The man accused of pouring gasoline on a Roseboro woman and setting her on fire, Franklin Faircloth, was denied bond in his first court appearance Thursday.
The 29-year-old appeared in court on Thursday after being taken into custody just after 11 a.m. Monday by Sampson County authorities. Faircloth faces several charges, including attempted murder, first degree arson, first degree burglary, assault inflicting serious bodily injury and misdemeanor domestic violence. All charges stem from an incident last Saturday night that seriously injured Courtney Witschger, 36, of 719 North Pine St., Roseboro.
Officers took Faircloth into custody Monday after 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 third degree burns to 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 bike, leading officers to begin the search, which continued into Monday morning.
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 is reportedly expected to reappear in court next month. As for the victim, Witscher currently remains in the hospital for treatment of her wounds.