Austin Jameson first appeared in Genoa City as the cameraman for attorney Avery Baily Clark's web series cooking show "You are being served".

Austin began to get close to Summer Newman, the 19-year-old daughter of either the wealthy Nick Newman or wealthy Jack Abbott. They eventually kissed and both began confiding in each other. Summer told him she was upset to see Jack getting closer with Kelly Andrews, feeling that he was not being loyal to her mother, Phyllis, who was in a coma. Austin told her that he understood, that he had lost his mother unexpectedly a few years back. He commented that he resented defense attorneys who get guilty clients off. Summer tried to get Austin to make love to her, but he said that he had come to Genoa City to do a job, had a short term lease, and would be leaving soon.

Avery and her boyfriend Dylan McAvoy were unnerved by some odd posts online by "4MJ" taunting the "real" Avery Bailey Clark. Avery wanted to quit the show until they got her an appearance on the television show "The Talk".

After 4MJ's latest post "Justice is about to be served", it sounded like 4MJ felt wronged by Avery and intended to make things right, Avery got scared and went to the police. Kevin Fisher began researching the username.

Austin got Avery to go to his apartment with him. Austin insisted that she confess on camera to being responsible for his mother's death. It seemed that Avery had defended a man named Boz Foreman and gotten him off for a convenience store hold up and killing. Afterward, Boz had repeated the crime, killing Austin's mother, Mary Jameson, and was in prison for it. Austin admitted that he was 4MJ, meaning "for Mary Jameson". When Avery tried to leave, Austin pulled a gun on her. Dylan arrived by way of the fire escape and jumped Austin. As they wrestled for his gun, police chief Paul Williams and his men arrived, the gun went off, and Paul was shot. Austin escaped, but was shot leaving the scene. Paul was taken to the hospital where Dylan and Avery waited for word on his condition. Detective Harding viciously accused Dylan of being responsible by not waiting for the police. And Avery felt responsible as well.

Austin called Summer asking her to meet him, and she did. He wanted to say goodbye, but Summer wanted to go on the run with him, as Austin doubled over in pain from the gunshot wound in his shoulder. Summer texted Jack that she was okay and wished him happy father's day.

Summer and Austin caught a bus heading for Canada and spent the night in a motel with Austin sleeping on the couch. The next morning Summer texted Nick and Jack, "I'm all right. I know what I am doing. Love you both." Summer bandaged Austin's wound while he tried to talk her into going home. But Summer was adamant in going with him into Canada, and convinced him to take her virginity. But while Summer took a shower, Austin slipped out, and the police were at her door shortly afterward. As Summer was talking with Nick by phone, Austin was turning himself in, in Genoa City.

Arriving back in Genoa City, Summer claimed that there was something special about Austin, that she knew he was "the one", admitting to Avery (who also happened to be her aunt) that they had made love but had used protection. Summer begged Avery to defend Austin, and Avery explained that she could not because she was the victim, but she agreed to give Austin legal advice until they found him an attorney. Summer turned down both her fathers Jack and Nick's offers and went home with Avery. Summer refused to give up on Austin, claiming to be in love with him. When Jack turned Summer down to bail out Austin, she went to Nick, who also said no. Summer called her still-unconscious mother Phyllis, and told her that she had fallen in love.

The life of Chief of police, Paul, was saved by a partial liver donation by his son, Dylan McAvoy. Avery's partner Leslie took over Austin's case and got him out on bail using money Summer obtained from her trust fund. Austin visited Paul to make sure he was okay. Paul gave him a bit of a lecture, telling him that no matter what had happened to Austin, he should not have taken the law into his own hands. Summer told Austin she was in love with him, and would never turn her back on him. Austin said that he cared about her, but she needed to face the truth, that he could go to prison for years, and he didn't want to see her get hurt. Summer came up with a solution she said was in the style of her mother. And when Jack found them together at the Abbott lake house, they shocked him by announcing that they were married. Jack accused Austin of being after her money or keeping Summer from testifying against him. Summer said she was the happiest she had ever been, and accused Jack of only wanting to spoil it.

Summer decided they should be officially married in a church and invited Noah and Courtney to stand up for them. Nick's wife Sharon said she felt she owed it to Phyllis and helped Summer get ready, and she and Nick's daughter, Faith, was the flower girl. Sharon convinced Nick to walk Summer down the aisle, but Jack arrived, and they began again with both Jack and Nick walking her down the aisle, and Summer and Austin were married again. Detective Harding arrived to arrest Austin for fraud, but Jack talked him out of it with everyone swearing the couple loved each other and no fraud was being committed.

Rather than let Summer live with Austin at his unsafe apartment, and knowing Summer's aversion to living in Phyllis', Jack gave them one of his apartments rent-free instead. Austin was determined to find a job, and he happily spotted one for a cameraman. He remarked to Summer that his mother had bought him a camera for his tenth birthday to get him away from video games, and he'd turned it into a career by entering film school with dreams of becoming a director. But Austin's crime lost him the cameraman job. Austin wandered into The Underground and filled out an application, but was shocked when Nick walked in and he realized it was Nick's bar. Nick stopped him from leaving, was impressed with his resume, and hired him.

Concerned about his trial being only a week away, Austin began trying to live in the moment in the time they had left together, pre-celebrating holidays like Christmas. Summer just wanted to run away again, but Austin talked her out of it.

With Austin's trial a day away, Summer decided to celebrate Valentines Day, showing Austin how much she loved him, she gave him a day planner already marked with dates she felt confident they would make together. Austin was overwhelmed, telling Summer that she gave him hope, made him happier than ever thought possible, and wishing they had met sooner.

Thanks to Avery's letter to the judge forgiving him, and Paul's refusal to testify at the trial, Austin was given deferred adjudication with a fine and community service. Afterward Austin admitted to Summer that he had only married her to help his case, but assured her that he had fallen in love with her since. Having no money to pay Austin's fine, Victor released some of Summer's trust fund so that she could pay it for him. Nick gave Austin a job at The Underground, and Austin found a second job as a lifeguard at the GCAC rooftop pool.

Summer's mother, Phyllis, woke up from her coma, but Austin was crushed when Summer took off her wedding ring and introduced him as her friend after being cautioned not to tell Phyllis anything that may upset her. But Ashley managed to expose the fact that they were married. Phyllis was shocked and demanded an annulment, but Jack talked her into giving Austin a chance.

Tired of being in the dark, Phyllis hacked into Jack's laptop and checked GC Buzz for the goings on over the past year. Phyllis confronted Summer with her discovery that her new son-in-law Austin had held Avery hostage and nearly killed Paul Williams. Summer pointed out that Phyllis had almost killed Paul Williams herself once, so she should understand how people can change. Avery defended Austin to Phyllis as well.

As a Christmas present for Phyllis, Summer and Austin made a video of all the events she had missed, including their wedding, Katherine's memorial service, plus Delia and Adam's deaths. Phyllis was very touched by it all.

Austin was offered a job shooting a commercial for Joe Clark's real estate company. Although he was unsure if he wanted to get involved with someone who was plotting with Victor to demolish the warehouse district, he knew he had to take the job. Upon turning in his work though, Joe let him know that he no longer needed it since Victor had pulled out of the sale. When Austin insisted he still be paid for his work, Joe threw a few bills on the floor and told Austin that he was a loser. Austin later decided to use the footage to make a documentary about executives.

Summer was there when a building inspector came by the Underground saying he had been there three times concerning the building's structural problems, had left word with Austin for Nick to call, and was threatening to close it down. Summer finally dragged Austin over to Nick's to tell him. Austin claimed it had slipped his mind while he was working on his "real job" for Joe. Nick was furious, reminding Austin that he had hired him when no one else would, and so long as Nick was paying him, bartending was his real job. Nick called a repairman to fix things immediately and met him at the club. Austin was upset with Summer for not defending him, but Summer agreed with Nick, that Austin had messed up, so they fought. Nick returned, told Austin he would not fire him, but his negligence was inexcusable. Austin was angered, quit his job, and walked out. Austin texted someone "UAwake?" and they replied, "Yeah, what did you have in mind?"

Noah, Kevin, Mariah, Summer, Austin, and Fenmore each received unsigned invitations to a Valentines Day party at the Abbott cabin. After they arrived, they deduced that Abby was the hostess since she was the only Abbott there. Abby admitted that she had not wanted to be alone, and that they would never have come had they known. Austin accused Summer of hoping she had been invited by Kyle. The group played a drinking game, "Never have I Ever", but when someone said "committed murder", Austin left the room upset. He told Summer it had reminded him of his mother. Courtney arrived, telling them that a snowstorm had closed the road behind her. Fen put a party drug in the punch which knocked everyone out, and they woke up to find Austin missing. They opened an armoire, and Austin's body fell out with blood on his head. Courtney tried to revive him, but declared him dead. Noah hugged a distraught Summer who suddenly remembered that she had hidden a brass bookend behind a sofa cushion, pulled it out, and screamed when she saw blood on it. Summer feared that she had killed Austin, but they reminded her that she could not have picked him up and stuffed him in the armoire.

Noah, Mariah, and Kevin suggested a cover-up to protect Summer. Courtney refused to be a part of it, as it would make her a dirty cop, but they talked her into it. The guys put Austin's body outside in the snow as if he had fallen, and his blood on a nearby rock. Mariah suddenly remembered seeing Austin and Abby kissing while they were all drugged. She confronted Abby, who admitted the kiss, but swore that nothing had been going on between them. Mariah pointed out that if Summer had seen them, it would have been a perfect motive. Courtney called the police but lost the cell signal before she could tell them why. Fen went out to get a ladder to support their story, and discovered that Austin's body had disappeared. When the police arrived, they were told that Kevin had fallen from the roof trying to shovel off the deep snow, Austin had gone for help, but had never come back. As the group left for town, they wondered if Austin was really dead, or if someone else had killed him and taken the body. But later that night, the police found Kyle near the cabin stuck in a ravine. Then they broke the news to Summer that they had found Austin dead behind the wheel of a wrecked car, and Summer identified the body in the morgue.

Flashbacks by Abby have shown that Austin and Abby began a relationship when she found Austin retreating at the Abbott cabin to get away from Summer. Their relationship grew to be an affair, Abby felt guilty, but had fallen in love with Austin. Kyle has told how he had returned to town, and after seeing them together, confronted Austin. They fought, and Kyle threw Austin a towel to wipe up his blood. After Austin's death, the bloody towel was found in Kyle's trunk by Kevin, Mariah, and Noah. On returning to the cabin following Austin's memorial service, the armoire was opened to reveal "I know what happened here" written in lipstick on the mirror inside.

After viewing some of the deleted videos which Kevin had found and unencrypted on Austin's laptop with him saying "Entitled people who step on others who are just trying to do the right thing, and collect souls, one payoff at a time.", the group became convinced that they were being watched by someone who had murdered Austin because of some secret in his documentary they did not want exposed. Abby and Summer realized that Austin had been using both of them to get dirt on the Newmans and Abbotts for his exposé. It was later discovered that Austin had interviewed Sharon who had divulged a Newman family secret, and he had also interviewed Ben Rayburn and Jack Abbott.

It was later revealed that Marco Annicelli, a former head of a South American drug cartel, was a doppelganger of Jack Abbott, and posing a Jack. After Austin had video taped Marco and Jack in the park at the same time, Marco paid police detective Harding to erase the footage from Austin's hard drive. But Austin woke up and caught Harding, so Harding murdered Austin. Courtney had made the same discovery watching the security tape from the park, had shown it to Harding, and Harding murdered her to protect Marco.