THE man accused of killing four individuals, whom he considered to be family, has proclaimed his innocence in a bizarre jailhouse interview.

Austin Drummond affirmed that he did not kill the four relatives and instead, claimed that in the weeks before the July 29 murders, his status as an undercover FBI informant was blown.

Drummond, who is facing the death penalty over the grisly quadruple murders, claimed that after he was released from prison in September 2024, he was approached by Tennessee prosecutors to assist in their efforts to crack down on drug smuggling into the state’s corrections system.

In a jailhouse interview with CBS affiliate WTVF, Drummond claimed he went on the run after being informed that his confidential status was exposed and when the four relatives were killed.

Drummond claimed that he helped officials, including the FBI, arrest drug dealers, corrupt police officers, and take down gang members.

“But they found out I was an informant, and I didn’t know. I was afraid because I knew that bad things happened,” Drummond told the outlet.

Drummond also admitted to the outlet that he was a member of the Vice Lords gang during his prison stint for armed robbery and kidnapping charges.

“You know, I was afraid that because I was an informant things would go wrong, things would happen to me.”

Drummond claimed he had “no reason” to kill the four relatives, identified as Adrianna Williams, 20, James “Matthew” Wilson, 21, Cortney Rose, 38, and Braydon Williams, 15.

However, he did say, without going into detail, that he was “somehow directly involved” in the killings.

Drummond refused to speak about the specifics of the murders and why Adrianna and Wilson’s 7-month-old son was left abandoned on a stranger’s front yard in Tigrett, about 40 miles south of where the four relatives’ bodies were located in Tiptonville.

Lake County District Attorney Danny Goodman Jr. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The FBI’s field office in Tennessee referred all comments to the US Attorney’s Office for the western district of Tennessee.

Goodman Jr. told WTVF that there was “no doubt in his mind” that Drummond committed the murders and that there is a “clear motive.”

But, the district attorney said he was unable to respond specifically to what Drummond said.

Goodman Jr. added that Drummond’s conversation with the news outlet will be added to his office’s criminal case against him.

WARPED FAMILY TREE

Since Drummond’s arrest on August 5, disturbing information has emerged about his link to the four victims.

Drummond, 28, is set to become a father to a baby with his girlfriend Kaitlyn Speed, who is the sister of victim Cortney Rose.

She is also the aunt of Adrianna and Braydon Williams.

Speed is set to give birth to Drummond’s son on October 20, according to the couple’s online baby registry, which was viewed by The U.S. Sun.

Speed was a correctional officer at the Northwest Correctional facility, where Drummond was serving a 13-year sentence, from October 2023 to October 2024, Fox affiliate WHBQ reported.

It’s unclear if Drummond and Speed began dating before, during, or after his time behind bars.

During a court appearance on August 14, Drummond’s court appointed attorney asked the judge to remove a restraining order so that his client could speak with Speed.

A judge denied Drummond’s request.

Drummond has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder, one count of kidnapping, and five separate gun charges.

He is being held without bond.

Goodman Jr., the Lake County district attorney, previously said that his office plans to seek the death penalty.