Prosecutors said Irons, who was 16 at the time the crime occurred, admitted to a police officer that he had broken into Stotler’s home, a claim that Irons firmly denied. The officer who questioned him did so alone and did not make a video or audio recording of the conversation. When asked about his interview notes, the officer said he had thrown them away.
Despite his youth, Irons was tried as an adult. On the advice of his public defender, he did not testify. In a county with few minority residents, he was convicted by an all-white jury and received a sentence that made him ineligible for parole until he turned 60.
Throughout his time in prison, Irons, a religious man who was educated behind bars and praised by the prison administration, said he would never accept probation, because it would require him to admit guilt when he had done nothing wrong. .
Moore, an evangelical Christian who spent much of last year ministering in Atlanta and connecting with her church and family, goes on to say that she has no plans to return to basketball any time soon. In January, she announced that she was extending her hiatus for a second year, in part to continue helping Irons. That decision meant that he would miss not only a second season of the WNBA, which will now begin in late July after being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but also the opportunity to win a third consecutive gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, they moved to 2021.
During a recent phone interview from prison, Irons said he initially planned to live with Moore’s godparents in Atlanta, across the street from his home. Moore’s godfather, Reggie Williams, had worked in his spare time to investigate the Irons case and uncovered key evidence of the fingerprint.
“I hope to be a positive change agent,” Irons said in the interview. “I want to encourage and inspire people and share my story with anyone who hears. I want to be an advocate, part of the conversation in the future, in favor of justice and police reform. “
When asked about Stotler, Irons did not hesitate.
“He was a victim twice,” said Irons. “A victim once for the person who robbed his house and assaulted him. And he was a victim of the police who manipulated him to identify me. “
