JACKSON, Tenn., Aug. 6, 2025
A house painter is being credited with a crucial 911 call that led to the capture of quadruple murder suspect Austin Drummond, who had been at large for a week.
A fast-thinking painter spotted a suspicious figure in the woods, prompting a call that aided police in apprehending a murder suspect.
- A house painter’s tip helped authorities capture Austin Drummond.
- Drummond is accused of murdering a family of four.
- The painter saeid he was just trying to “do the right thing.”
- Drummond was apprehended approximately 15 minutes after the call.
- the suspect has a prior conviction for aggravated robbery.
Who was captured in Tennessee? Fugitive Austin Drummond, accused of a quadruple murder, was apprehended in Jackson on Tuesday morning.
Ricardo Contreras was working with his crew in jackson on Tuesday when he noticed a person lurking in the woods near the house they were painting. Initially mistaking the figure for an animal, Contreras and his team soon realized the significance of their sighting, as a manhunt for Drummond had been underway for a week.
Drummond is accused of killing Matthew Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Braydon Williams, 15; and Cortney Rose, 38. The victims were found in Tiptonville about 40 miles away.
“I just wanted to do the right thing,” Contreras said. “I didn’t even know it was him at first. I just saw someone walking in the woods and thoght it was a deer or something.”
The father of two expressed relief that the accused killer is off the streets. “We can sleep better tonight,” Contreras shared.”Even my kids – like I got two little ones that they just, I mean, the last three or four nights they’ve been asleep with us in the bed as they are scared about this.”
While authorities had offered a $37,000 reward for details leading to Drummond’s arrest, contreras stated he hadn’t heard about it and emphasized his motivation was not financial. “I’m just happy the alleged killer was captured,” he said.
The motive behind the killings remains unknown,but investigators do not believe the acts were random.
Drummond was previously convicted of aggravated robbery, serving a 13-year sentence before his release in September 2024. At the time of the quadruple homicide, he was on bond for an attempted murder charge stemming from his time in prison.
Surveillance footage released by the Jackson Police Department showed Drummond on Sunday night in Jackson wearing camouflage, carrying a rifle and a backpack, and attempting to enter a building. Three individuals-Derrah Sanders, 23; Tanaka Brown, 29; and Giovonti Thomas, 29-have been arrested as suspected associates of Drummond and charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Brown also faces a charge for tampering with evidence.
Drummond faces ten charges, including first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and possessing a firearm as a felon.
