Feb. 14–Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says people should withhold judgment on the Santa Clara man accused of threatening a state official and speculated the explosive materials found in Everett Basham’s home were for homemade electronic devices.
Wozniak told the Bay Area News Group that Basham worked for him for one day about a decade ago before departing the company of his own accord. He said Basham later worked for Hewlett-Packard.
Wozniak called Basham “a brilliant engineer” who constructed electronic devices at his home, and posited a theory that the explosives may be related to that pastime.
“I knew him to be so dedicated to constructing devices using the proper methods, which use cleaning solvents,” he said. “It may be misleading for them to call it explosives.”
Wozniak said that while he hasn’t been in contact with Basham for a long while, he attended his wedding and “still cares about him,” and urged people to postpone judgment until all the facts of the case are known.
“You have to realize that in our culture it’s proper to put the burden of proof on the accuser,” he said. “Let’s be patient and find out what it’s all about.”
San Jose Mercury News
(c)2013 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)
