P.E.I. government orders review of Byron Carr murder investigation

P.E.I.’s justice minister has ordered a review of the Byron Carr murder investigation after the Crown recently withdrew charges because of missing evidence.

In a news release issued Oct. 20, the Justice Department said minister Bloyce Thompson directed that an independent review of the investigation be undertaken, and the Office of the Police Commissioner appoint a third party for that purpose.

“This is a troubling situation for all those involved, particularly the friends and family of the late Mr. Carr,” Thompson said.

“The community deserves answers, and we need to ensure public confidence in our justice system. The resulting report and recommendations from this independent third-party review will be made public.”

Carr was a 36-year-old schoolteacher at the time of his death in 1988.

He was found strangled and stabbed to death in the bedroom of his Charlottetown home.

As part of the investigation, the police compiled what was believed to be the killer’s DNA profile and in January 2024, Charlottetown police announced they had arrested Todd Joseph Gallant, also known as Todd Joseph Irving.

Gallant later pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and interfering with human remains.

A jury trial was scheduled for Nov. 24 to Dec. 18, but last week the Crown withdrew the charges, saying the police had previously informed them a “substantial portion” of the physical evidence relating to the prosecution could not be located.

The Crown learned about the missing evidence in August and determined there was no longer a reasonable likelihood of conviction.

After the Crown withdrew the charges, interim police Chief Darren MacDougall told The Guardian that in 1988, physical evidence from the crime scene was sent to the RCMP’s national forensic lab in Ottawa, processed, a DNA profile created and then returned.

Its whereabouts after that is unknown, MacDougall said.

He also said the standard of evidence management has changed since 1988 and none of the people involved with the initial investigation are still working, including some who have died.

The Justice Department’s news release did not include a timeline for when the third-party investigation would begin or conclude.