Lake County, TN – The case against Austin Drummond, accused in a brutal quadruple homicide and kidnapping, has been bound over to the grand jury following a three-hour preliminary hearing this week.
Prosecutors argued there was sufficient probable cause to proceed on four counts of First Degree Murder and one count of Aggravated Kidnapping. Drummond is accused of killing James Wilson (21), Adrianna Williams (20), Braydon Williams (15), and Cortney Rose (38), before allegedly abducting a baby.
The case now advances from Lake County General Sessions Court to Circuit Court, with a hearing scheduled for September 17. The grand jury is set to hear the case on November 10, where indictment is widely expected. Prosecutors confirmed they will pursue the death penalty.
A no-contact order remains in place between Drummond and his girlfriend, Kaitlyn Speed, restricting direct communication due to her potential role as a witness. The judge also issued a gag order, limiting media access to further statements from Drummond.
During the hearing, prosecutors presented testimony from law enforcement and an FBI agent, who described how investigators tracked Drummond’s movements through cellphone data and license plate readers. Evidence indicated Drummond lured the victims, was present at the crime scene, and was later tracked to his parents’ home and a motel.
Drummond’s defense attorney countered that no direct evidence tied him to firing a weapon or committing the killings, suggesting that someone else could have used the tracked phone.
Despite those arguments, the court determined that probable cause had been established, allowing the case to proceed.
The District Attorney is expected to present further evidence at trial, which is anticipated to be scheduled following the grand jury’s decision.
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