Falwell Follower Found with Bombs

LYNCHBURG, VA -- A student of late Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University told a family member that he had made bombs and planned to attend the funeral of Falwell. Officials are still trying to figure out what Mark David Uhl planned to do with the bombs.

Uhl, 19, was being held without bond in the Campbell County Adult Detention Center on charges of manufacturing explosives, but police do not believe he intended to disrupt the funeral Tuesday or harm the Falwell family, according to Campbell County Sheriff Terry Gaddy.

The police found five homemade bombs in the trunk of Uhl's car which Sheriff Gaddy described as "sort of like napalm" and about the size of soda cans.

"We do not believe the Falwells were ever in any danger," he said.

The extremist Westboro Baptist Church was planning to protest across the street from Falwell's funeral, claiming Falwell was a friend to gays, and investigators believe Uhl had problems with this.

Westboro Baptist Church is the same group that picketed hate crime victim Matthew Shepard's funeral with signs saying "Burn in Hell, Matt" and that also have picketed soldiers' burials, claiming their deaths are God's punishment to America for supporting homosexuality.

What makes it all even more bizarre is the fact that Falwell frequently spoke against homosexuality, and was in constant opposition to the gay rights movement.

Falwell, 73, died last week, presumably of a heart rhythm abnormality. His funeral Tuesday proceeded without incident and more than 10,000 people attended the service on the campus of the evangelical university Falwell founded.