District Judge Beverly Scarlett refused a request from Joshua Daniel Edwards’ attorney on Wednesday to lower the 24-year-old’s bond as he is facing six felonies after allegedly setting off a small explosion at UNC.
Edwards, a former UNC student, was taken into custody and underwent a mental evaluation after a detonation of a small device at the iconic Davie Poplar tree on the Chapel Hill campus.
Edwards is charged with malicious use of explosives to inflict injury, malicious use of explosives to damage property, assembling a weapon of mass destruction, setting fire to grass/grassland, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and filing a false police report. All of the charges are felonies. If Edwards is convicted of the most severe crime, assistant district attorney Jeff Nieman said, Edwards would be required to serve some jail time.
After the explosion, UNC Police alerted Carrboro Police that Edwards’ vehicle was parked in Carrboro and could contain other dangerous material, which caused several downtown blocks to be closed. After further investigation, including assistance from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad, no further danger was found.
A UNC professor was trying to stamp out the fire when the small explosion occurred. The professor has been receiving treatment at UNC Hospitals for burns sustained in the explosion.
The professor hurt by the blaze – Dan Reichart – has undergone surgery and has now established a fundraising campaign hoping to raise money for cancer awareness and prevention. Reichart is unable to return to his role as a professor until the spring due to health hazards, but he joined last week’s UNC Board of Trustees meeting via phone to be honored by the board. Reichart has also been given the Old North State award by Governor Roy Cooper.
Edwards remains in custody under a $200,000 bond, Nieman said, and is scheduled to make his next appearance in court on December 4.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines