Paula Gallant’s husband charged with first-degree murder
Posted Aug 18, 2010 05:42:19 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The husband of a murdered schoolteacher is now facing a charge of first-degree murder in his death.
Early Wednesday morning, RCMP announced a charge of first-degree murder had been laid against Jason MacRae, 37.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, investigators said new information came to light in the spring of 2009 that helped lead to Tuesday’s arrest and the subsequent charges. Halifax Police Chief Frank Beazley wouldn’t say what that information was adding it’s now part of the evidence in the criminal case before the courts.
“The new information wasn’t going to put somebody before the court. So we had to build an investigative approach to it to get the necessary information (to lay the charge).
The cost of the investigation was described as “considerable” by RCMP Supt. Darrell S. Beaton. “At any given time here in the past twelve months there was a dedicated team of resources upwards of fifteen officers working on a file such as this.”
MacRae was scheduled for an arraignment in Halifax provincial court on Wednesday on the charge of first degree murder. Supt. Beaton told the news conference “the elements of first degree murder include planning and deliberation. Obviously those components have been reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service who recommended that is the appropriate charge.”
The remains of the grade three teacher were found in the trunk of her car on Dec. 28, 2005 after she was reported missing a day earlier.
The car was parked outside Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea school, which was a bustle of activity on Tuesday as maintenence workers prepared for the first day of classes.
Amid the activity, residents of the quiet rural neighbourhood paused to remember the popular teacher and mother and said it’s been a long wait for justice.
“I’m really happy for the family,” said one woman. “They’ve been waiting for this day for a while.”
A former neighbour says he hopes Gallant and her family will get some closure from the arrest.
“She needs some closure, her family anyway, and maybe she herself, I don’t know,” said one neighbour. “It’s good to see, for Paula’s sake, she was a nice teacher and a nice lady.”
Several people said they hoped police would be able to lay charges and get a conviction in the case.
“My wife is always saying, how come they’re not making a move?” said one man. “I’d say well, they’ve got information but they can’t do nothing until they know, whoever they bring in, they can keep him there.”
A police news conference on the murder charges was scheduled for Wednesday morning.
