MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — The four people found dead Tuesday in Lake County, Tenn., have been identified by authorities amid an investigation into an abandoned baby in Dyer County.
Officials have identified the four as Cortney Rose, Matthew Wilson, Adrianna Williams and a juvenile. They were found in the Tennessee town of Tiptonville.
It appears that the incident involves the ongoing investigation of a baby found unharmed in a baby seat Tuesday in the front yard of a residence on Old Highway 20 near the Tigrett area.
Local District Attorney Danny Goodman Jr. confirmed Wednesday that the baby was related to those who were found dead.
The woman who discovered the baby answered her front door Wednesday, still visibly shaken. With a trembling voice, she told Nexstar’s WREG that she did not want to go on camera because this is an active investigation.
A deputy said a dark-colored minivan or white midsize SUV was reported to have dropped off a baby at a random person’s home. The baby was later identified.
After the baby was identified, the sheriff’s office said they wanted to speak with Rose, Wilson, and Williams.
How they and the juvenile died is still unknown, as well as how a home at an out-of-the-way location was chosen as a drop-off spot for a child too young to tell the story about how she ended up left behind in the middle of the county, in the middle of the day.
Lake County is directly north of Dyer County in northwest Tennessee near the Kentucky border, about two hours north of Memphis.
“This is a deeply saddening day for our community. We are committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring justice is served,” said Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box.
Goodman said he did not think there was any ongoing public safety threat, adding that he believes the findings will show this is an isolated incident, not a random attack.
Investigators with the Dyer County and Lake County sheriff’s departments are investigating alongside the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.
If you have any information related to the bodies found or the abandoned baby, contact the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office at 731-285-2802.
