Nearly three months after Turkey resident Annie Jane Faison was fatally shot inside her home, her family continues to live with the unanswered questions surrounding her death.
For her daughter, Andrea Faison, the passage of time has not made grieving any easier.Instead, she describes herself as “a grieving daughter that can’t grieve in peace.”
Annie Faison, 59, died May 20 after being struck by gunfire when shots were fired into her home on Darion Lane in Turkey. While investigators have made arrests in other Duplin and Sampson shootings, no one has been charged in connection with her homicide.
According to Marcus Smith, chief deputy with the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, detectives continue to conduct interviews, analyze evidence and pursue leads as part of a joint investigation involving the Sampson department, the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, the SBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and several municipal law enforcement agencies.
Authorities believe the homicide is somehow connected to a broader series of retaliatory shootings that began in Duplin County before extending into Sampson County back in May.
As part of that larger investigation, Robert Torres Faison Jr. and Nolan Tyrell Smith have each been charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling in connection with the May 19 shooting at 400 Cornwallis Road, Turkey.
Smith emphasized those arrests are not related to Annie Faison’s homicide, although investigators believe the Cornwallis Road shooting and the fatal shooting on Darion Lane are connected as part of the same series of retaliatory incidents.
For Andrea Faison, that distinction means the person responsible for taking her mother’s life has yet to answer for it.
“My family is looking at me,” Andrea acknowledged. “They’re calling me, asking me and texting me, ‘What did you find out? What’s going on now?’”
As the oldest daughter, Andrea said she has tried to shoulder the burden of keeping her family together while encouraging patience during the investigation.
“I’m trying to be the strong one,” Andrea explained. “I’m trying to keep them calm and tell them we’ve got to trust the process.”
Smith noted that investigators understand the family’s desire for answers but remain focused on building the strongest possible case.
“The investigation and interviews are still ongoing,” Smith pointed out. “We’re following every lead that’s brought to us.”
Andrea said what makes the waiting so difficult is not knowing why her mother’s home was targeted.
“Why did they choose that house to shoot up?” she questioned. “What provoked them to go there? Did they even know who stayed there?”
She said her mother was asleep inside her home when the gunfire erupted.
The uncertainty has left the family unable to fully process its loss.“We just want peace so we can at least start the healing process,” Andrea expressed.
She believes someone in the community has information that could help investigators, even if they were not directly involved.
“You don’t have to be a snitch,” Andrea attested. “Just do the right thing because an innocent life was taken.”
She also asked people to place themselves in her family’s position.“What if it was your mother?” she challenged.
Smith emphasized that investigators continue to rely on the public’s assistance and that community cooperation remains vital to solving the case.
“The reward is still available to the public, and we strongly urge anyone with information to please come forward,” Smith stressed. “Somebody knows something. We’re trying to provide this family with some peace and justice. No one should have to go through this.”
That reward offers up to $7,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Annie Faison’s homicide. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Sampson Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 910-592-4141, Sampson County Crime Stoppers at 910-592-INFO (4636), or Duplin County Crime Stoppers at 910-372-9202. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through either Crime Stoppers program.
Smith said investigators remain committed to seeing the case through and will continue working alongside their local, state and federal partners until those responsible are identified.
For Andrea, that commitment offers hope, but she admitted each day without answers is another day her family remains in limbo.
“You don’t get to grieve,” Andrea reflected. “Every day you’re wondering who did it, why they did it and whether today is going to be the day somebody finally comes forward. We’re not going to stop until somebody is arrested and something is done.”