A Jones County man accused of dousing a woman with gasoline and setting her on fire during an argument over a debit card has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 40 years, with the first 30 years to be served in confinement. Roger Cecil Evans, 51, entered the plea Monday in connection with the attack, which left the victim with extensive burns covering nearly half her body.
According to 41nbc.com, the attack happened at a home on Fox Road sometime between the evening of April 23 and the early morning hours of April 24. Investigators said Evans threw gasoline on the woman and intentionally set her on fire. A prosecutor told the court, as reported by wgxa.tv, that the argument began after Evans used the victim's card to buy gasoline for a generator without her permission.
Conflicting Accounts of How the Fire Started
The circumstances of the burning were disputed in court. Investigators maintained that Evans intentionally set the woman on fire, while his defense attorney argued the fire was accidental, telling the court, “This was an accident,” and describing the woman as having caught fire while smoking as gasoline was being poured into a generator, per the same account from wgxa.tv.
The prosecutor said 46% to 47% of the woman's body was burned, with 28% to 30% of those burns classified as third-degree. Descriptions of how she reached medical care also varied between outlets: wgxa.tv reported she was driven to Piedmont Hospital before being life-flighted to the Augusta Burn Center, while the seed report from WSB-TV described her as transported by private vehicle to Piedmont Hospital and later transferred to the Augusta burn center. She suffered extensive injuries and was hospitalized for several months, per 41nbc.com's reporting.
Delayed Report Led to Arrest
Investigators were not immediately made aware of the attack. Per 41nbc.com, authorities were first notified of the incident on April 27, after learning the victim had been admitted to a burn center in Augusta. Evans was arrested April 30 and charged with aggravated assault, according to the same outlet.
On June 4, 2026, 35 days after Evans’s April 30 arrest, a judge denied Evans bond. The ruling cited the severity of the offense, the likelihood that Evans could harass or intimidate potential witnesses, and the risk that he would flee, wgxa.tv reported at the time.
Guilty Plea Brings Case to a Close
Evans remained in custody until entering his guilty plea this week, closing out a case that lasted just under five months from his April 30 arrest to his September 28 plea and sentencing. He will serve at least 30 years in confinement as part of the 40-year sentence.
The Jones County Sheriff's Office said the resolution may bring peace and closure to the victim, and the office wished her strength and healing during her recovery.
