'It's like a weight being lifted': Relief and remembrance as arrest made in Byron Carr case
Many hope charges in 35-year-old P.E.I. cold case will finally bring closure to family
Relatives of Byron Carr, along with many other Prince Edward Islanders, have been waiting 35 years for Friday's announcement from police.
Carr, a well-liked school teacher, was killed in his Charlottetown home on Nov. 11, 1988, and the case had remained unsolved since then.
Friday represented the most significant sign that closure for the family could be imminent, with city police Chief Brad MacConnell saying a suspect had finally been charged with the 36-year-old man's murder.
Todd Joseph Gallant, also known as Todd Joseph Irving, 56, will be back in court on Feb. 1 on one count of first-degree murder and one count of interfering with human remains.
"It's like a weight being lifted off you," said the victim's brother, John Carr. "It's hard to describe. It's just kind of a release."
Carr was strangled in his house on Lapthorne Avenue on Nov. 11, 1988, and there were stab wounds on his body when it was eventually discovered.
Police have long said they believe Carr had had consensual sex with someone he had brought home, and they presumed that person was his killer. DNA left at the scene eventually helped them make the arrest.
John Carr believes the stigma around being gay in the 1980s was part of the reason the investigation didn't immediately gain much traction. He said his brother hadn't come out to his parents at the time of his death.
"People were afraid for their jobs just because they were gay at that time," he said. "Being gay wasn't a great thing back in 1988 in the public eye. I can remember public officials that were very lukewarm to taking part in the investigation."
Seats at news conference filled
Carr's parents have both died in the past five years, but all but one of his siblings are still alive. Family members filled many of the seats at the police news conference, with John Carr speaking on their behalf.
Sally Pitt was there too. The former CBC News journalist, who covered the Carr case for 30 years, moved to P.E.I. a few months before the murder and saw the fear in the community first-hand.
She said Friday's news came as "a great relief" for the family and police officers involved in the case.
"I know it's been a long 35 years trying to find some resolution for this," said Pitt, who now teaches journalism at Holland College.
"Even though it's still early days and it's just a charge at this point, it's still a major step forward for them."
'It just hit me in my gut'
Older members of Prince Edward Island's LGBTQ community have clear memories of feeling fear and helplessness after news of the 1988 killing broke.
Dave Stewart had moved to Toronto two months before Carr's murder, and was still closeted at the time.
"It just hit me in my gut because … I [didn't] want to be discovered as being part of that community because I [didn't] feel safe. I [didn't] even feel like I [had] job security or anything like that," Stewart said.
"There was sympathy because Byron was well-liked, and I think there was sympathy because of his family, but I do also know there was a general attitude at the time that gay men were 'less than.'"
'Weighing on people's hearts and minds'
News of this week's arrest came as a welcome sign for advocates that the relationship between police and the LGBTQ community on the Island has improved.
But some, like Peers Alliance executive director Josie Baker, know there's still a long way to go.
"There are contemporaries of Byron Carr [who] are still in the community and this has been an unsolved case that has been weighing on people's hearts and minds over time," Baker said.
"It is good that it is now concluded. It is too bad it took this long."
More trust now
Stewart said the sensationalism surrounding the case back in 1988 because of Carr's sexuality has subsided, and much more trust has since been built between law enforcement and the LGBTQ community.
"I feel positive about that because the queer community and the police don't always get along, and this is a nice instance of seeing where the two have come together neatly," he said.
"It's really about giving Byron the respect he deserves and the family the closure on this case, and to realize what … a part of Island history and queer history this is."
[Byron] had a lot of friends and he liked to travel a bit and he also enjoyed family. He and my mother were very close.— John Carr
While Byron Carr's family had hoped his parents would live to see justice, John Carr is grateful for the work police did to pinpoint a suspect all these years later.
And rather than reflecting on the tragic and too-early end to a promising life, his brother instead shared some fond memories on Friday.
"He was a teacher and he was very proud to be a teacher at Montague High. His house was spotless, much nicer than my apartments when I was at that age," John Carr said with a laugh.
"He had a lot of friends and he liked to travel a bit, and he also enjoyed family. He and my mother were very close."
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With files from Laura Meader