A 36-year-old North Carolina woman is currently in critical condition at a trauma center after authorities say her boyfriend doused her in gasoline and set her on fire inside a locked home.
Franklin Faircloth, 29, of Roseboro, was arrested on April 13 and appeared in a Sampson County court this past Thursday, where a judge ordered him held without bond.
The incident occurred on the night of April 12. According to investigators and the victim’s family, Faircloth allegedly forced his way into the woman’s residence before pouring gasoline over her body and igniting it.
The attack left the woman with severe burns covering approximately two-thirds of her chest, back, arms, and legs. Police reports indicate that Faircloth then fled the scene on a bicycle while the house itself caught fire.
“Someone tried to kill my sister last night,” the victim’s sibling shared in a statement on Facebook. “She was doused in gas, set on fire and locked in a building.”
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Faircloth faces a long list of charges, including attempted first-degree murder, first-degree arson, first-degree burglary, and assault inflicting serious bodily injury. An arrest warrant filed in the case states that the defendant “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did maliciously burn the dwelling house” while the victim was still inside.
The Sampson County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that if the victim does not survive her injuries, the charges against Faircloth will be upgraded to first-degree murder. Family members told local WTVD that her current prognosis is grim.
During the court appearance on Thursday, the victim’s family watched as the judge denied Faircloth bond. “We have also experienced such a roller coaster of emotions,” her sister posted following the hearing. “We were in court when her attacker was denied bond. That alone has given us so much comfort.”
The victim’s name is currently being withheld from public reports at the request of her family, who remain by her side at the hospital.
Faircloth is scheduled for his next court appearance on May 8.
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