Joshua Daniel Edwards made his first appearance in Orange County court on Thursday afternoon facing multiple felony charges in connection with a small explosion on the UNC campus earlier this month.

Joshua Daniel Edwards. Photo via Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Edwards, a former UNC student, has been undergoing a mental evaluation since being taken into custody in connection with a detonation of a small device at the iconic Davie Poplar tree. The 24-year-old was officially arrested Thursday and went before a magistrate before making his court appearance via video from the jail.

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.

UNC Police alerted Carrboro Police that Edwards’ vehicle was parked in Carrboro and may contain other dangerous material after the explosion. After further investigation, including assistance from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad, no further danger was found.

A UNC professor tried 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 Thursday’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 is being held under a $200,00 bond and has a hearing scheduled for next Wednesday.

Related Stories
‹
Bond Unchanged for Davie Poplar Fire Suspect
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 […]
Davie Poplar Fire, Explosion Suspect Released on Bond
The suspect in the fire and small explosion at the Davie Poplar tree on the UNC campus last month was released from prison on bail and into the custody of his parents on Monday. Multiple outlets are reporting that District Court Judge Beverly Scarlett raised the bond of 25-year-old Joshua Daniel Edwards from a $200,000 […]
Suspect in Davie Poplar Fire Facing Multiple Felony Charges
UNC Police confirmed on Monday that the suspect in connection with a detonation of a small device on the Chapel Hill campus last week will be charged with multiple felonies. Joshua Daniel Edwards, a former UNC student, has been charged with malicious use of explosives to inflict injury, malicious use of explosives to damage property, […]
Ex-UNC Player Hairston Arrested on Outstanding Warrant
Authorities say former North Carolina and NBA player P.J. Hairston has been arrested in Wrightsville Beach on an outstanding warrant. Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Dan House said Hairston was arrested Wednesday and officials at the New Hanover County Detention Facility said he was being held on $1,000 unsecured bond. House said police stopped a man […]
Trial of One Suspect in 2014 UNC Professor Murder Underway
Opening statements were made Wednesday afternoon in the trial of a man accused of killing a UNC professor in 2014. The first-degree murder trial of Troy Arrington began late Wednesday afternoon with different scenarios laid out by the prosecution and defense. Arrington is being tried in connection with the July 2014 killing of UNC professor […]
Jury Selection Begins for 2014 Murder Suspect
Jury selection is underway for a man accused of killing a UNC professor on July 23, 2014. The preliminary portion of the trial against Troy Arrington began Tuesday morning, more than 30 months after Feng Liu was robbed and beaten to death. Liu was a research professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Troy […]
Chandler Kania Trial Continuing in Fatal Wrong-Way Crash
Chandler Kania stood before a judge in a Hillsborough courtroom on Monday and entered several guilty pleas, but that was not the end of the road in this case. Kania, the former UNC student, admitted to driving the wrong-way on I-85 near the I-40 split last summer for approximately six miles before crashing head-on into […]
Trial Set for UNC Football Player Accused of Sexual Assault
Allen Artis repeated that claim five times as his eyes panned across a group of reporters outside the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough on Thursday. Earlier this month, a UNC sophomore Delaney Robinson accused Artis of raping her on Valentine’s Day. Robinson said she filed a complaint after the incident […]
New UNC Police Chief Aims to 'Make Campus Proud' of Department 
With students coming back to campus and the first week of classes commencing, newly hired UNC chief of police Brian James says he is excited to build community trust and keep the school safe this semester.
Chapel Hill Police Make Arrest in Sexual Assault Case
Chapel Hill Police arrested a 46-year-old man in connection with a sexual assault that occurred earlier this month in the parking deck of an apartment complex. Authorities said Vernon Lamont Reed was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree forcible rape, robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and kidnapping. […]
›