Tragedy in Tennessee: Two Charged, Manhunt Underway After Infant Found Alive and Family of Four Discovered Dead

One fugitive is still at large after two men were charged.

Tanaka Brown, 29, and Giovonte Thomas, 29, have been charged by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Austin Robert Drummond, 28, is still the major suspect in the murders, and authorities claim the two helped him.

The casualties? Officials are describing the death of the infant's parents, grandmother, and uncle as a "targeted strike." The TBI has not yet disclosed specifics regarding how Brown and Thomas allegedly assisted Drummond or how the killings were executed. The public's anxiety and sorrow have only increased as a result of the absence of solutions.

A Baby Discovered, a Community Upended

When a newborn was discovered in the rural Tigrett region a remote area of farmland and woodland roads some 40 miles from where the remains were subsequently found alone but alive, strapped into a car seat, and abandoned, the case started to fall apart.

The baby is safe and in the custody of officials, albeit it is still unknown how the child got there.

Soon after, investigators linked the abandoned baby to a graphic crime scene and began a manhunt for Drummond, who as of Sunday, August 3, is still at large. About 70 miles from the murder location and 40 miles after the baby's discovery, his last known car which officials suspect he had been drivingwas found in Jackson, Tennessee.

A Dangerous Present and a Violent Past

Law enforcement is not new to Drummond. His criminal history includes a conviction for threatening jurors and robbing a convenience shop. He was even charged with attempted murder while he was in prison. He now faces new warrants for many firearms offenses, one count of aggravated kidnapping, and four counts of first-degree murder.

Drummond is deemed dangerous and armed, according to the TBI's urgent warning. Before more damage is done, the agency is asking anyone with knowledge to come forward and assist in bringing him in.

A Case Shrouded in Doubt

Arrests have been made, but the whole picture is still painfully lacking. What set off the assault? Why was the infant abandoned and spared? And how precisely did Thomas and Brown become involved in such an unimaginable deed?

However, it is known that this tragedy has left a path of sorrow throughout a number of Tennessee communities, from the peaceful backroads of Tigrett to the bustling streets of Jackson. Additionally, it has left a family broken, a child without parents, and a public in dire need of justice.

One disturbing reality about the ongoing search for Austin Drummond is that this was not an isolated violent incident. It was deliberate, focused, and intensely intimate.

Request for Information

Get in touch with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation right away if you have any information that might result in Austin Robert Drummond's arrest. In this situation, keeping quiet could be fatal.