MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WJZY) – An explosion overnight leveled a multimillion-dollar home in North Carolina owned by NFL cornerback Caleb Farley, leaving his father dead and another person injured, authorities said.
Authorities confirmed with Nexstar’s WJZY that the person who was killed was Farley’s father, 61-year-old Robert Matthews Farley, who was staying in the home at the time of the incident. His body was found as crews were searching the debris, authorities said.
The injured person, identified as 25-year-old Christian Rogers, was seen leaving the property as the first emergency crews arrived at the scene, and was transported to Atrium Health CMC with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Kent Greene, director of Fire Services and Emergency Management for Iredell. Rogers is a friend of Farley.
Authorities said Rogers “wasn’t saying much” when found and had a concussion from the blast.
The 6,391-square-foot house, located in Mooresville just off Lake Norman, was mostly reduced to rubble as of Tuesday morning.
Farley was spotted at the scene with family Tuesday, speaking with authorities.
Iredell County Sheriff deputies, Troutman Fire and Mooresville Fire departments were at the scene early Tuesday morning. Dominion Energy officials also responded.
Neighbors told WJZY they heard “a loud explosion” and smelled gas. Some also said the current homeowner, identified as Farley, has 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. “A gorgeous house, in all respects, I can’t believe it.”
He added: “[To] wake up this morning and walk out and see that is just incredible.”
Neighbor Laura Wild said she was “just freaked out.”
“I can’t believe that house is devastated. It was a beautiful house,” she said, adding at the time, “I’m really hoping no one was in there. That’s my fear is that someone might have been in there.”
WJZY observed some Mooresville ladder trucks and EMS vehicles leaving the scene around 7 a.m. Tuesday. North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents were at the scene.
The natural-gas home, built in 2016, was listed for just over $2 million in 2022, records showed.
Greene said the home is a total loss. Several vehicles were also destroyed in the blast.
So far, there is no evidence of foul play, but the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
Farley is a cornerback for the Tennessee Titans and played college football at Virginia Tech before he was drafted by the Titans in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.