Officials plan to seek the death penalty for a Tennessee man charged with killing 4

TIPTONVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against a Tennessee man charged with killing the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found abandoned in a home's front yard, authorities said Thursday.

Austin Robert Drummond, 28, appeared by a video feed from jail before a judge in Tiptonville, two days after he was arrested in the killings that set mostly rural areas of western Tennessee on edge.

District Attorney Danny Goodman told the judge that the state intends to seek the death penalty. Lake County General Sessions Judge Andrew T. Cook ordered Drummond held without bond because it is a capital case.

Drummond was sitting in a black and white striped jumpsuit. He told a judge he operated a business and he said he wants a speedy trial. The judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and granted him a court-appointed attorney, who did not immediately return a calls seeking comment Thursday.

The judge also arraigned Branden Powell, who authorities say was stopped in a vehicle with Drummond days before the shootings as they were attempting to deliver marijuana to the jail in Lake County. Powell did not enter a plea because he is trying to hire a lawyer, he said during his hearing.

Drummond is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and weapons offenses. A weeklong search for Drummond ended in Jackson, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of the location of the July 29 slayings.

Officers had responded to a call of an infant in a car seat being dropped at a “random individual’s front yard" in the Tigrett area, roughly 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Tiptonville, the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office said.

Then, investigators in neighboring Lake County reported that four people had been found dead from gunshot wounds in Tiptonville. Officials determined they were the baby's parents, James M. Wilson, 21, and Adrianna Williams, 20; Williams' brother, Braydon Williams, 15; and their mother, Cortney Rose, 38.

Investigators determined the four had not been seen since the night before, Goodman said. A relative had called 911 after finding two vehicles in a remote area, and the four bodies were found in nearby woods, Goodman said.

Goodman said Drummond’s girlfriend is the sister of the infant’s grandmother.

Kim Hamil, Wilson's mother, said Thursday that it was a “really bad situation” for the relatives and they were trying to let justice take its course. They were going to be in court every chance they could, Hamil said.

“It’s a whole family gone,” said Hamil. “It’s unbelievable."

She said the family loved each other and that Wilson was a good father and son. Relatives are caring for the baby.

"As a family, we’re just broken,” Hamil said.

It’s believed Drummond targeted the victims, said Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch. The agency has also charged three other people with helping Drummond after the killings.

Drummond was arrested based on tips after police released a surveillance clip showing a man they said was Drummond wearing camouflage and carrying a firearm, authorities said. Drummond had been staying in a vacant building near the woods.

Drummond has served prison time for robbing a convenience store and threatening to go after jurors. He was also charged with attempted murder while behind bars, and was out on bond at the time of the killings, Goodman said.

With a population of about 3,400 people, Tiptonville is near the Mississippi River and scenic Reelfoot Lake. A popular tourist destination, the 15,000-acre (6,070-hectare) lake was created by violent earthquakes in 1811-1812 that caused the river to flow backwards and essentially flood a forest.

This story has been corrected to show that authorities said three others helped Drummond, not Goodman. This story has also been corrected to show the dateline is in Tiptonville, not Titponville. This story has also been corrected to show the judge entered a not guilty plea on Drummond's behalf, not a guilty plea.

Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee.

The Lake County Courthouse, where a hearing was held for a man charged with killing four relatives of an infant found abandoned in a home's front yard, is seen on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Tiptonville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz)

The parents of James M. Wilson, Matthew Wilson, left, and Kim Hamil, speak with reporters after a court hearing for a man charged with killing four people, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Tiptonville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz)

CORRECTS NAME TO ANDREW NOT ANTHONY Lake County General Sessions Judge Andrew T. Cook speaks to Austin Drummond via video conference during an arraignment on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Tiptonville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz)

The parents of James M. Wilson, Matthew Wilson, left, and Kim Hamil, speak with reporters after a court hearing for a man charged with killing four people on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Tiptonville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz)

This photo provided by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025 shows Austin Drummond, moments after having been taken into custody. (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation via AP)

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Host Italy has a new contender in Alpine skiing with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics three weeks away.

Giovanni Franzoni claimed his first World Cup victory on the famed Lauberhorn course in a super-G Friday — four months after his close friend and former roommate, Matteo Franzoso, died in a crash during preseason training in Chile.

The 24-year-old Franzoni — a former world junior champion in super-G, downhill and Alpine combined — was the first racer on course and took advantage of the No. 1 bib to deliver a near-perfect run.

Reaching a top speed of 140.44 kph (87 mph), Franzoni finished 0.35 seconds ahead of Stefan Babinsky of Austria and 0.37 ahead of downhill world champion Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland.

Franzoni handled the tricky Canadian Corner and Kernen S sections on the upper portion of the course cleaner than anyone else.

“I made the difference on the turn where I crashed a few years ago,” he said, referring to his season-ending fall in a super-G in 2023 that resulted in thigh surgery.

Swiss overall World Cup leader Marco Odermatt, a four-time winner in Wengen, placed fourth, 0.53 behind.

The top American was Ryan Cochran-Siegle in sixth.

Franzoni also led both downhill training sessions and could be a contender in the classic downhill on Saturday. His previous best World Cup finish was third in a super-G on home snow in Val Gardena last month.

Now Franzoni will be among the leaders for Italy’s team in Bormio, where men’s Alpine skiing will be contested during the Olympics.

“If you had told me that I would be third in Val Gardena and then win here — on the two courses that I've had the most trouble on — I wouldn't have believed it,” Franzoni said.

The opening ceremony for the Games is scheduled for Feb. 6.

“I don't know about the future, but the present has changed," Franzoni said. "We always live day by day.”

Marco Schwarz, the Austrian who won the previous super-G in Livigno, Italy, last month, missed the race due to sickness.

Also sitting out this weekend is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the Norwegian standout who returned this season after a horrific crash in Wengen two years ago.

“This year," Kilde said on Instagram this week, "it’s just a little too early.”

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Giovanni Franzoni of Italy takes a jump during the alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G race, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt reacts at finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen reacts at finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Austria's Stefan Babinsky speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Italy's Giovanni Franzoni reacts at finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Italy's Giovanni Franzoni speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup super-G, in Wengen, Switzerland, Friday Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)