Joshua Daniel Edwards is facing six felony charges related to an incident involving an explosive device that was employed on UNC's campus Nov. 2. Edwards made his second appearance at the Orange County Court on Wednesday afternoon in a bail hearing.
Edwards, a former UNC student, is being charged with malicious use of explosives to inflict injury and assembling a weapon of mass destruction as well as multiple other felonies. If convicted of the most serious of these felonies, Edwards would be required to serve jail time.
Edwards’ public defense attorney, Natasha Adams, requested that Edwards’ bail be reduced. Adams claimed that Edwards’ family wanted to take him back to Davidson to care for him and ensure proper treatment at a local mental health facility.
Due to the defense lacking paperwork from the step down unit at UNC Hospitals, at which Edwards’ had been involuntarily committed after his arrest, the judge decided to maintain the bail amount.
The judge, however, did allow the defense the opportunity to submit this paperwork and a plan of recovery until Dec. 4. If the defense is able to provide such paperwork, the judge will allow the reconsideration of the level of bail required from Edwards.
Daniel Reichart, a professor at UNC for the past 15 years, lost nearly ten percent of the skin on his body in the blast from the explosive device. At the time, Reichart, a former Eagle Scout, was attempting to put out a fire coming from the device at the base of the renowned Davie Poplar tree.
“I hold no ill will against him. I hope he gets the care that he needs,” Reichart said. “At the same time, he also needs to face up to what he did. There should be judicial repercussions. But in terms of his mental care, I hope he gets the help he needs.”
Joshua Edwards attended the hearing via video from jail. Douglas Edwards, Joshua’s father, was there in person, and declined to comment on the proceedings.
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