4 found dead, infant left in stranger’s yard miles away. What we know so far

UPDATE (8/01/25): Murder suspect’s vehicle found in Jackson

UPDATE (7/31/25 11:14 a.m.): Suspect wanted in deaths of 4 people in Lake County

UPDATE FROM THE TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION:

The deceased have been identified as:

• James M. Wilson, 21

• Adrianna Williams, 20

• Cortney Rose, 38

• Braydon Williams, 15

The investigation, including efforts to identify and apprehend the suspect or suspects, remains active and ongoing. Assisting agencies include the Tiptonville Police Department, the Dyersburg Police Department, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, the Dyer County Sheriff’s Department, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Tennessee State Parks, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Jackson Police Department, the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

DYER COUNTY, Tenn. — In our continuing coverage, authorities confirm a child left in a Dyer County yard is now safe, while a tragic discovery in Lake County deepens the investigation.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 4 found dead; investigation continues after abandoned infant found

On July 29, at approximately 3:11 p.m., a 911 call came in from a resident on Highway 20 near the Tigrett area.

An infant was found alone, strapped in a car seat, in a stranger’s yard.

Officials say she is okay and in safe hands, but concern quickly turned to fear after her parents and other relatives could not be reached.

The child’s paternal grandmother stated the last contact she had with her son was at 6:24 a.m. Monday, when he was heading home from Big River Steel. Loved ones say none of them would ever willingly leave the child behind.

Then just hours later in nearby in Lake County, a discovery no one wanted. Four bodies were found off of Carrington Road, not far from the Northwest Correctional Complex.

According to the Dyer County District Attorney’s Office, the child’s parents, Matthew Wilson and Adrianna Williams, were found dead.

Cortney Rose and 15-year-old Braydon Williams, the child’s maternal grandmother and uncle, were also found dead.

Two vehicles connected to the family, a black Dodge Charger and a white SUV were reportedly found near the crime scene.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is the lead agency on this case, with assistance from the FBI and Dyer and Lake County sheriff’s offices. In a press conference, TBI states they are considering these deaths as homicides and are working to “develop information on suspects.”

This investigation is active and ongoing. If you have any information related to the incident, contact the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office at 731-285-2802.

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