Amid a manhunt for quadruple murder suspect Austin Robert Drummond, investigators believe the suspect has connections to the Vice Lords gang, and that its members may be helping him, CNN cited a law enforcement source as saying. The 28-year-old is accused of killing four people in Lake County, Tennessee.
An infant was found abandoned in Dyer County earlier this week. Shortly after, four relatives were found murdered in nearby Lake County, including the baby’s parents.
The victims have been identified as the baby’s parents, Matthew Wilson, 21, and Adrianna Williams, 20, along with the child's maternal grandmother, Courtney Rose, 38, and maternal uncle, Braydon Williams, 15.
What is the Vice Lords gang?
The Almighty Vice Lords Nation is a criminal network that has "committed acts of violence, drug dealing, and other crimes, across the country," federal prosecutors said during the conviction of one of the gang members of an attack in the aid of racketeering at a Michigan prison. The Detroit Free Press reported in 2021 that the gang is infamous for providing money to jailed members. It is known for using fear and intimidation to preserve power.
The gang initially started in the 1960s in Chicago but eventually used branches to spread across the country. The branches include Conservative Vice Lords, Traveling Vice Lords, Insane Vice Lords, Mafia Insane Vice Lords and Cicero Insane Vice Lords.
"A common symbol of the AVLN is the five-pointed star, which represents the fact that the Vice Lords belong to the 'People Nation,' an alliance of various street gangs including the Bloods, the Latin Kings, and Latin Counts," court papers said before the conviction of Anthony Zigler, a member of the Conservative Vice Lords branch.
Read More | Austin Robert Drummond spotted? Footage from Pipkin Road in Jackson, Tennessee surfaces | Watch
Austin Robert Drummond search update
Authorities searched a wooded area near a private university in Jackson, Tennessee, on Monday, August 5, for Drummond, a law enforcement source familiar with the matter revealed, according to CNN. Footage of a man seen on Pippin Rd in Jackson, Tennessee, is also being shared on social media with the claim that it is Drummond.
Officials have obtained warrants for Drummond charging him with 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, who remains at large, could be “armed and dangerous,” according to authorities. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to call 731-415-7962, 731-333-0811, or 1-800-TBI-FIND.