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Infant Abandoned in Yard, 4 Relatives Later Found Dead

Officials search for answers after grim discovery in Tennessee's Lake County
Posted Jul 31, 2025 12:30 AM CDT
Infant Abandoned in Yard, 4 Relatives Later Found Dead
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/Big Joe)

Authorities in Tennessee are investigating after an infant was found abandoned in a car seat on a stranger's lawn in Dyer County on Tuesday afternoon. A witness called 911 after spotting the child, who was checked over by paramedics and reported to be safe, reports NBC News. The incident sparked an urgent search for whoever left the baby, with investigators focusing on a dark-colored minivan or white midsize SUV seen in the area, per a statement from the Dyer County Sheriff's Office.

Hours later, the search took a grim turn. Law enforcement discovered the bodies of four people—identified as the baby's parents, 21-year-old Matthew Wilson and 20-year-old Adrianna Williams; the child's grandmother, 38-year-old Cortney Rose; and the child's uncle, 15-year-old Braydon Williams—in a wooded area of neighboring Lake County, about 40 miles north of where the baby was found, per NBC.

Officials have yet to release details about how the victims died, and no suspects have been identified. "The [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] worked the case really hard ... and they've interviewed a lot of people that have had a lot of information," Lake County District Attorney Danny Goodman Jr. said, per the Commercial Appeal. "I think they're on the right track, but not sure when there's going to be a resolution yet."

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The TBI, along with nearly a dozen law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the US Marshals, are working the case. "This is a deeply saddening day for our community," said Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box, promising a thorough investigation and a commitment to justice. Anyone with any information about the case is asked to call 731-285-2802.

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