'It's like a weight being lifted': Relief and remembrance as arrest made in Byron Carr case

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 to death 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."

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."