MADISON COUNTY – An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in the indictments of two Jackson residents in connection to the ongoing Austin Drummond case.
At the request of 26th Judicial District Attorney General Jody Pickens, TBI agents began investigating allegations involving Eric Wise, Jr. (DOB 7/21/1999) and Michell Ovelis (DOB 12/13/1993). During the course of that investigation, agents learned that Wise and Ovelis assisted murder suspect Austin Drummond in evading authorities.
According to the indictment, Michell Araceli Ovelis and Erik Jermain Wise Jr., alongside Dearrah Sanders and Giovontie Thomas, have been charged with accessory after the fact in connection to the Lake County homicides.
On September 2nd, the Madison County Grand Jury returned indictments charging both Wise and Ovelis with two counts of Accessory After the Fact. Authorities subsequently arrested both and booked them into the Madison County Jail.
Several weeks ago, authorities charged Austin Drummond with a set of felony charges in connection to the murders of James M. Wilson, Adrianna Williams, Cortney Rose, and Braydon Williams in Tiptonville on July 29th. He was a fugitive for seven days before police arrested him in Jackson on August 5th. 29-year-old Tanaka Brown, 29-year-old Giovontie Thomas, and 23-year-old Dearrah Sanders also face charges in connection to this ongoing investigation.
The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.