On Tuesday afternoon, the man accused of attacking South Point Elementary School Principal Bill Christian last October was found guilty of attempted murder and several other charges.

Joshua Collins, of South Point, could face seven decades in prison.

Collins waived his right to a trial by jury and instead elected to have Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Andy Ballard hear the case, which began on Monday. Closing arguments were on Tuesday morning.

Ballard found Collins guilty of first-degree felony attempted murder with a specification for committing a crime in a school zone, first-degree felony illegal conveyance or possession of a deadly weapon or deadly ordnance in school safety zone, fourth-degree felony inducing a panic and seven counts of first-degree felony kidnapping with a specification for committing a crime in a school zone.

He was found not guilty of fifth-degree felony breaking and entering.

Three charges of first degree felony kidnapping and a charge of first-degree misdemeanor telecommunications harassment were dismissed before the trial started.

With his $2 million bond revoked, Collins will remain in jail until his sentencing hearing on May 8.

Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson said he was satisfied with the verdict.

“I think it brings justice to the victim and hopefully some closure to the school system,” he said. “

Anderson said the amount of prison time Collins is facing is “significant.”

“Each of the kidnapping charge carries 11–16 ½ years, the attempted murder carries 11–16 ½ years, the felonious assault carries 8-12 years, inducing panic carries 18 months, having weapons in a school zone carries 12 months. The specifications carry an additional year on top of the minimum amounts,” Anderson said. “So, you add all those together, you’re looking at 70-plus years.”

He added he didn’t know if all the court would run all the sentences consecutively or not.

“I anticipate the court will give him a lengthy sentence,” Anderson said.

Anderson said that Collins did not take the stand in his own defense and that no reason was given in the courtroom as to the reason for Collin’s attack on South Point Elementary Principal Bill Christian in the court proceedings.

“But Mr. Collins in his statement to (Lawrence County Sheriff’s detectives) said it ‘was to teach him a lesson,’” Anderson said.

Anderson said there was no reason given as to why Collins decided not to have a jury trial.

“There was not, it was a pretty surprising move (on Monday). We had the jury there when he waived the jury,” Anderson said.

The case against Collins began on Oct. 24, 2024. According to reports, Collins was upset over a custody issue, which Anderson said the mother had removed their child from school and that was why Collins was upset.

Collins was creating a scene in the South Point Elementary school lobby and Christian came out to deescalate the situation. When Christian turned away from the man, Collins stabbed Christian in the neck and upper torso.

Christian fled back into the office behind a locked door, at which point Collins broke the glass out of the window in the door and entered the office. Collins pursued Christian through multiple parts of the office and finally into the cafeteria area and that is where a South Point Police officer confronted Collins and took him into custody.

Christian has been the South Point Elementary School principal since April 2024, prior to that he had been the school’s assistant principal for 12 years.