Former Amherst contender indicted

A former candidate for the Amherst County Board of Supervisors was indicted on a charge of aggravated malicious wounding Tuesday morning.

Timothy Alan Beverly, 50, of Madison Heights was arrested in April after a man was badly cut in September trying to remove a campaign sign placed on his land without permission.

According to the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office, Cecil Powell was cut by one of three two-inch utility knives embedded in the bottom edge of a sign on private property on Minor Branch Road.

Powell said two fingers on his left hand were severely cut and that he only has 30 percent use of that hand. He said the injury has hurt his ability to work as a well driller.

Beverly ran for the District 3 seat during the last election, but lost.

Sheriff Jimmy Ayers said earlier that DNA testing from the state forensic science office in Roanoke linked Beverly to the case.

Beverly, who is free on bond, has refused to comment since his arrest. Before the arrest, however, he said his signs had been tampered with.

“I have no idea why anyone would do that to one of my signs,” he said.

Aggravated malicious wounding carries 20 years to life in prison.

His jury trial is scheduled for Aug. 29.