AUDIO: 911 calls released in Mooresville house explosion that killed NFL player's father

by: Ciara Lankford, Connor Lomis

Posted: Aug 24, 2023 / 04:36 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 25, 2023 / 05:58 AM EDT

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Several 911 calls have been released in connection to a house explosion in Mooresville this week that killed an NFL player’s father.

Robert Matthews Farley, 61, was killed in the apparent explosion while staying in the home; his body was recovered around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, as crews searched the debris.

The house, owned by NFL cornerback Caleb Farley, once sat inside a curve on Barber Loop and could be seen in the rubble Tuesday morning. The explosion was reported just before midnight.

“My father was a stand-up guy,” Caleb told QCN. “He raised me to be a stand-up guy.”

On Thursday, several 911 calls were released in connection to the apparent explosion.

“Umm, I called before because I was worried and it is an explosion. Oh my God! It’s at the corner of 321 and what is this? What is it? Arbor Way. And the house did explode. The house has exploded. Oh my God,” one 911 caller can be heard saying.

“We just heard a huge explosion. I don’t know if something hit our house or somebody else’s next door but it was, it was huge,” another caller said. “Our whole house shook.”

Listen here: Several 911 calls have been edited by authorities

911: Do you need police, fire, or medical?

Caller: Police, I just heard a huge…I don’t know if it was an explosion or someone trying to break in outside my house.

911: What did you see?

Caller: I didn’t see anything. I heard it. Like an explosion or I’m not sure if someone is trying to break in.

911: OK, with that explosion did you hear anything else?

Caller: No, just a huge explosion, we felt like it hit the top of our house, but we don’t see anything.

911: OK, thank you, that’s OK, breathe.

911: Iredell County 911, what’s the address of your emergency?

Caller: Hey, we just heard this massive explosion and it woke us up out of our beds…it shook our house. At first, I thought it was thunder…

911: Iredell County 911, what’s the address of your emergency?

Caller: We heard what sounded like an explosion…it was like a BOOM…I thought someone was actually kicking my door in.

911: Iredell County 911, what’s the address of your emergency? Hello?

Caller: Umm, I called before because I was worried and it is an explosion. Oh my God! It’s at the corner of 321 and what is this? What is it? Arbor Way. And the house did explode. The house has exploded. Oh my God!

One person injured in the blast, identified as Christian Rogers, 25, was seen leaving the property as the first emergency crews arrived at the scene and was transported to Atrium Health CMC in Charlotte with non-life-threatening injuries, officials confirmed.

Rogers is a friend of Caleb Farley. Authorities said Rogers “wasn’t saying much” when found and had a concussion from the blast. Rogers has since been released from the hospital.

Neighbors in the area told QCN they heard “a loud explosion” and smelled gas. Some also said the current homeowner, Caleb, lived in the house for less than a year.

“A loud boom, about five minutes to midnight,” Clay Wild, who was out for a morning walk, told Queen City News. “A gorgeous house, in all respects; I can’t believe it.”

Queen City News observed some Mooresville ladder trucks and EMS vehicles leaving the scene around 7 a.m. Tuesday. N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and ATF agents were at the scene.

Records showed that the 6,391-square-foot natural-gas home was listed for just over $2 million in 2022 and was built in 2016. The circumstances of the explosion have not yet been officially released; however, the house being reduced to rubble is similar to a 2019 gas explosion that occurred at a home in Ballantyne. One person was killed in that explosion.

Authorities said the home is a total loss, along with several vehicles.

At this time, there is no evidence of foul play. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation by the Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Watch Tuesday’s full news conference below:

Farley is a cornerback for the Tennessee Titans and played college football at Virginia Tech before the Titans drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

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