Alert House Painter Helps End Manhunt for Accused Quadruple Murderer Austin Drummond

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A Tennessee man wanted in connection with the brutal killing of four people was captured Tuesday morning following a critical tip from a local house painter who spotted the fugitive hiding in nearby woods. The arrest of Austin Drummond, a 28-year-old convicted felon, concluded a tense week-long manhunt that gripped communities in western Tennessee.

Ricardo Contreras, a Jackson-based painter and father of two, alerted police after noticing a suspicious figure near a home he was working on. Contreras, aware of the active search for Drummond, acted quickly by calling 911 to report the sighting. Within 15 minutes, law enforcement descended on the area and took Drummond into custody without incident.

“I saw someone moving in the middle of the woods. It was hard to tell if it was the guy they were looking for, but who else could it be?” Contreras said in an interview with WMC. Though unsure of the man’s identity, he didn’t hesitate to inform authorities. “I just wanted to do the right thing,” he added.

Police had been searching for Drummond since July 29, when the bodies of four victims — Matthew Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Braydon Williams, 15; and Cortney Rose, 38, were discovered in Tiptonville, approximately 40 miles from where Drummond was ultimately found. A seven-month-old baby, believed to be Wilson and Williams’ daughter, was left abandoned in a car seat outside a Tigrett home.

While authorities have not disclosed a motive, they do not believe the killings were random. Surveillance footage released Sunday showed Drummond armed with a rifle and attempting to break into a building in Jackson while dressed in camouflage and carrying a brown backpack.

Three individuals believed to have assisted Drummond — Derrah Sanders, 23; Tanaka Brown, 29; and Giovonti Thomas, 29,  were arrested earlier this week. Each faces charges of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, with Brown also charged with tampering with evidence.

Drummond, previously convicted of aggravated robbery, was released from prison in September 2024 after serving nearly 13 years. At the time of the murders, he was free on bond following a separate attempted murder charge stemming from his time in prison.

He now faces ten new charges, including four counts of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Contreras has not been contacted regarding the $37,000 reward offered for information leading to Drummond’s arrest. Despite that, he expressed no regret, saying, “It wasn’t about the money. I just wanted to help keep my family and the community safe.”

With Drummond behind bars, Jackson residents and surrounding communities can breathe a little easier as the legal process moves forward.