Franklin Faircloth faces attempted murder, arson and burglary charges after deputies said the woman was burned over much of her body.

ROSEBORO, N.C. — A Sampson County man is being held without bond after deputies said he forced his way into his girlfriend’s home, poured gasoline on her and set her on fire during a late-night attack in Roseboro.

Franklin “Frankie” Paul Faircloth, 29, of Roseboro, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree arson, first-degree burglary, assault inflicting serious bodily injury and misdemeanor domestic violence. The case has drawn attention across eastern North Carolina because of the severity of the woman’s burns, the fire damage at the home and the warning from prosecutors that the charge could change if she does not survive.

Deputies and firefighters were called around 10 p.m. April 11 to a reported structure fire and injured woman at a home on North Pine Street. When crews arrived, they found a 36-year-old woman with burns on her arms, legs, chest and back. Investigators said she told deputies Faircloth forced his way inside, doused her with gasoline, set her on fire and left the scene on a bicycle. The woman was flown or taken to an undisclosed trauma center, where her family said she remained in critical condition.

The first hours of the investigation focused on the burned home and the search for Faircloth. The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office said deputies consulted with the district attorney’s office after the woman’s report and obtained warrants. Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said investigators were looking for Faircloth after the fire and later received a report from a citizen who saw someone matching his description near a wooded area. Deputies searched behind a residence off Butler Island Road and found Faircloth there April 13. He was arrested without incident, according to the sheriff’s office.

The arrest warrant described the fire as a malicious burning of a dwelling while the victim was inside. It also alleged that Faircloth set fire to both arms, both legs, the woman’s chest and her back. The warrant and statements from law enforcement did not describe a motive, did not say how long the couple had been together and did not list any prior domestic calls involving the home. Officials have not said whether a gasoline container, lighter or other item was recovered from the scene, and no full fire marshal report has been made public.

Faircloth appeared in Sampson County court after his arrest and was denied bond. The decision kept him in jail while the most serious counts move forward. Attempted first-degree murder is the lead charge, but first-degree arson and first-degree burglary also carry major penalties if prosecutors prove them. First-degree burglary generally alleges an unlawful entry into an occupied home, while first-degree arson concerns the burning of an inhabited dwelling. The domestic violence count signals that investigators are treating the case as an attack tied to an intimate relationship, not only as a fire investigation.

The woman’s family has used social media to describe the shock of the attack and the long days at the hospital. Her sister wrote that someone had tried to kill her sister, saying she had been doused in gas, set on fire and locked in a building. In another post, the sister said the family had been in court when Faircloth was denied bond. “That alone has given us so much comfort,” she said, adding that relatives had spent so much time at the hospital that the days were difficult to track.

Roseboro is a small Sampson County town about 65 miles south of Raleigh. North Pine Street sits in a community where house fires and police activity can become local news within minutes. In this case, the report of a structure fire quickly became a criminal investigation after the injured woman told deputies what she said happened. The Fire Marshal’s Office and sheriff’s investigators examined the scene, while deputies searched the area where Faircloth was believed to have fled. The bicycle detail became part of the public account because investigators said he left the home that way after the fire began.

Friends and relatives of the woman have posted messages asking her to keep fighting and return home. One person wrote that the woman was sweet and respectful and that thinking about what she endured was painful. Officials have released few medical details beyond the extent of the burns. Law enforcement has said the injuries covered about two-thirds of her body, a measure that points to a long and dangerous recovery even when survival is possible. Her family told local reporters that the prognosis was poor, while also asking for privacy as they stayed near her hospital bed.

The district attorney’s office has said prosecutors would pursue a first-degree murder charge if the woman dies. That statement gives the case a possible second track, with investigators collecting evidence for the charges already filed while also watching her medical condition. Faircloth’s next listed court appearance was May 8. Public reports have not confirmed whether he has entered a plea or hired an attorney. The case remains in the early stages, and the allegations have not been tested at trial.

For now, Faircloth remains jailed without bond, the woman remains under trauma care and investigators have not released a motive. The next milestone is the continued court process in Sampson County after the May 8 setting.

Author note: Last updated May 9, 2026.