After 35 years, the Charlottetown Police arrested a suspect involved in the murder of Byron Carr in 1988, an event that shocked the residents of Prince Edward Island and left many members of the LGBTQ community living in fear.

President Brad McConnell said on Friday that Todd Joseph Gallant, 56, also known as Todd Joseph Irving, from Souris, Prince Edward Island, is charged with first-degree murder and interfering with human remains.

McConnell said the arrest was made on Thursday at 11:55 a.m., based on important forensic evidence that led the police to believe Gallant was responsible for Carr’s death, whom he described as a loving son, brother, and friend as well as a respected teacher and good neighbor.

The suspect was 21 years old at the time of the crime.

Charlottetown Police also charged with first-degree murder in the killing of the "respected teacher" Byron Carr in 1988, with Police Chief Brad McConnell saying: "I wish we could have provided these answers sooner."

McConnell said the police also arrested a second person this week. The chief said this person was later released, but the investigation continues to determine if there was any involvement in the case.

Carr, 36, taught English at Montague Regional High School. He was strangled to death in his home on Labthorn Street in the early morning hours of November 11, 1988, and his body was eventually found with multiple stab wounds.

Police have long believed that Carr had consensual sex with a young man he brought home and assumed that this person was his killer.

McConnell said Carr kept his sexual orientation secret, but it was revealed upon his death. The chief described that era as a dark and unfortunate period in Prince Edward Island's history, which forced people like Carr to socialize in the shadows and bear unnecessary risks.

He also added: "For 35 years... his family and our community were left with many unanswered questions. I just wish we could provide those answers sooner."

During the press conference on Friday, John Carr, Byron’s brother, thanked the police and members of the public for their assistance in the investigation.

A long road to arrest

This case was the only unsolved murder on Prince Edward Island in the modern era. After being dormant for years, it was reopened in 2007, and the police have issued several announcements since then.

With the case reopened, the police pinned their hopes on advances in DNA technology, especially evidence collected from underwear found in Carr’s home.

Those hopes appear to have been realized, as McConnell said on Friday that genetic genealogy was used to match DNA from the crime scene.

He also said that by combining advancements in DNA and some genetic genealogy work, they were able to identify one individual linked to those profiles found at the crime scene. Through that, they identified Todd Joseph Gallant as the donor of the evidence they believe was deposited by the person who was with Byron in the past.