An over 30-hour search for a suspect involved in a Roseboro incident culminated Monday morning with the arrest of a 29-year-old Sampson man, taken into custody in connection with dousing a Roseboro woman with gasoline and then setting her on fire.
Sampson County Sheriff’s officers took Franklin “Frankie” Paul Faircloth into custody just after 11 a.m. Monday, charging him with attempted murder, first degree arson, first degree burglary, assault inflicting serious bodily injury and misdemeanor domestic violence, all charges stemming from an incident Saturday night that seriously injured Courtney Witschger, 36 of 719 North Pine St., Roseboro.
A “civilian” reportedly spotted Faircloth in a wooded area near Butler Island Road Monday and contacted county law enforcement.
Officers had been searching for Faircloth since late Saturday night when they were first called to Witschger’s Pine Street residence in reference to a structure fire and an injured female at the property.
That incident was called in around 10 p.m. Saturday, and when officers arrived they discovered Witschger suffering from what was believed to be third-degree burns over two-thirds of her body.
The victim told officers, Sheriff’s Capt. Marcus Smith said, that Faircloth had forced his way into her home, doused her with gasoline and then set fire to her home. The home, Smith said, was destroyed in the blaze.
The suspect reportedly fled the scene on a gray and red, leading officers to begin the search, which continued into Monday morning.
Witschger was airlifted to an area trauma center, where she is being treated for injuries sustained as a result of the blaze.
Smith said Faircloth is believed to be homeless and may have had a previous relationship with the victim, though the full extent or nature of their relationship is not known.
“The only thing I have as far as their relationship is, I think they might have had some sort of previous relationship,” acknowledged Smith. “I’m not sure of anything ongoing or current between them, but I do believe they had some previous relationship.”
Faircloth was placed in the Sampson County Detention Center without privilege of bond. He is to make a first appearance in Sampson District Court later this week.