Alleged arsonist from Ashland charged with burning down own home

An Ashland resident is facing a felony arson charge for allegedly setting fire to their own home on April 1, as well as facing five breach of bail conditions charges authorities say are related.

Cody Cross, 26, was taken into custody at 1:47 a.m. on Sunday, by Meredith Police, following an investigation into a suspicious house fire at 28 Cross Road, in Ashland, on April 1, according to an affidavit filed in Plymouth District Court, where Cross appeared on Monday.

Lt. Nicholas Raymond said Monday morning an arrest warrant came from the state Fire Marshal’s Office, which had been coordinating with Ashland Police. Center Harbor and Plymouth police, the Fire Marshal’s Office, and U.S. Marshals also assisted in taking Cross into custody, according to a press release from Ashland Police.

The affidavit — signed by state Fire Investigator Matthew Wilmot — stated the house at 28 Cross Road is owned by Cross and his sister. Wilmot went there on April 1, and applied for a warrant to search the property. The home was heavily damaged and is uninhabitable.

“I conducted a fire scene examination, and determined that this fire was intentionally set,” Wilmot stated in the affidavit. “I identified two completely unrelated areas of fire origin at this building. I discovered other facts, circumstances, and evidence to support that this fire was intentionally set.”

Court records show firefighters found evidence of pre-fire damage inside, including a tipped over refrigerator and smashed bathroom mirror.

The documents show the two “distinctly separate areas of fire origin” include a larger, more destructive fire in the northeast end of the house. At the southwest side, Wilmot stated he discovered remains of a partially charred paper towel placed in hay.

“This hay was behind, alongside, and underneath a residential heating oil storage tank,” Wilmot stated. “The oil line and oil filter at the bottom of this fuel tank was broken off, and a greasy, oily substance was saturating the hay and charred paper towel in this area.”

Laboratory analysis is pending, but it appears the substance was heating oil. There was no fire pathway connecting the damage at the northeast and southwest ends, and Wilmot stated the charred paper shows a second attempt to set the house on fire.

Wilmot interviewed Cross on April 1. Cross denied setting the house on fire, but also said there were “bad memories” associated with the home. Wilmot spoke with a neighbor who allegedly heard Cross peeling out on the road that evening, as he had done in the past.

An interviewed witness also said Cross had been threatening for years to burn down the house, and had a history of drug use.

Cross appeared in Plymouth District Court before Judge John Katsirebas for a video arraignment on Monday afternoon, where Cross’ attorney, Dalton Ford, and did not enter a plea for the arson charge. Cross is being held at Belknap County Jail, where he will remain pending trial. 

Wilmot said the state requested Cross be held without bail, citing “safety of the community.”

He said Cross not only breached existing bail conditions, but also allegedly said he wanted to die at the hands of Ashland police, on April 1.

Katsirebas wanted to hold a formal reading of charges for the arson case, as well as breach of bail conditions, but Ford said he doesn’t represent Cross on breach of bail charges. Katsirebas held the hearing related only to the arson charge.

Wilmot said the basis for requesting Cross be held in jail is about Cross being dangerous, including his comments about a police shooting. Wilmont said the breach of bail conditions included trying to convince a family member to lie to the court to help him be released from jail. He said those offenses were before the fire.

Ford asked for $250 cash bail and supervised release.

“As far as I can see on this case, this charge alone, there’s nothing to stress that Mr. Cross is a danger to himself or the community,” Ford said. “The house is next door to his grandmother’s house, after the house burned, and at this point it is still an allegation that it was burned intentionally, or even by him.”

Ford said Cross’ grandmother is 86 years old, and he takes care of her, and moved his camper to the property to do so. He added the house is on a road that bears the family name.

Ford said Cross reported being the only person living at 28 Cross Road at the time, and he doesn’t see the danger to the community. He said he has “absolutely zero information” about alleged witness tampering or breach of bail conditions, and asked the court to “not put too much consideration” into those charges when determining bail in the arson case.

“I believe Grafton County Pre-Trial Services would alleviate any concerns of danger or failure to appear,” Ford said. “As far as I can tell, Mr. Cross has no history of failures to appear, and is a lifelong New Hampshire resident. He’s native to the area. He has nowhere else to go, otherwise he wouldn’t have put the camper on the property.”

Katsirebas then addressed five complaints of breaching bail conditions. Court records show the charges are for allegedly attempting to contact a domestic violence victim.

Katsirebas said Cross was not represented on those charges, and gave him the option to reschedule for when an attorney could be present.

“Either way, we’re going to talk about bail after,” Katsirebas told Cross. “It’s not going to affect my decision.”

Cross responded, “Later, please.”

Katsirebas asked about the state’s position on bail for the breach of bail charges. Prosecutor Bess Alden requested Cross be held in jail.

“This request is based on the fact that on Jan. 19, 2026, the defendant was arrested for two counts of domestic violence-simple assault,” Alden said. “During the booking process for these charges, he repeatedly informed law enforcement of his intent to burn down his house upon release, and brought up wanting to destroy the victim’s belongings. The defendant is a regular when it comes to contact with Ashland PD specifically.”

Alden told the judge on Nov. 23, prior to the January incident, there was a verbal incident between Cross and the alleged victim from the January case. After that incident, officers were told Cross grabbed a shotgun, waited on the porch, and threatened to kill police and himself if they showed up.

“For these reasons, at the time, when the defendant was arrested on the January offenses, he was originally held,” Alden said. Later, it was modified to a promise to return to court.

"The defendant pled to the domestic violence offenses on Feb. 27, 2026, received suspended time, specifically no contact with the alleged victim as a condition of his sentence.”

Alden said Cross' jail calls were reviewed, and he allegedly attempted to contact the victim through other poeple.

She said during his booking, he made a specific threat to “slit the chief’s throat.” Alden said there are concerns, as Cross has disregarded the court’s orders.

“Additionally, of further concern, is the threat that he made to burn his own house down while he was being arrested for these charges, and in fact now faces arson charges for that very conduct,” she said.

Alden said the state believes there are no conditions that would protect the community, alleged victims, or Cross, and requested he be held in jail.

Katsirebas offered Cross the chance to comment on the state’s request for no bail, and warned him not to discuss the charges themselves.

“I was high and drunk at the time,” Cross said. “Those days are over for me.”

Katsirebas granted the state’s request Cross be held in jail. Cross can request release again at the upcoming reading of his charges at the breach of bail conditions hearing.

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A probable cause hearing in the alleged arson case is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, and the formal reading of bail breach charges will be at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 11, both in Plymouth District Court.