Old Bedford Middle School arson suspect seeking mental health evaluation

A review hearing will be held once the evaluation is complete

BEDFORD, Va. – The man accused of setting the old Bedford Middle School on fire was back in court Tuesday afternoon.

Daniel Flint is facing two felony charges of arson and burglary in connection to the Jan. 23, 2020 fire.

The above video shows what the building looked like the day of the fire.

Flint’s appearance at the Bedford County Courthouse Tuesday was brief.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Wes Nance said while he was originally set to enter a guilty plea, instead, the defense requested another mental health evaluation after a judge previously declared Flint competent to stand trial.

This is to determine the best course of action going forward in reference to Flint’s pre-existing conditions, specifically autism.

Nance said a law was recently passed to allow additional mental health evidence to come in.

“Any individual has the right to ask for additional competency evaluations because very often your competency fluctuates when you’re dealing with mental health,” Nance says.

The re-evaluation is slated for September; however, Nance said they’re hoping for a quicker return of these evaluations since there are no longer COVID-19 restrictions.

Once the evaluation is complete, a review hearing will take place.

10 News has covered this case extensively since the first happened. Below are our previous stories, from newest to oldest:


About the Author:

Kortney joined the 10 News team as a Lynchburg Bureau Reporter in May 2021.