Edwards, who has been incarcerated since Jan. 10, 2001, was sentenced by visiting Wake County Judge John R. Jolly to a maximum of 334 years and three months in prison with no parole.
Edwards, 34, was charged with 22 felony counts, ranging from sexual assault to kidnapping to armed robbery. His last address was 100 Rock Haven Road, M-304, in Carrboro.
It took the jury little more than two hours to return a verdict of guilty on all 22 counts. Jolly immediately moved on to sentencing after briefly addressing the defendant.
Edwards was arrested Jan. 10, 2001, following the rape of a woman in her Chapel Hill apartment.
Carrboro police, working in conjunction with Chapel Hill officers, stopped Edwards for an expired registration sticker.
The officers then found the evidence that proved decisive in the case -- a pair of gloves, a handgun and cash. The defense attorney attempted to have the evidence taken from the stop thrown out as inadmissable. His motion was denied in January, and the evidence was used to seal Edwards' fate.
While Edwards denied his involvement in the first two incidents, testimony given at trial by a forensics expert said DNA evidence taken from all three victims matched Edwards' DNA exactly.
About 20 people observed Thursday's final session, including victims and their families. As the verdict was announced, several people broke into tears and many of the family members went around the room, hugging their supporters.
