Recordings: Suspects cleared in Faust killing claim they were with family

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The two men who were charged, then recently cleared, in the 2014 killing of a 5-year-old Fort Myers boy claimed in police interviews that they were with family at the time of the shooting.

In the recently released recordings, which were edited by WINK News to exclude the names and identifying information of those not charged, Terrance Irons and Thomas Edison said they were at their respective homes when shots were fired.

“I’m telling you, I don’t know nothin’ about nothin’, I got nothin’ to do with nothin’, I don’t know how my name get in this,” Terrance Irons told Fort Myers homicide detective Emily DeStefanis.

Irons, who said he voluntarily came to police after his name was circulated in rumors, said on the day of the shooting he visited the homes of his godmother and grandmother, then picked up his 2-year-old son before returning to his grandmother’s home on Lafayette Street.

Irons said he was standing outside the residence when police swarmed the area.

“Hundreds of tips came in and you seem to be in 80 percent of them,” DeStefanis told Irons.

Irons and Edison were interviewed two weeks following the Oct. 2014 killing of Andrew Faust Jr. Both men were named by Cashae Smith, the only witness to come forward in relation to the killing. Murder charges against both men were dropped earlier this month after Smith stopped cooperating with authorities.

DeStefanis also interviewed Edison, who at the time of their conversation was charged in relation to the shooting.

“The persons who did this, they are free,” he said. “And you arrested the wrong two people and your case is gonna get messed up because you got the wrong two people locked up for this.”

Edison said he was at his children’s mother’s house on Diana Street at the time of the shooting and was asleep on the couch when his 15-year-old daughter came home from school.

“You arresting us, but a couple of weeks ago, they just said somebody else did the shooting…on Facebook,” he said. “They just put names out there.”

DeStefanis, in her response, eluded to her evidence.

“I don’t go and arrest people for murder based on what a bunch of foolishness  is going on, on Facebook,” she said. “With all due respect, I’m taking your freedom and I’m very aware of that.”

Edison was treated and released from Lee Memorial Hospital on Sunday after sustaining a gunshot wound. His lawyer said he didn’t believe the shooting was related to the case. Irons was also treated at the hospital but the circumstances surrounding his visit were not immediately known.