# 297: Charlie Howard

An episode of [Morbidology](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1463979546), 24 Feb 2025, 42 min.

Audio: https://prefix.up.audio/s/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s.gum.fm/s-610c47a4222ada0024acb2d8/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/2IMk17EdnEqyRhJTIpIU/claritaspod.com/measure/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/63104184/morbidology_297_charlie_howard.mp3

Charlie Howard just wanted to live openly and authentically. But one fateful night in 1984, as he walked arm in arm with his boyfriend across a bridge in Bangor, Maine, a group of teenagers began hurling homophobic slurs. What followed would leave a scar on the community, spark outrage, and forever change how Maine confronted hate and intolerance. SPONSORS - SKIMS: Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at https://www.skims.com/ #skimspartner Nutrafol: Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping with the code MORBIDOLOGY at: https://nutrafol.com/ SHOW NOTES - https://morbidology.com/morbidology-the-podcast-286-katie-rackliff PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/morbidology YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/morbidology Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/morbidology--3527306/support.

## Transcript

[0:51] Speaker 1: Banger and Maine is a historic city nestled along the
[0:53] Speaker 1: pennam Scott River. Its past is rooted in the lumber industry,
[0:58] Speaker 1: earning it the nickname the lumber Capital of the World
[1:01] Speaker 1: in the nineteenth century. By the nineteen eighties, Banger had
[1:04] Speaker 1: evolved into a quiet, picturesque community, but beneath this exterior
[1:09] Speaker 1: lay a deeply conservative culture that reflected the broader societal
[1:13] Speaker 1: prejudices of the time. In the nineteen eighties, homophobia was
[1:17] Speaker 1: widespread across much of the United States, including Banger. LGBTQ
[1:23] Speaker 1: plus individuals faced harassment, discrimination and violence, often finding little
[1:28] Speaker 1: support even from institutions meant to protect them. But amidst
[1:32] Speaker 1: the hostility, there was one man who lived openly, twenty
[1:36] Speaker 1: three year old Charlie Howard, defined against the norms of
[1:41] Speaker 1: that time, Charlie embraced his identity, refusing to hide who
[1:45] Speaker 1: he was. One summer night in July of nineteen eighty four,
[1:50] Speaker 1: Charlie walked arm in arm with his boyfriend across a
[1:53] Speaker 1: bridge in downtown Banger. The quiet night was shattered when
[1:57] Speaker 1: a car filled with teenagers pulled up beside them. The
[2:02] Speaker 1: taunts began, but the boys weren't done. Within moments, Charlie
[2:07] Speaker 1: would find himself in a desperate fight for his life,
[2:11] Speaker 1: an event that would haunt Banger and forever change its history.
[2:30] Speaker 1: Charlie Howard always knew that he was different. Born in Portsmouth,
[2:34] Speaker 1: New Hampshire in nineteen sixty one, he was small boned
[2:37] Speaker 1: and fragile, burdened with ASTHMAUV and a learning disability that
[2:41] Speaker 1: made childhood all that more challenging. While the other kids
[2:45] Speaker 1: raced towards the playground or played sports, Charlie often sat
[2:49] Speaker 1: on the sidelines, longing to join in. His classmates were
[2:53] Speaker 1: quick to spot his vulnerability and labeled him as sissy.
[2:58] Speaker 1: As he grew older, Charlie began to understand that there
[3:01] Speaker 1: was another reason that he didn't fit in. While the
[3:04] Speaker 1: boys around him started noticing girls, Charlie found himself drawn
[3:08] Speaker 1: to other boys. He kept this secret for as long
[3:11] Speaker 1: as he could, but teenagers have a way of sniffing
[3:14] Speaker 1: out differences. The taunts of Sissy turned sharper, crueler, and
[3:19] Speaker 1: more homophobic. High school became a battle ground he endured
[3:24] Speaker 1: day by day. By the time the graduation approached, Charlie
[3:28] Speaker 1: had no desire to walk across the stage. He feared
[3:32] Speaker 1: his family might witness the hate his classmates barely bothered
[3:35] Speaker 1: to hide. Eventually, coming out to his parents was terrifying
[3:40] Speaker 1: but ultimately worth it. Although it was difficult for them
[3:43] Speaker 1: to process at first, they grew to accept him for
[3:46] Speaker 1: who he was, but still acceptance at home didn't fix everything.
[3:53] Speaker 1: Charlie's per grades kept him from college, and jobs in
[3:56] Speaker 1: Portsmouth were scarce, scarce are still for an openly gay
[3:59] Speaker 1: man in the early nineteen eighties. Living at home with
[4:03] Speaker 1: his mother and stepfather only added to his frustrations. He
[4:08] Speaker 1: and his stepfather often clashed, leaving Charlie feeling stifled and
[4:12] Speaker 1: out of place. Determined carvide life for himself, Charlie packed
[4:17] Speaker 1: up his belongings and left Portsmouth behind. For the next
[4:21] Speaker 1: couple of years, he drifted, staying in hostels, picking up
[4:24] Speaker 1: odd jobs, and searching for a place he could belong.
[4:28] Speaker 1: He eventually settled in Ellsworth in Maine, where he moved
[4:32] Speaker 1: in with a man, but the relationship fell apart in
[4:35] Speaker 1: early nineteen eighty four, leaving Charlie uprooted once more. With
[4:40] Speaker 1: few options, Charlie decided to try his luck in Bangor,
[4:45] Speaker 1: a mutual friend introduced him to Scott Hamilton and Paul Norden,
[4:49] Speaker 1: a couple living in a beautifully restored Victorian home on
[4:52] Speaker 1: Highland Avenue. Scott and Paul immediately took to Charlie, offering
[4:56] Speaker 1: him a room and some stability. The first time in
[5:00] Speaker 1: a long while, Charlie had a roof over his head
[5:03] Speaker 1: and people who genuinely cared about him. But still, finding
[5:07] Speaker 1: work in Bangor proved harder than Charlie expected. Jobs for
[5:11] Speaker 1: young gay men were few and far between, and Charlie
[5:14] Speaker 1: struggled to make ends mate. At one point, Scott and
[5:18] Speaker 1: Paul encouraged him to return to Portsmouth, but the move
[5:21] Speaker 1: didn't stick. Eventually, Charlie found his way back to their
[5:25] Speaker 1: Highland Avenue home. When he returned, something about him had changed.
[5:30] Speaker 1: He was more optimistic, almost hopeful. A kind neighbor helped
[5:35] Speaker 1: them land a part time job through a city employment program.
[5:39] Speaker 1: It wasn't glamorous, just a couple of hours a day
[5:41] Speaker 1: cleaning at an adult learning center, but it gave Charlie
[5:44] Speaker 1: structure and the sense of purpose. He also found solace
[5:48] Speaker 1: at the local Unitarian church, which openly welcomed gay members.
[5:54] Speaker 1: In an era when many churches used their pulpits to
[5:56] Speaker 1: condemn home sexuality. The Unitarian Church like an oasis. Charlie
[6:02] Speaker 1: quickly built a community of friends there, people who accepted
[6:05] Speaker 1: him for who he was and shared his hope for
[6:07] Speaker 1: a better future. For Charlie, life had never been easy,
[6:13] Speaker 1: but in these moments of connection with Scott and Paul,
[6:16] Speaker 1: and with his new friends at church, he began to
[6:19] Speaker 1: glimpse the kind of life he had always dreamed of,
[6:23] Speaker 1: one where he could truly belong, free from judgment and fear.
[6:33] Speaker 1: Shortly after Easter, Charlie had saved enough money to move
[6:36] Speaker 1: into his own apartment on the third floor of a
[6:39] Speaker 1: weathered rooming house on First Street. The building had seemed
[6:42] Speaker 1: better days, but Charlie wasted no time transforming his small
[6:46] Speaker 1: space into a sanctuary. He adorned the walls with colorful posters,
[6:51] Speaker 1: tended to pot at plants that added a touch of life,
[6:54] Speaker 1: and he even adopted a kitten. Despite its shabby exterior,
[6:59] Speaker 1: charlie charm made the place feel warm and inviting. Plus,
[7:04] Speaker 1: the rent was only thirty five dollars a week. Gary Baldock,
[7:07] Speaker 1: his landlord, spoke highly of him. He said he was
[7:11] Speaker 1: a good tenant, he was clean, and that's what a
[7:14] Speaker 1: landlord looks for in a tenant. Much of Charley's time
[7:18] Speaker 1: was spent in the Unitarian Church, the one place in
[7:21] Speaker 1: Bangor where he felt completely free to be himself in
[7:25] Speaker 1: a time without gay bars, and where public displays of
[7:27] Speaker 1: same sex affection often resulted in harassment or even expulsion
[7:32] Speaker 1: from regular establishments. The church was his refuge. Charlie refused
[7:37] Speaker 1: to hide who he was, even if it meant and
[7:40] Speaker 1: during the sting of homophobia, his style was bold and unapologetic,
[7:45] Speaker 1: airing shoulder bags and even the occasional makeup. He often
[7:50] Speaker 1: carried a purse tucked confidently under his arm, and sometimes
[7:54] Speaker 1: introduced himself as Charlene. Those who loved him described him
[7:57] Speaker 1: as flamboyant, a man who sells, braided his identity rather
[8:01] Speaker 1: than concealing it. Mary Jane Kennedy, one of his friends,
[8:06] Speaker 1: recalled her first impression of Charlie. She stated, the first
[8:11] Speaker 1: time I saw him, my first impression was my God,
[8:14] Speaker 1: the Queen Mary just landed. But then I got to
[8:17] Speaker 1: know him, and he just wanted to be loved, just loved.
[8:21] Speaker 1: He didn't want to hurt anyone, and he didn't want
[8:24] Speaker 1: to be hurt. Charlie's openness didn't just make him a target,
[8:28] Speaker 1: it also changed minds. Fred Lewis, one of his neighbors,
[8:33] Speaker 1: admitted that meeting Charlie transformed his prejudice. He recollected before
[8:39] Speaker 1: I met Charlie. I hated gays like everybody else in Banger,
[8:43] Speaker 1: But Charlie changed my mind. He was very soft hearted
[8:46] Speaker 1: and kind. If they send an angel down from heaven,
[8:50] Speaker 1: Charlie would be it. Now. I believe God put us
[8:53] Speaker 1: together on the same earth, straits and gays, and we
[8:56] Speaker 1: have to learn to live together. By the summer of
[9:05] Speaker 1: nineteen eighty four, Charlie Howard was founding joy in his
[9:08] Speaker 1: life again. At twenty three years old, he had a
[9:11] Speaker 1: new boyfriend, a local man named Roy Ogden. On the
[9:15] Speaker 1: evening of the seventh of July, the couple attended a
[9:18] Speaker 1: potlock dinner hosted by InterWave of Bangor, a gay support
[9:22] Speaker 1: group affiliated with the Unitarian Church. True to his vibrant personality,
[9:28] Speaker 1: Charlie arrived wearing his signature rainbow colored poncho. At about
[9:33] Speaker 1: ten thirty pm that night, Charlie and Roy decided to
[9:36] Speaker 1: stop by the post office the check if Charlie had
[9:39] Speaker 1: received any meal. The walk took them towards the State
[9:43] Speaker 1: Street Bridge, a three lane structure spanning the Kendas Steague Stream.
[9:48] Speaker 1: The depth of the water below fluctuated with the tide,
[9:51] Speaker 1: ranging from a shallow three feet in some spots to
[9:54] Speaker 1: sixteen feet in others. As they reached the bridge, the
[9:58] Speaker 1: still night was broken by the sun fond of a
[10:00] Speaker 1: maroon Pointiac Ventura pulling up beside them. Inside were three
[10:05] Speaker 1: teenage boys and two girls. The boys rolled down the
[10:09] Speaker 1: windows and began hurling homophobic slurs. Charlie froze for a moment.
[10:15] Speaker 1: He recognized the car. A few weeks earlier, the same
[10:18] Speaker 1: group had taunted him with similar abuse. The car screeched
[10:22] Speaker 1: to a halt, and the three boys jumped out. Fear
[10:26] Speaker 1: searched through Charlie. His chest tightened, not just from panic,
[10:30] Speaker 1: but from the asthma that had plagued him since childhood.
[10:35] Speaker 1: When one of the boys shoved Roy, the couple took
[10:38] Speaker 1: off running. Roy sprinted ahead, but Charlie lagged behind, his
[10:43] Speaker 1: breathing labored. As the teenagers gave chase, the night air
[10:47] Speaker 1: seemed to grow heavier around them. Struggling to keep up,
[10:52] Speaker 1: Charlie stumbled over the uneven sidewalk and fell. Within moments,
[10:57] Speaker 1: they were on him. Tackled Charlie to the ground, their
[11:02] Speaker 1: fists and feet raining down blows as he curled in
[11:04] Speaker 1: to himself, trying to shield his body. Roy, who was
[11:09] Speaker 1: helpless and terrified, pleaded with the teenagers to stop, but
[11:14] Speaker 1: they were relentless. The assault escalated as they hauled Charlie
[11:18] Speaker 1: to his feet and dragged him towards the railing of
[11:21] Speaker 1: the bridge. Charlie fought back as best he could. His
[11:26] Speaker 1: voice rose in desperation as he screamed, no, no, I
[11:30] Speaker 1: can't swim. The teenagers ignored his cries, and with one
[11:35] Speaker 1: final act of cruelty, they lifted Charlie over the railing
[11:39] Speaker 1: and then threw him into the dark water below. The
[11:43] Speaker 1: Candice Gigue stream swallowed Charlie's small frame. The teenagers ran
[11:49] Speaker 1: back to the car and sped off, as Roy was
[11:51] Speaker 1: left standing on the bridge alone. He ran to the
[11:55] Speaker 1: railing and screamed as Charlie disappeared beneath the surface. In
[12:06] Speaker 1: the immediate aftermath of the attack, Roy ran desperately through
[12:10] Speaker 1: the street. He reached a fire alarm box at the
[12:13] Speaker 1: corner of State in Exchange straight and pulled it with
[12:16] Speaker 1: trembling hands. His only thought was to say of Charlie.
[12:22] Speaker 1: Moments later, the banger Fired Apartment derived their sirens cutting
[12:26] Speaker 1: through the still night. Roy, who was frantic and hysterical,
[12:31] Speaker 1: rushed to meet them. He screamed that they had been
[12:34] Speaker 1: attacked and his boyfriend was thrown into the stream. The
[12:38] Speaker 1: firefighters quickly moved to the bridge and scanned the stream below.
[12:43] Speaker 1: The drop from the bridge was twenty to twenty five
[12:45] Speaker 1: feet and the tide had risen, making the waters deep
[12:49] Speaker 1: and dark, but despite their best efforts, they saw no
[12:53] Speaker 1: sign of Charlie. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the
[12:58] Speaker 1: fired Department launched a boat to search the stream. For
[13:02] Speaker 1: three long hours, they combed the water, their lights cutting
[13:05] Speaker 1: through the murky depths. Finally, their efforts ended in heartbreak.
[13:12] Speaker 1: Charley's lifeless body was discovered floating between the State Street
[13:16] Speaker 1: bus stop and the stream's footbridge. He was transported to
[13:20] Speaker 1: the medical examiner's office, where the grim details of his
[13:23] Speaker 1: final movements were confirmed. He bore lacerations to his head
[13:28] Speaker 1: and face from the brutal attack, but his official cause
[13:31] Speaker 1: of death was drowning, compounded by an acute asthma attack.
[13:37] Speaker 1: An investigation was immediately launched. Banker was just a small city,
[13:42] Speaker 1: and news of the tragedy spread rapidly. Charley's death sent
[13:47] Speaker 1: shockways through the community, his bright and unapologetic presence snuffed
[13:51] Speaker 1: out by senseless hatred. But it wasn't long before the
[13:56] Speaker 1: three teenage boys were identified. After Charlie was hurled from
[14:04] Speaker 1: the bridge, Gary wosney A heard a knock at his
[14:06] Speaker 1: front door. It was his fifteen year old next door neighbor,
[14:11] Speaker 1: James Baines, along with two of his friends, seventeen year
[14:15] Speaker 1: old Daniel Ness and sixteen year old Sean Maybray. Gary
[14:19] Speaker 1: had been having a small party and everybody was sitting
[14:22] Speaker 1: in the living room drinking beer. Bain's Nest and Maybury
[14:26] Speaker 1: burst in. They were visibly agitated and speaking over one another.
[14:33] Speaker 1: We jumped a fag, beat him up and threw him
[14:35] Speaker 1: into the stream, they admitted breathlessly. The adults in the
[14:39] Speaker 1: room were skeptical, dismissing the confession as exaggerated teenage bravado.
[14:44] Speaker 1: The boys, they figured were embellishing a story to sound tough.
[14:49] Speaker 1: But by the next morning, when news of Charlie's murder
[14:52] Speaker 1: was splashed, across local headlines, the horrifying truth became clear.
[14:58] Speaker 1: Racked with fear or guilt, one of the boys turned
[15:01] Speaker 1: themselves into police that morning. The other two initially planned
[15:05] Speaker 1: to flee time by hopping on a freight train, but
[15:08] Speaker 1: ultimately abandoned the idea and stayed home, where they were
[15:11] Speaker 1: soon arrested. In the interrogation room, all three boys admitted
[15:15] Speaker 1: to their role in the attack, although they all insisted
[15:18] Speaker 1: they hadn't intended on killing Charlie, just hurting and scaring him.
[15:24] Speaker 1: Their coins painted a grim picture of a census act
[15:27] Speaker 1: fueled by hatred and recklessness. That night, the teenagers had
[15:31] Speaker 1: been at a party before heading out to buy alcohol.
[15:34] Speaker 1: Using a fake id carried by one of the girls
[15:37] Speaker 1: who accompanied them, they piled into Maybury's maroon Pontiac Ventura
[15:42] Speaker 1: and cruised through Banger looking for trouble. At round ten
[15:46] Speaker 1: thirty pm, Baing spotted Charlie and Roy walking down the
[15:49] Speaker 1: street arm in arm. He recognized Charlie from a previous
[15:53] Speaker 1: encounter and told the others that Charlie had allegedly put
[15:57] Speaker 1: an arm around him and made a suggestive comment. Just
[16:00] Speaker 1: weeks earlier, the teenagers decided to confront him. They pulled
[16:06] Speaker 1: the car over and approached Charlie and roy Ness later
[16:09] Speaker 1: reconted to detectives, I walked up to him and said, Hi,
[16:14] Speaker 1: how are you doing, fag. You could tell he was
[16:17] Speaker 1: really scared. The verbal harassment quickly escalated into violence. We
[16:23] Speaker 1: just started kicking him, Baines admitted during his interview, Ness
[16:28] Speaker 1: became emotional when he described the final moments of the attack,
[16:31] Speaker 1: stating it was just stupid, very stupid. His voice trembled
[16:38] Speaker 1: as he recalled the trao lifting Charlie's battered body off
[16:41] Speaker 1: the ground and throwing him over the bridge and into
[16:43] Speaker 1: the water below. Detectives wasted no time in labeling the
[16:47] Speaker 1: attack a hate crime, making it clear that Charlie had
[16:50] Speaker 1: been targeted because of his sexual orientation. As detectives delved
[16:56] Speaker 1: into the boy's backgrounds, a pattern emerged. All three had
[17:00] Speaker 1: been sturans at Bangor High School, where they were all
[17:03] Speaker 1: known more for their apathy than their achievements. Maybury, once
[17:08] Speaker 1: a promising athlete in the city hockey league and a
[17:10] Speaker 1: Kraari enthusiast, had filled all of his classes and had
[17:14] Speaker 1: been removed from the school role in April for being
[17:17] Speaker 1: chronically absent ness, who had shown artistic potential, had seen
[17:22] Speaker 1: his grade snowsedive over the past year. Bain's, the youngest,
[17:27] Speaker 1: had only joined Banger High the previous year, but had
[17:31] Speaker 1: quickly fallen into the same disinterest as his friends. Doctor
[17:35] Speaker 1: John Fahey, the high school principal, summed up the trail's reputations,
[17:39] Speaker 1: daring they were not typical kids. School didn't seem to
[17:44] Speaker 1: hold much importance to them, They didn't attend classes regularly,
[17:48] Speaker 1: and they got into trouble. The census cruelty of Charlie's
[18:01] Speaker 1: murder left Bangor reeling, turning a spotlight on the deep
[18:05] Speaker 1: seated prejudice that had festered within the community. For Charlie,
[18:09] Speaker 1: a young man who sad only love and acceptance, the
[18:12] Speaker 1: price of being himself had been devastatingly high. The night
[18:17] Speaker 1: after his body was pulled from the stream, roughly two
[18:20] Speaker 1: hundred members of Banger's gay, lesbian and straight coalition gathered
[18:24] Speaker 1: in a powerful display of solidarity. They marched together, wearing
[18:29] Speaker 1: purple ribbons and carrying candles their possession, winding through the
[18:33] Speaker 1: streets towards the police station. We wanted to let them
[18:38] Speaker 1: know we're out here. One marcher explained. As the group arrived,
[18:42] Speaker 1: they raised their voices in unison, chanting we are friends
[18:45] Speaker 1: of Charlie Howard and we're singing for his life. Many
[18:50] Speaker 1: held placards with poignant messages such as prejudice kills and
[18:54] Speaker 1: let gays and Lesbians live. Though the group lacked the
[18:57] Speaker 1: parade permit required by law, police argent Gregory MacDonald announced
[19:01] Speaker 1: that no citations would be issued. The quiet acknowledgment of
[19:05] Speaker 1: the gravity of the moment. From the police station, the
[19:09] Speaker 1: mourners walk to the State Street bridge, the side of
[19:13] Speaker 1: Charlie's final moments. Standing solemnly at the railing, they tossed
[19:18] Speaker 1: roses into the water below. This is for you, Charley,
[19:22] Speaker 1: they whispered. The march concluded that the Unitarian Church, where
[19:27] Speaker 1: a memorial service was held to honor Charlie's life. You
[19:34] Speaker 1: should love your hair, but let's be real, that's tough
[19:36] Speaker 1: when you're dealing with shedding or thinning. For me, it
[19:39] Speaker 1: felt like no matter what I tried, I couldn't find
[19:41] Speaker 1: something that actually worked. That's when I discovered neutrofil, and
[19:45] Speaker 1: I've never looked back. I've been taking neutrofil for a
[19:48] Speaker 1: few months now and I've noticed a real difference. My
[19:51] Speaker 1: hair feels stronger and looks visibly thicker, and I've experienced
[19:54] Speaker 1: less she shedding. Beyond the physical changes, it's given me
[19:57] Speaker 1: a confidence boost that I didn't expect. I'm loving my
[20:00] Speaker 1: hair again and it shows. It especially came in handy
[20:04] Speaker 1: after bringing my first baby, a little girl named Ember,
[20:06] Speaker 1: into the world. Those postpartum changes to your hair are
[20:10] Speaker 1: seriously no joke. Neutrofil is the number one dermatologists recommended
[20:15] Speaker 1: hair growth supplement brand, trusted by over one million people.
[20:18] Speaker 1: They're clinically tested, physician formulated supplements are one hundred percent
[20:22] Speaker 1: drug free, targeting root causes such as stress, nutrition, hormones,
[20:26] Speaker 1: and more. Start your hair growth journey with Neutrophil. For
[20:30] Speaker 1: a limited time, Neutrofil is offering my listeners ten dollars
[20:32] Speaker 1: off their first month subscription and free shipping when you
[20:36] Speaker 1: go to neutrophil dot com and enter the promo code morbidology.
[20:40] Speaker 1: Find out why over four thousand, five hundred health care
[20:42] Speaker 1: professionals and stylists recommend Neutrophil for healthier hair. Neutrofil dot
[20:47] Speaker 1: com spelled n ut r a f o L dot
[20:51] Speaker 1: com promo code morbidology. That's neutrophil dot com promo code morbidrology.
[21:02] Speaker 1: Reverend Richard Foresear opened the service, telling those in attendance,
[21:06] Speaker 1: let us pray spirit of justice. A grave injustice has
[21:10] Speaker 1: been committed in our midst. A brave young man, Charlie
[21:14] Speaker 1: Howard was murdered for openly being who he was. Throughout
[21:18] Speaker 1: the service, speakers reflected on the pervasive homophobia and bangor
[21:22] Speaker 1: and the struggles that Charlie had faced. Reverend Douglas Morgan
[21:27] Speaker 1: shared the debout. A month before his death, Charlie had
[21:30] Speaker 1: confided in him about considering leaving the town to find
[21:34] Speaker 1: a place where he could live more freely, but despite
[21:37] Speaker 1: his fears, Charlie had decided to stay, believing that things
[21:41] Speaker 1: might get better. Others recounted their own experience of discrimination
[21:46] Speaker 1: in the nineteen eighties, a time when homophobia was pervasive.
[21:52] Speaker 1: One woman spoke of hearing a colleague mock Charlie's death,
[21:56] Speaker 1: while another revealed that the words fag's jump here had
[21:59] Speaker 1: been graffa on the bridge. In that era, societal norms,
[22:04] Speaker 1: religious conservatism, and misinformation about LGBTQ plus issues fueled widespread hostility.
[22:13] Speaker 1: The AD's epidemic often labeled the gay disease, exacerbated discrimination,
[22:18] Speaker 1: sparking fear and hatred that left many LGBTQ plus individuals
[22:22] Speaker 1: vulnerable to violence and ostracism. In predominantly conservative main discussions
[22:28] Speaker 1: of LGBTQ plus rights were rare and often met with
[22:31] Speaker 1: resilience or outright hostility. A friend of Charlie's, who wished
[22:36] Speaker 1: to remain anonymous, described the man that they had lost.
[22:40] Speaker 1: Gentle Charlie wouldn't hurt a fly. How could this happen
[22:44] Speaker 1: to him? He was flamboyant, and that's probably why he
[22:47] Speaker 1: was a target for harassment. To take the life of
[22:50] Speaker 1: this young man who was just beginning to live simply
[22:53] Speaker 1: because he's gay is an outrage. Her voice trembled as
[22:57] Speaker 1: she added, Charlie's life will have an impact. We will
[23:01] Speaker 1: not let people forget. For those who knew him, Charley's
[23:05] Speaker 1: pride in his identity was both a source of inspiration
[23:09] Speaker 1: and a cause for concern. He lived bravely, refusing to
[23:13] Speaker 1: hide who he was, even as the world around him
[23:16] Speaker 1: remained hostile. Yet the fear of being attacked never really
[23:21] Speaker 1: left Charlie, and tragically, that fear was now realized The
[23:31] Speaker 1: day after Charlie Howard's murder, Daniel Ness, Shawn Maybray, and
[23:35] Speaker 1: James Baines were officially charged, Prosecutor Tom Goodwin announced that
[23:40] Speaker 1: he had yet to decide whether the teenagers would be
[23:43] Speaker 1: tried as juveniles or adults. To the shock and anger
[23:47] Speaker 1: of many, the three were released into the custody of
[23:49] Speaker 1: their parents rather than being held in detention. Goodwin defended
[23:54] Speaker 1: the decision, stating that he didn't consider the boys a
[23:57] Speaker 1: threat to the community. This was a sentiment that enranged
[24:02] Speaker 1: members of the l g B t Q plus community,
[24:05] Speaker 1: who saw it as a failure to treat the murder
[24:07] Speaker 1: with the seriousness that it deserved. Then on July thirteenth,
[24:12] Speaker 1: Charley was laid to rest in a quiet ceremony. Between
[24:16] Speaker 1: forty to sixty mourners attended, including his mother and two brothers.
[24:22] Speaker 1: One of his high school teachers, Robert Lister, spoke of
[24:25] Speaker 1: the service, reflecting on the gentle nature of his former student.
[24:30] Speaker 1: Charley was one who showed kindness and respect to others.
[24:33] Speaker 1: His philosophy might have been to live and enjoy one
[24:36] Speaker 1: dead at time and let live, he said. At the
[24:40] Speaker 1: graveside in Kitterye, cemetery. A brief prayer was said before
[24:43] Speaker 1: Charley's body was lowered into the ground. He was buried
[24:48] Speaker 1: without a headstone. In the days following Charley's funeral, calls
[24:53] Speaker 1: for justice and change grew louder. John pressed In, a
[24:57] Speaker 1: Portland based gay rights activist, expressed his hope that Charlie's
[25:01] Speaker 1: murder would serve as a turning point. He highlighted the
[25:04] Speaker 1: urgent need for laws to protect the LGBTQ plus community
[25:07] Speaker 1: from discrimination in employment, housing, and credit. Governor Joseph Brennan
[25:12] Speaker 1: responded with the pledge to support antidiscrimination measures for credit
[25:16] Speaker 1: and housing, but he stopped short of endorsing protections in employment.
[25:22] Speaker 1: While the governor's response was seen as insufficient, Charlie's death
[25:26] Speaker 1: sparked a movement that would eventually lead to significant progress
[25:30] Speaker 1: in Bangor. The local School Committee created a tolerance subcommittee
[25:34] Speaker 1: and adopted recommendations to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation
[25:39] Speaker 1: in hiring practices. Statewide, Charlie's murder inspired the founding of
[25:43] Speaker 1: the Main Lesbian and Gay political Alliance, now known as
[25:47] Speaker 1: the Quality Main. This organization became a driving force in
[25:52] Speaker 1: advancing LGBTQ plus rights across the state. Their efforts led
[25:57] Speaker 1: to a crucial amendment to the main Civil Rights Act,
[26:00] Speaker 1: which added sexual orientation to the list of protected categories.
[26:05] Speaker 1: On the eighteenth of July, Bains, Maybray, and Ness were
[26:08] Speaker 1: arraigned in court on charges of murder and each pleaded
[26:11] Speaker 1: not guilty. The court room was surrounded by protests, with
[26:15] Speaker 1: many demanding justice for Charlie. Among the demonstrators was Roy Ogden,
[26:21] Speaker 1: Charley's boyfriend, who voiced frustration with the system after an
[26:26] Speaker 1: incident involving Baines. Roy claimed that he had seen Bains
[26:31] Speaker 1: downtown unsupervised, which was a breach of his bail conditions.
[26:36] Speaker 1: According to Roy, Baines had shouted hey faggot at him,
[26:39] Speaker 1: but when Roy reported it to the Banker Police Department,
[26:42] Speaker 1: no action was taken. Police sergeant Thomas Plocella dismissed Roy's allegations,
[26:48] Speaker 1: stating that they had been investigated and deemed without merit.
[26:53] Speaker 1: In a controversial comment, Plucella added, I'm not trying to
[26:58] Speaker 1: lessen the severity of the Crown, but it's not like
[27:01] Speaker 1: these were axe murderers. These people came from respectable families
[27:05] Speaker 1: who owned property in the city of Bangor. The next month,
[27:09] Speaker 1: the three teenagers appeared in court once more. Judge David
[27:13] Speaker 1: Cox's faced criticism when he refused to confine them for
[27:16] Speaker 1: psychiatric testing, opting instead for local evaluations, and once again
[27:21] Speaker 1: releasing them into the custody of their parents. Despite public
[27:25] Speaker 1: outrage over the leniency of these decisions, the community found
[27:29] Speaker 1: some solace when prosecutors announced their intention to try the
[27:32] Speaker 1: teenagers as adults. The decision to seek adult prosecution was
[27:37] Speaker 1: met with mixed reactions, and Fibbs representing the Banger Area
[27:42] Speaker 1: Coalition of Lesbian's, Gay Men and Straits, supported the move, stating,
[27:47] Speaker 1: I think it shows the status taking this seriously. If
[27:51] Speaker 1: they're going to commit an adult crime like murder, they
[27:53] Speaker 1: should be traded like adults. Others, however, believe the crime
[27:58] Speaker 1: was not premeditated, and all argued for juvenile court. Local
[28:02] Speaker 1: resident Sharry Oakes shared her perspective, stating, I just think
[28:07] Speaker 1: they expected to see him in a week or so
[28:09] Speaker 1: and say, haha, we threw you over the bridge. During
[28:14] Speaker 1: the preliminary hearing, Judge Cox wrote that there was sufficient
[28:17] Speaker 1: evidence for the teenagers to stand trial for murder. The
[28:21] Speaker 1: courtroom listened to the boys recorded confessions and the testimony
[28:24] Speaker 1: of the two teenage girls who had been in the
[28:26] Speaker 1: car that night with them. Jennifer, one of the girls,
[28:29] Speaker 1: recounted the disturbing aftermath of the attack. She testified that
[28:33] Speaker 1: the boys had laughed and even shook hands after throwing
[28:36] Speaker 1: Charlie into the water. She recalled asking them what if
[28:41] Speaker 1: the guy dies, to which they confidently replied he won't die. Then,
[28:46] Speaker 1: in September, Judge Cox dealt a blow to the prosecution
[28:49] Speaker 1: by ruling that the boys would instead be tried in
[28:52] Speaker 1: juvenile court, rejecting the motion to charge them as adults.
[28:57] Speaker 1: He reasoned that the three teenagers had no pride criminal
[29:00] Speaker 1: records and that the punishment available in juvenile court would suffice.
[29:06] Speaker 1: This decision sparked outrage, especially among LGBTQ plus advocates. Richard Steinmann,
[29:13] Speaker 1: a spokesperson for the Augustus Gay Straight Coalition, expressed concern
[29:17] Speaker 1: that the ruling might trivialize Charlie's murder. He stated, I
[29:22] Speaker 1: hope this decision doesn't send the message that a life
[29:25] Speaker 1: taken due to prejudice is worth any less. The ruling
[29:29] Speaker 1: was a bitter reminder of the systemic inequalities that Charlie's
[29:33] Speaker 1: death had brought to light the tragedy, and the legal
[29:38] Speaker 1: proceedings that followed underscored the urgent need for societal change
[29:42] Speaker 1: and justice for the LGBTQ plus community. On the second
[29:47] Speaker 1: of October, James Baines, Sean Maybray, and Daniel Ness returned
[29:52] Speaker 1: to court, where they pleaded guilty to a reduced charge
[29:55] Speaker 1: of manslaughter. Prosecutor Tom Goodwin explained that the decis vision
[30:00] Speaker 1: was not part of a play agreement, but was made
[30:02] Speaker 1: independently After he reviewed the case. He stated that the
[30:07] Speaker 1: teenager's actions reflected recklessness or criminal negligence rather than intent.
[30:13] Speaker 1: Under Man's Juvenile Code, manslaughter carried a maximum penalty of
[30:17] Speaker 1: incarceration at the Main Youth Center until the age of
[30:20] Speaker 1: twenty one. The reduction in charges, however, deeply upset the
[30:25] Speaker 1: LGBTQ plus community, who viewed it as a devaluation of
[30:30] Speaker 1: Charlie Howard's life. In response, about fifty people gathered to protest,
[30:36] Speaker 1: wearing purple armbands in solidarity. They watched to the courthouse
[30:41] Speaker 1: and formed a circle and sang we are gentle, angry people,
[30:45] Speaker 1: We are singing for our lives. Then on October fifth,
[30:49] Speaker 1: the teenagers returned to court to be sentenced. Witnesses, including
[30:54] Speaker 1: their tutor, Susan Sands, testified in their favor, describing them
[30:58] Speaker 1: as model students. Psychologist doctor David Booth recommended that they
[31:04] Speaker 1: be placed in a group home rather than a juvenile
[31:07] Speaker 1: detention facility. Each of the boys addressed the court expressing
[31:12] Speaker 1: regret for their actions. Maybury said, I'd like to let
[31:17] Speaker 1: you and everybody else know that I regret what happened.
[31:20] Speaker 1: The more I think about it, the more I wish
[31:22] Speaker 1: I could turn back time, but I can't. So I
[31:25] Speaker 1: stand here ready to accept responsibility for my actions. Being's
[31:30] Speaker 1: followed staring, I realize what I did was wrong, and
[31:34] Speaker 1: I'm very sorry. This is an accident that can't be
[31:37] Speaker 1: taken back. Finally, Nest admitted it was very unforgiving my
[31:44] Speaker 1: actions cause the death of a human being. I'm very
[31:48] Speaker 1: sorry my actions has caused Charley Howard's family and friends
[31:52] Speaker 1: to feel the way that they do. Prosecutor Goodwin then
[31:56] Speaker 1: read a statement from Charley's mother, Patience Howard. In it,
[32:01] Speaker 1: she expressed out about the teenager's remorse and said, I
[32:05] Speaker 1: believe all three should be institutionalized for a period of
[32:08] Speaker 1: time so they can think about what they did. Judge
[32:13] Speaker 1: David Cox then addressed the court room, acknowledging the complexities
[32:17] Speaker 1: of the case while condemning the prejudice and intolerance that
[32:21] Speaker 1: had contributed to the crime. He emphasized that while one
[32:25] Speaker 1: life had ended, three others were irrevocably altered by the
[32:29] Speaker 1: events of that night. The teenagers began to cry as
[32:33] Speaker 1: Judge Cox announced their sentence, an indeterminate stay at the
[32:37] Speaker 1: main youth center, not to exceed Ness's twenty first birthday
[32:42] Speaker 1: on the twenty eighth of June nineteen eighty eight. He
[32:46] Speaker 1: specified no minimum term, leaving the decision on their release
[32:50] Speaker 1: to the facility's discretion outside of court. Prosecuted good When
[32:55] Speaker 1: estimated that they would likely serve around eighteen months, but
[32:58] Speaker 1: stressed that the ultimate disare decision would be made by
[33:00] Speaker 1: the youth center officials. The lenient sentencing left many members
[33:05] Speaker 1: of the LGBTQ plus community disheartened. While the teenagers were
[33:11] Speaker 1: now being held accountable, the reduction of charges in relatively
[33:14] Speaker 1: short sentences seemed to underscore the systemic inequalities that enabled
[33:19] Speaker 1: the tragedy in the first place. Information about the teenager's
[33:28] Speaker 1: juvenile records remained sealed, but it was later reported that
[33:32] Speaker 1: James Baines was released after serving two years, while Seawan
[33:36] Speaker 1: Maybray was released after twenty two months. It's presumed that
[33:41] Speaker 1: Daniel Ness the oldest was released first. In nineteen ninety three,
[33:47] Speaker 1: nearly a decade after Charlie Howard's murder, Bains broke his
[33:51] Speaker 1: silence and gave an interview revealing how the crime had
[33:54] Speaker 1: shaped his life and the steps he had taken to
[33:56] Speaker 1: confront his past. After his release, Bains decided to remain
[34:01] Speaker 1: in Banger, determined to use his story to educate others
[34:05] Speaker 1: about intolerance. He became an outspoken advocate, frequently speaking to students,
[34:12] Speaker 1: law enforcement officers, and community groups about the devastating consequences
[34:16] Speaker 1: of hate crimes. During one seminar, Beins reflected on his
[34:21] Speaker 1: motivations on the night of the murder, stating I don't
[34:25] Speaker 1: think I was ever homophobic. He admitted that his actions
[34:29] Speaker 1: were driven by a desire for acceptance and popularity among
[34:32] Speaker 1: his peers. He recalled thinking, my friends will look up
[34:36] Speaker 1: to me for this, and I'll be able to talk
[34:38] Speaker 1: about it in school for a couple of years. He
[34:42] Speaker 1: added that at the time they believed they would get
[34:44] Speaker 1: away with it simply because society fewed harassment and violence
[34:48] Speaker 1: against gay people as acceptable. beIN's candidness and regret laughed
[34:53] Speaker 1: a lasting impression on those who heard him speak. Sergeant
[34:58] Speaker 1: Michael Harriman, who attended one of his time at Thornton Academy, stated,
[35:02] Speaker 1: I'll tell you, Jim Bain started talking and put those
[35:05] Speaker 1: students on the edge of their seats. It was powerful.
[35:09] Speaker 1: Bains also appeared in a state police video aimed at
[35:12] Speaker 1: teaching teenagers about tolerance, and even shared his story on MTV.
[35:18] Speaker 1: In these appearances, he emphasized, I'm not seeking forgiveness. I
[35:22] Speaker 1: can never be forgiven for what I did, but I
[35:25] Speaker 1: can try and convince kids not to wreck lives. When
[35:29] Speaker 1: reflecting on the night of Charlie's murder, Bain's expressed prop
[35:32] Speaker 1: to shame, admitting it happened so fast, it was just
[35:37] Speaker 1: supposed to be a good prank. You know, tell our
[35:40] Speaker 1: friends that we scared the homo, that he crawled out
[35:43] Speaker 1: soaking wet. In the aftermath, Bain struggled with the public
[35:48] Speaker 1: perception of him as a symbol of hatred and a murderer.
[35:52] Speaker 1: He revealed that he was so overcome with guilt that
[35:54] Speaker 1: he prayed nightly to die in his sleep. After serving
[35:58] Speaker 1: a sentence, Bain's returd turned to Banker High School and
[36:01] Speaker 1: secured a job at an electrical supply company, where he
[36:04] Speaker 1: remained employed. In a collaboration with the family friend Ed Armstrong,
[36:10] Speaker 1: Baines began working on a manuscript that recounted his story
[36:13] Speaker 1: and the lessons that he had learned. True to his promise,
[36:18] Speaker 1: the book, which was titled Penitents, was published in nineteen
[36:22] Speaker 1: ninety four, and all profits were directed to a scholarship
[36:25] Speaker 1: fund at Charlie's High School in Portsmouth and a foundation
[36:28] Speaker 1: aimed at fostering cultural tolerance. Bains continued his advocacy work
[36:33] Speaker 1: by speaking to the main legislature, urging them to pass
[36:37] Speaker 1: antidiscrimination laws protecting the LGBTQ plus community. Addressing lawmakers, he declared,
[36:45] Speaker 1: we attacked Charley Howard because he was different. Only because
[36:49] Speaker 1: he was different. We had no right to inflict violence.
[36:53] Speaker 1: We had no right to make him or victim, and
[36:55] Speaker 1: his family or victims and our family or victims. While
[37:00] Speaker 1: Bains embraced his role as an advocate, Ness and Maybray
[37:04] Speaker 1: have been far less vocal about their involvement, ness has
[37:08] Speaker 1: declined all interview requests. However, in nineteen ninety four, the
[37:13] Speaker 1: same year that Baines's book was published, Maybury spoke publicly
[37:16] Speaker 1: for the very first time. In his statement, he expressed
[37:20] Speaker 1: deep regret, stating, not a day goes by that I
[37:24] Speaker 1: don't think about Charlie Howard. Charley was so young, he
[37:28] Speaker 1: was helpless that night, and three reckless kids come along
[37:32] Speaker 1: and just for the hell of it, toss him over
[37:34] Speaker 1: the bridge. Because of our actions, Charlie Howard lost his
[37:39] Speaker 1: life in two thousand and nine, on the twenty fifth
[37:48] Speaker 1: anniversary of Charlie Howard's murder, the city of banger came
[37:52] Speaker 1: together to honor his memory and reflect on the changes
[37:55] Speaker 1: his tragic death had inspired. A series of events marked
[37:59] Speaker 1: the wake, including religious services, concerts, workshops, and the dedication
[38:04] Speaker 1: of a memorial near the site where Charlie drowned. Governor
[38:09] Speaker 1: John Baldaki addressed the impact of Charlie's death on main stating,
[38:14] Speaker 1: if you were living in Bangor in nineteen eighty four,
[38:16] Speaker 1: you could never forget Charlie Howard's death. I didn't know
[38:20] Speaker 1: Charlie Howard, but his death had a profound impact on
[38:23] Speaker 1: the entire community. At the time of Charlie's death, the
[38:27] Speaker 1: response from Mayne's religious leaders had been largely mutored, with
[38:30] Speaker 1: the Unitarian Church standing as the only institution to hold
[38:33] Speaker 1: a vigil. In the years that followed, however, this silence
[38:38] Speaker 1: began to shift. Religious leaders such as Reverend Marvin Ellison,
[38:43] Speaker 1: a professor of Christian ethics at Banker Theological Seminary, began
[38:47] Speaker 1: addressing the harm caused by anti gay teachings. He remarked,
[38:53] Speaker 1: because religion has long been associated with anti gay sentiment,
[38:56] Speaker 1: people of faith in every tradition must critique and discard
[38:59] Speaker 1: those religion just teachings. Charlie's memory has become a lasting
[39:03] Speaker 1: symbol of tolerance and inclusion in Banger. July seventh is
[39:08] Speaker 1: now observed as Diversity Day, and each year a floral
[39:11] Speaker 1: wrath is placed into the stream where Charlie lost his life.
[39:16] Speaker 1: The events of that tragic night in nineteen eighty four
[39:18] Speaker 1: are remembered not just as a moment of mourning, but
[39:22] Speaker 1: as a catalyst for change. That year, Man made a
[39:26] Speaker 1: historic step forward when the state legislature passed and Governor
[39:30] Speaker 1: Baldaki signed a law allowing same sex couples to marry.
[39:35] Speaker 1: As the community gathered to honor Charlie's memory, many reflected
[39:39] Speaker 1: on the profound influence his death had on advancing LGBTQ
[39:43] Speaker 1: plus rights and acceptance In Maine. Governor Baldaki captured this sentiment, stating,
[39:50] Speaker 1: would main be where it is today if Charlie Howard
[39:53] Speaker 1: hadn't been thrown into Kendyskeg's stream and allowed to die.
[39:58] Speaker 1: I don't know. I'd like to think we could have
[40:00] Speaker 1: advanced ourt thinking without a tragedy like his death. But
[40:04] Speaker 1: I also believe the events of July seventh, nineteen eighty
[40:08] Speaker 1: four forced us to confront hate and started us along
[40:11] Speaker 1: the path towards becoming a more tolerant and open community. Well,
[40:37] Speaker 1: Bessie's that is it for this episode of Morbidology. It's
[40:41] Speaker 1: always thank you so much for listening, and I'd like
[40:43] Speaker 1: to say a massive thank you to my new supporters
[40:45] Speaker 1: up on Patreon, Lucy Iris and Alison. The link to
[40:49] Speaker 1: Patreon is in the show notes if you'd like to join,
[40:52] Speaker 1: or alternatively, you can just search for Morbidology on the
[40:55] Speaker 1: app or the website. I upload Radfrey in early release
[40:59] Speaker 1: episodes behind the scenes, and I also send out merch
[41:02] Speaker 1: and a handwritten thank you card. Remember to check us
[41:05] Speaker 1: out at morbidology dot com for more information about this
[41:08] Speaker 1: episode and to read our tree crime articles. Until next time,
[41:12] Speaker 1: take care of yourselves, stay safe, and have an amazing week.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.