Boston Marathon backpack hoax: Suspect has bipolar disorder A mug shot of Kevin 'Kayvon' Edson, 25, who was arrested for carrying a rice cooker during the anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing on Tuesday, April 15, 2014. A man who authorities allege was acting strangely and carried a backpack containing a rice cooker near the Boston Marathon finish line was identified and appeared in court on Wednesday.Kevin "Kayvon" Edson, 25, was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on charges of possessing a hoax explosive device, threatening battery, threats to commit a crime, disturbing a public assembly and disorderly conduct, according to the Suffolk district attorney's office. Bail was set at $100,000 and a judge ordered that Edson be evaluated at a state psychiatric hospital. According to a police report read aloud in court Wednesday, Edson 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." His mother said he suffers from bipolar disorder, and his lawyer, public defender Shannon Lopez, said he was diagnosed with mental illness at 19.

A doctor said Edson showed signs of being off his medication recently, Lopez said. "Our family is so sorry and emotionally overwhelmed by the events at the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday," Joie Edson said. "Our son Kevin has been battling mental issues for several years. His illness has caused himself and our family years of anguish that is unimaginable." Police officers approached the man late Tuesday after noticing suspicious behavior, such as walking barefoot down the middle of the street in pouring rain and veiled in black, police Superintendent Randall Halstead said. "As he got closer, I could hear him yelling 'Boston strong. Boston strong,'" witness Alicia Anskis said. "Something just felt really off." Officers found a rice cooker in the backpack and told Edson to drop the bag. He was then arrested. Last year's deadly bombings that killed three people and injured more than 260 others were carried out via pressure cookers. A bomb squad was called in and the area evacuated, before police blew up the backpack.

Turns out, only confetti was inside. Police blew up a second suspicious bag on Tuesday night. It was later determined the bag belonged to a media outlet and was not a danger. The two incidents occurred after various ceremonies during the day honoring victims and first responders of the Boston Marathon bombings last year. Despite the scare, marathon organizers said next Monday's race will be safe. ABC News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.BOSTON - A man was ordered held on $100,000 bail Wednesday on several charges connected to a bomb scare at the finish line of the Boston Marathon Tuesday, hours after memorial tributes there. ewok backpack disneylandKevin Edson, 25, who also goes by the name Kayvon Edson, is charged with possession or use of a hoax device and making a false bomb threat, reports CBS Boston. jansport hibiscus backpack

Those charges carry sentences of up to five and 20 years in state prison, respectively, according to Jake Wark, the spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley. Edson, who has addresses in both Wakefield and Boston, is also charged with disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and disturbing a public assembly, all misdemeanors carrying minimal jail time or a fine. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court. Edson, according to police and witnesses, was barefoot, wearing blue and yellow face paint and a long black veil while screaming "Boston Strong" in the middle of Boylston Street at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday. backpack literature 5th edition pdf downloadIt was a short time after the city marked the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. diophy backpackAt the time, the area was open to the public, but the street was still closed to traffic.

This year's marathon will take place Monday. When Edson was stopped by officers, police say he told them he had a rice cooker in his backpack. That's when the area was evacuated, the bomb squad was called in and Edson was arrested. The bag was detonated as a precaution. A source told CBS News that the rice cooker in the bag was full of confetti. A psychologist told the court Wednesday Edson has history of psychiatric problems, but he has been off his medication for months. Prosecutor Susan Terrey said Edson told police he knew what he was doing, calling the incident "performance art." Edson is a student at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. He was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and is due back in court May 7. Edson's brother TJ posted this message on Facebook after the incident: "What he did at the finish line earlier today is absurd and shameful. It should not be considered art or condoned in any way. Do not play into that. He is a sick person with multiple diagnoses.

Unfortunately, no consequences of his abnormal behavior were dire enough for him to shape up before he thought something like this could get him that fame he always chased. Ultimately, he is a disillusioned and very sick individual. I apologize to anyone that takes offense to his actions as his brother. My family has done all we can to foster Kevin's mental health. He is an artist. I am an artist. I understand that much. Thank you God that he did not hurt anybody." Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans said Wednesday that there will be more security and bike patrols on Boylston Street the next few days due to the bomb hoax.The Wakefield man charged with creating a disturbance at the Boston Marathon finish line told police he was preoccupied with his “performance” when he walked barefoot, draped in a long black veil, carrying a backpack containing a rice cooker, down Boylston Street Tuesday night.Kevin Edson was arraigned today in Boston Municipal Court on misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and disturbing a public assembly, and felony charges of possession or use of a hoax device and making a false bomb threat.

Boston Municipal Court Judge Michael Coyne set bail at $100,000 cash at the request of Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office. The judge also ordered Edson to be sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a competency evaluation after court mental health expert Jeffrey Miner told him that Edson was an intelligent man with a history of hospitalizations for mental illness. Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here Miner told the judge that he had spoken with the 25-year-old Edson and with Edson’s parents and sister and learned that Edson had not taken his medication for the past three to four months, leading Miner to question whether Edson could make rational decisions. The incident rattled the public’s nerves because it came on the anniversary of the terror bombings at the Marathon finish line that killed three people and injured more than 260 others. The city had marked the anniversary earlier with solemn ceremonies honoring the victims, survivors, and those who have helped them.

The race is slated to be run again Monday and officials are promising tight security.According to a police report filed in court, Edson told arresting officers that the rice cooker he was carrying inside the backpack was not an explosive device. He also explained his behavior, which included shouting out loud as he walked down the street. “I knew what I was doing, it was being conceived in my head. It’s symbolism,’’ Edson allegedly told police after being informed of his Miranda rights. “The performance got the best of me.’’Conley said “there could not have been a worse time or place for this inexcusable behavior.”“If this was a performance, it was the most irresponsible, senseless, and selfish performance I can imagine,” Conley said in a statement. “It was akin to shouting ‘fire’ in a theater. People were put in fear, public transportation was disrupted, and a day of somber remembrance and reflection was marred by this defendant’s choices.”Edson’s family issued a statement saying he had “multiple mental health issues,’’ including a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

The statement appeared to come from Edson’s mother, Joie, who said that she and her daughter had themselves run the Marathon six times for charity. “It’s a glorious event that embraces the spirit of friendly competition and good will,’’ the statement said. “Crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon is a feeling of accomplishment that can not be described. Our family is so sorry and emotionally overwhelmed by the events that occurred at the finish line of the Boston Marathon” Tuesday.In the statement, the family said they were facing a tumultuous time, as Edson’s father battles Stage 4 head and neck cancer. The statement applauded the city, first responders, Marathon runners, and the region’s medical community for being “Boston Strong.” “What is NOT strong is the mental health system in Boston, our state, our country and the world. I have two sons who struggle with mental illness and I have had to constantly fight for twelve years to get them the help they need,’’ the statement said.“

We wish the runners of the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day a wonderful and celebratory day. Run Strong and enjoy your wonderful feeling as you cross that finish line,’’ the statement concluded.The Massachusetts College of Art and Design said that an “undergraduate non-residential student has been arrested by Boston police. The College takes these matters very seriously and holds people accountable for their actions should they be found responsible.”The school is cooperating with police and “committed to keeping our campus and community safe, secure and informed,” the school said in a statement on its website.Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said at a news conference that Edson’s behavior and the fact that he was carrying a backpack led officers to approach Edson. Evans said Edson did not breach security because Boylston Street was open to pedestrians at the time. When this year’s Marathon is held on Monday, Evans said, people are being asked to leave their backpacks and strollers at home.“

We’re not forbidding backpacks. We’re not forbidding strollers. But it will make our jobs a lot easier,’’ Evans said. “I don’t want anybody’s anxiety to be put up. That’s what troubles me about what happened last night.’’Evans also said he was saddened to see the incident garnering so much attention just hours after the city had hosted a powerful memorial service to mark the bombing anniversary. The service had included a moment of silence and flag-raising at the finish line. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said he did not believe the incident with Edson indicated any problems with the security strategy created for Monday’s marathon, in part because of Edson’s personal history.“The guy wasn’t right, I don’t think,’’ Walsh said in an interview. “Just the whole idea around that was terrible.”Walsh said he was “very confident’’ about the quality of the security that will be deployed Monday.“There’s a lot of excitement on the street. People are excited,’’ he said.

“There is a good police presence out there. That’s going to continue through the rest of the week and into the weekend. And then Monday or some point Sunday night, the street will be shut down. They will be doing sweeps of the street to make sure the street is safe.’’Walsh also urged the public to use “common sense’’ when deciding whether to bring backpacks into Boston on Monday.Police said today that when Edson was arrested around 7 p.m. Tuesday his face was painted blue and yellow. Some videos of Edson taken Tuesday night show him wearing an outfit and veil.The clothing appeared similar to what he wore on a YouTube video called “Purgatory Vacation.’’The video, which was linked to Edson’s website, was shot as if it took place in a padded room and opened with a character wearing a straitjacket. At one point, the character says, “I don’t know when my mind went awry.’’On Tuesday, the Boston police bomb squad performed a controlled detonation of the rice cooker in Edson’s backpack as a precaution.