An elderly woman has died from injuries sustained in a fire that authorities have determined was set intentionally, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reported. The victim, identified as 82-year-old Lorna Joy Roth, passed away on August 6, following the incident that occurred on June 21 at Sharon Place Condominiums in south Charlotte. The fire was responded to by the Charlotte Fire Department who arrived at the scene around 6:30 p.m. and was able to rescue Roth from the blaze, WCNC reported.

The investigation, initially focused on arson, has now escalated to a homicide probe following Roth's death, where detectives from both the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the CFD's Fire Investigation Task Force concluded the fire had been deliberately set after a careful evaluation of the scene and the circumstances surrounding the horrific event. Neighbors have expressed their shock and mourning, with Linda Coccia, a neighbor and friend of Roth, recalling the disbelief and hurt the community felt upon learning of Roth's passing "We knew Lorna was in the hospital not doing well, but it was a real shock when we heard that she passed," Coccia told WSOC-TV.

The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office has reported that Roth died from injuries sustained in the fire, confirming the severity of the event and the distressing outcome that followed.

As the investigation continues, there is an outcry for justice amid the community's grief, with sentiments such as those expressed by Coccia mirroring the wider community's response to the tragic loss, "It’s very upsetting. I mean just the whole concept of it being a homicide. The whole concept that anyone would do anything to take someone else’s life, I find pretty offensive," as reported by WSOC-TV. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not yet released any information on potential suspects, nor have they disclosed any possible motives behind the arson turned homicide; the investigation is ongoing.