Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty in Tennessee Quadruple Murder Case

Judge Andrew T. Cook speaks to Austin Drummond via video conference during an arraignment in Tiptonville, Tennessee, Thursday. (Adrian Sainz/AP)

Prosecutors in rural Tennessee say they will pursue the death penalty against a man accused of killing four members of a family, including the parents of an infant later found abandoned miles away in the summer heat.

District Attorney Danny Goodman announced the decision in court Thursday during the arraignment of 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond. Drummond was captured Tuesday after a week-long manhunt and now faces four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.

Drummond appeared by video from jail, wearing a black-and-white-striped prison uniform and handcuffed, as Lake County General Sessions Judge Andrew T. Cook read the charges. The defendant showed no visible reaction.

Cook entered a not guilty plea on Drummond’s behalf, as he did not yet have legal representation. The court appointed attorney Bryan Huffman to represent him at his next hearing, scheduled for August 14. The judge ordered Drummond held without bond, citing state law in capital cases and public safety concerns.

Authorities say Drummond was arrested in a wooded area shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday. He has been remanded to the custody of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.