JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) — Police in Tennessee have charged a 23-year-old woman with assisting a man wanted in the murders of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found alive miles away from the crime scene.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Dearrah Sanders of Jackson, Tennessee, was arrested on Monday and charged with being an accessory after the killings. Investigators have also arrested two men on similar charges, alleging they helped 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond after the July 29 killings. Drummond remained on the run on Monday afternoon, the TBI said in a news release.
Over the weekend, police in Jackson warned that they didn’t know Drummond’s whereabouts and advised residents to lock their doors and “remain alert.” The U.S. Marshals Service said recently that Drummond could have fled the state.
Authorities have left many questions unanswered, including how the three people allegedly helped Drummond, the manner in which the victims were killed and how the baby ended up in a car seat in the Tigrett area, roughly 40 miles (64.37 kilometers) from the bodies.
Last week, authorities said they found the car in Jackson that they believe Drummond had been driving. Authorities believe the family murders were a targeted attack by Drummond, who had a relationship with the victims, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch said. The baby is safe and being cared for.
Officials have warrants for Drummond that charge him with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping and weapons offenses. His criminal history includes prison time for robbing a convenience store and threatening to go after jurors. He was also charged with attempted murder while behind bars. Drummond could also face a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, U.S. Marshals said in a federal court filing Friday.
Authorities have identified the four people found dead in Tiptonville as James M. Wilson, 21, and 20-year-old Adrianna Williams, the baby’s parents; 15-year-old Braydon Williams and 38-year-old Cortney Rose, the mother of Adrianna Williams and Braydon Williams.
