'Bipolar' Boston Bomb Hoaxer Appears in Court and is Sentenced to a Mental Evaluation after Leaving a Rice Cooker filled with Confetti at the Finish Line on the One-Year Anniversary
- Kevin 'Kayvon' Edson was arrested Tuesday after dropping a backpack with a rice cooker filled with confetti at the Boston Marathon finish line
- The stunt happened when the area was under heavy scrutiny because it was the one-year anniversary of the rice cooker bombings that killed three
- Edson's mother told police that her 25-year-old son, a former art school student, is bipolar
- He was wearing blue and yellow face paint when he was arrested and told police 'It's symbolism, come on. The performance got the best of me'
- Undergoing a court-ordered mental evaluation and is being held on $100,000 bail
By AP, 17 April 2014
The man arrested near the Boston Marathon finish line carrying a backpack containing a rice cooker on the anniversary of the bombings has been sent to a state psychiatric facility for an evaluation Wednesday following his initial court appearance.
Kevin 'Kayvon' Edson was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital and ordered held on $100,000 bail after an appearance in Boston Municipal Court on charges of threatening battery, possession of a hoax explosive device, threats to commit a crime, disturbing the peace, disturbing a public assembly and disorderly conduct.
The 25-year-old's next court date was scheduled for May 7.
According to a police report read aloud in court, after Edson was read his rights, he told an officer: 'I knew what I was doing, it was conceived in my head. It's symbolism, come on. The performance got the best of me.'
Color coordination: 'Kayvon' Edson's face was painted yellow and blue, the traditional colors of the marathon, when he was arrested Tuesday night after dropping off a backpack with a rice cooker filled with confetti at the finish line on the one-year anniversary of the bombings
Edson's arrest occurred hours after ceremonies to mark last year's Boston Marathon bombings, in which two pressure cooker bombs hidden in backpacks exploded, killing three people near the finish line and injuring more than 260 others.
Edson, with addresses in Boston and Wakefield, was stopped late Tuesday after passers-by told an officer they saw him yelling, walking barefoot down the middle of a street, veiled in black, in pouring rain.
His face was painted yellow and blue, the traditional colors of the marathon, police said.
The street was open to pedestrians at the time, and police said his presence was not a security breach.
Man behind the stunt: Edson told police that he 'got caught up in the performance' when he went through with the bomb scare
Mental problems: Edson's mother said that the former art school student, seen in court on Wednesday, has bipolar disorder
The backpack was destroyed in a controlled explosion by police, who later determined that the contents were not explosive.
Edson's mother, Joie Edson, said her son has bipolar disorder.
Parsons The New School for Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, both in New York City, confirmed that Edson had taken classes at their schools but never graduated.
The Massachusetts College of Art and Design posted a statement on its website saying that an undergraduate student had been arrested by police and the school was cooperating with authorities, but it did not mention Edson by name.
The stunt : Witnesses spotted the first bag being dropped off by a barefoot man- later identified as Edson- dressed in all black with a black veil who was 'acting strangely' and yelling 'Boston Strong!'
What remained: A member of the bomb squad inspects the bag after a controlled detonation at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston, Tuesday, April 15, 2014
A second suspicious backpack also was found Tuesday. Officers determined it had been left behind by a media outlet and was not dangerous, but it too was destroyed.
The backpacks rattled nerves days ahead of this year's marathon.
Police kept people away from the finish line area for about three hours Tuesday and trains bypassed the nearby Copley Square station.
'With the marathon coming, our officers are taking it seriously,' police Superintendent Randall Halstead said.
'The safety of the public is utmost