TIPTONVILLE, Tenn. (Court TV) — A man accused of killing four members of a family and leaving an infant on a stranger’s lawn returned to court on Friday and asked to represent himself at trial.
Austin Drummond appears in court on May 15, 2026. (WMC)
Austin Drummond, 29, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping in the deaths of James Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15.
Drummond had previously filed a motion asking to represent himself at trial, saying in a handwritten note to the court that he was unsatisfied with his attorney.
“I think it’s unwise of you to try and represent yourself,” Judge Mark Hayes said at Friday’s hearing, WMC reported. “I beg you not to do this.”
While Drummond wrote in his motion that he was making the waiver of counsel “knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently,” Hayes was reluctant to grant the request. Drummond conceded that his attorney had more education than he did, but the defendant told the judge he did not trust his lawyer. Hayes said he would take the issue under advisement and would rule at a later date.
Hayes did agree to move the trial out of Lake County, where the victims were killed. Drummond’s defense had filed a motion asking for the case to be moved, citing the county’s small population and pervasive media coverage of the case. Prosecutors did not oppose the motion, but said in court they did not want it moved to Shelby County, WREG reported.
At Friday’s hearing, the Obion County Sheriff’s Office offered testimony about Drummond’s behavior behind bars, calling him manipulative, WMC reported. In one instance, Drummond allegedly smeared feces on his wall. Drummond was previously moved out of the county jail and into a state prison for disruptive behavior and possession of controlled substances.
Drummond has been behind bars since his arrest on Aug. 5, 2025, following a week-long manhunt. Drummond previously served time in prison for robbing a convenience store and threatening jurors in the case. At the time of the quadruple murder, Drummond was out of jail on bond awaiting trial on charges he tried to kill a guard in prison.
