as the – the location where he was standing or staying overnight or during
26:45the day, yes, it was an abandoned – or a vacant, I should say – a vacant building.
26:50Did he have to try to do that?
26:52I don't believe so.
26:53I can't – I can't tell you that.
26:55What's the important time you've done that?
26:57No.
26:58How long do you think you've been in that pool house?
27:01I couldn't tell you.
27:02I couldn't tell you.
27:03Not right now.
27:04We're – we're investigating that.
27:05I know you all talked about community support.
27:06So the award out – how much is that?
27:07We'll divide it?
27:08Yes.
27:09So in terms of the reward, what will happen is we will vet the information that we obtained
27:21and determine who – who would be appropriate to receive the award.
27:26So we'll – we'll look into that very specifically to determine who it will – more than likely,
27:33from what I have heard, there may be more than one person that will – will receive a portion
27:39of the award.
27:40And so that – that's – that's what we'll be working on as well.
27:43Let me go back here and then I'll come back.
27:45Yeah.
27:46Mike, in terms of how he was able to continue to be out on the run and those who – who assisted
28:05him, I – I won't be able to go into that because that's all part of this investigative
28:09process.
28:10And – and we – we can't go into those details yet at this time.
28:13You said you can't speak to Movia.
28:15Do you have any idea why all the victims ended up in that same spot like him?
28:19Again, those are specifics about the investigative process.
28:23I won't go into details at this time.
28:25Yes, ma'am.
28:26What is the part of the – that he was still in Jackson?
28:31Yeah.
28:32In terms of – were we surprised that he was still in Jackson?
28:35I think we – I don't believe we – we weren't surprised that he was still here in the
28:42area.
28:43We – we know he was – he was obtaining support, obviously.
28:46As you know, we have arrested individuals that were providing that.
28:50And so it – it wasn't a surprise.
28:52Quite frankly, we – we – we thought he may try to run and his history has – has
28:58shown he has left the state before.
29:00And so we were concerned about that.
29:02But we – we had a lot of confidence in the information we were getting, the intelligence
29:06we were getting, the technology that we were following that – that – that helped
29:12us with the assurity that we – that – that we were honing in quickly on his location.
29:18Again, it was the – the community that really broke this for us.
29:23And I don't want to downplay that at all.
29:27All of the effort, all of the technology, all of the – the dog determination that we
29:32had was – was – really came down to the community doing as was stated.
29:39Seeing something and making that call.
29:41And that was critical for us to be able to be where – where we are today with this.
29:46I think we're going to get one more – sorry.
29:53Yeah, I – I can tell you that – yeah, we – we did recover a couple weapons at this
30:02point.
30:03And we're still searching to see what else is out there.
30:06And so I – I – I would ask – again, a plea to the public.
30:10If – if you see something that you believe maybe was involved in this, don't touch it.
30:17Call – call right away.
30:19Let us get to it and process that scene.
30:22And we – there are still pieces that we're trying to place together.
30:26And so there's still evidence out there that we need to gather.
30:29But we – we have – we have recovered weapons.
30:32I can't speak to if those are the – the weapons that were used in the homicides.
30:37But I can tell you we have recovered a couple of firearms at this time.
30:41One more – one more question.
30:43I – I – yeah, I'm sorry.
30:45I – no, I – I cannot speak to the specifics of the weapons yet.
30:48All right.
30:49Yes, sir.
30:50Final.
30:55I – I can tell you in terms of Drummond, he has been transported to a facility.
31:02We won't state where he's at at this – at this point.
31:05And – and I can tell you that – well, I won't tell you what – what took place after
31:11he was taken into custody.
31:12That's – that's all part of our investigative process.
31:15In terms of the – the child, I will yield –
31:22The baby – we'd rather not say where the baby is now for its well-being,
31:26but it is safe, healthy, and being well taken care of.
31:30All right.
31:31Again, thank you all.
31:32We very much appreciate the help, especially throughout this.
31:36The media has been absolutely critical, pushing information as – as quickly as we could provide
31:41it to you, keeping a focus for the public on this.
31:45And so we – we – we – again, this isn't just policing.
31:49This is our community.
31:50This is our great media doing a fine job.
31:53So thank you all as well for the effort that was put into this.
31:57We – we appreciate it.
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