Charles was born in Portsmouth New Hampshire. He was fair haired and and small boned and suffered from asthma which led to quite a bit of teasing. In highschool he was bullied for being openly gay to the extent that he didn't even attend his Highschool Graduation.
In January 1984 Charles relocated to Bagnor, Maine and started making a life for himself.
Charles was openly gay and out and even quite flamboyant in his life style. If he felt like wearing make up, jewelry and a woman's accessories he would. He was known for singing the song "I Am What I Am" from the musical La Cage Aux Folles. Charlie was often tormented by local high school boys and was asked to leave a local night club when he danced with a man. Charlie was accosted by a woman in a local market one day shouting epithets such as "You pervert" and "You Queer!" Frightened, Charlie made a hasty retreat, but as he was leaving, stopped, turned around, and blew a kiss. After this, Charlie was more wary of strangers. Leaving his apartment one day, he found his pet kitten dead on the doorstep. It had been strangled.
On Saturday, July 7, 1984 Charlie attended a potluck at Interweave. He left the party at 10 pm with his friend Roy Ogden, he decided to go to the post office to check his P.O. Box. As Charlie and Roy walked up State St. and began to cross the Kenduskeag River Bridge, a car full of high school teens began to slow down. As Charlie and Roy walked up State St. and began to cross the Kenduskeag River Bridge, a car full of high school children began to slow down. Charlie was beaten and thrown off the Kenduskeag River Bridge. The Teens threatened Roy to try and make him keep quiet. Roy ran and pulled the first fire alarm that he could find on State Street.
An immediate search began for Charlie. At 1AM they found Charlie's body. An autopsy would reveal he had an asthma attack and drowned.
Today a short distance from the bridge a memorial has been erected. July 7, Charlie's Death Date, is now Diversity Day in Bangor. In July 2004 the Charles O. Howard Memorial Foundation was formed to promote diversity, tolerance and hate crime prevention.
This past year in July of 2009 a memorial service was held for Charlie which is the time the memorial for Charlie was dedicated 25 years after his death.∼Murder Victim. Known for being a victim of a hate crime by a couple of teenagers as he was thrown off a bridge to his death due to being gay.
Charlie was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. At a young age, Charlie was often picked on by his classmates and students, due to Charlie being sick all the time (he suffered from asthma), and as a result decided to move away from New Hampshire and go elsewhere.
Charlie later moved to Ellsworth, Maine, where he stayed there until January 1984. While there, he made friends with a couple of guys named Paul Noddin and Scott Hamilton, where he remained friends with them until his death and moved in with them for a month.
Charlie later moved to Bangor,Maine where he joined a local Unitarian Church as well as a group called Interweave. Charlie became an active member there and later found him an apartment on First Street, where he also adopted a kitten too.
Charlie was openly gay, and would often recieve hateful taunts and criticism from many local citizens. Because of this, Charlie became more wary of strangers, especially after he came home to find his cat dead on his front step due to strangulation.
At the time of his death, Charlie was leaving to head home after participating at a potluck that the group Interweave was serving. While walking home with a friend, a couple of teenagers came by and started attacking Charlie, even going as far as to tie him up and later throw Charlie over the bridge, despite Charlie begging them not to do it because of his health and for the fact that he's not a good swimmer.
Charlie's body was found at 1 am by local fishermen. He suffered from severe astma attack and drowned. A memorial service was later held for Charlie at the Unitarian Church, and after the funeral, mourners later dropped flowers into the Kenduskeag Stream. Later, family and friends gathered by the local police station to pay their respects to Charlie by holding a silent observance.
The men responsible for Charlie's death were later arrested and sentenced to jail, only to be released within a couple of years.
Charlie's murder became the subject of many cultural topics, including Stephen King's novel It. A biography was later written on Charlie's life titled Penitence by Ed Armstrong. A memorial has been set up for Charlie within a short distance from where Charlie was murdered at. Charlie's death date, July 7, is now known as Diversity Day in Bangor, Maine.
In January 1984 Charles relocated to Bagnor, Maine and started making a life for himself.
Charles was openly gay and out and even quite flamboyant in his life style. If he felt like wearing make up, jewelry and a woman's accessories he would. He was known for singing the song "I Am What I Am" from the musical La Cage Aux Folles. Charlie was often tormented by local high school boys and was asked to leave a local night club when he danced with a man. Charlie was accosted by a woman in a local market one day shouting epithets such as "You pervert" and "You Queer!" Frightened, Charlie made a hasty retreat, but as he was leaving, stopped, turned around, and blew a kiss. After this, Charlie was more wary of strangers. Leaving his apartment one day, he found his pet kitten dead on the doorstep. It had been strangled.
On Saturday, July 7, 1984 Charlie attended a potluck at Interweave. He left the party at 10 pm with his friend Roy Ogden, he decided to go to the post office to check his P.O. Box. As Charlie and Roy walked up State St. and began to cross the Kenduskeag River Bridge, a car full of high school teens began to slow down. As Charlie and Roy walked up State St. and began to cross the Kenduskeag River Bridge, a car full of high school children began to slow down. Charlie was beaten and thrown off the Kenduskeag River Bridge. The Teens threatened Roy to try and make him keep quiet. Roy ran and pulled the first fire alarm that he could find on State Street.
An immediate search began for Charlie. At 1AM they found Charlie's body. An autopsy would reveal he had an asthma attack and drowned.
Today a short distance from the bridge a memorial has been erected. July 7, Charlie's Death Date, is now Diversity Day in Bangor. In July 2004 the Charles O. Howard Memorial Foundation was formed to promote diversity, tolerance and hate crime prevention.
This past year in July of 2009 a memorial service was held for Charlie which is the time the memorial for Charlie was dedicated 25 years after his death.∼Murder Victim. Known for being a victim of a hate crime by a couple of teenagers as he was thrown off a bridge to his death due to being gay.
Charlie was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. At a young age, Charlie was often picked on by his classmates and students, due to Charlie being sick all the time (he suffered from asthma), and as a result decided to move away from New Hampshire and go elsewhere.
Charlie later moved to Ellsworth, Maine, where he stayed there until January 1984. While there, he made friends with a couple of guys named Paul Noddin and Scott Hamilton, where he remained friends with them until his death and moved in with them for a month.
Charlie later moved to Bangor,Maine where he joined a local Unitarian Church as well as a group called Interweave. Charlie became an active member there and later found him an apartment on First Street, where he also adopted a kitten too.
Charlie was openly gay, and would often recieve hateful taunts and criticism from many local citizens. Because of this, Charlie became more wary of strangers, especially after he came home to find his cat dead on his front step due to strangulation.
At the time of his death, Charlie was leaving to head home after participating at a potluck that the group Interweave was serving. While walking home with a friend, a couple of teenagers came by and started attacking Charlie, even going as far as to tie him up and later throw Charlie over the bridge, despite Charlie begging them not to do it because of his health and for the fact that he's not a good swimmer.
Charlie's body was found at 1 am by local fishermen. He suffered from severe astma attack and drowned. A memorial service was later held for Charlie at the Unitarian Church, and after the funeral, mourners later dropped flowers into the Kenduskeag Stream. Later, family and friends gathered by the local police station to pay their respects to Charlie by holding a silent observance.
The men responsible for Charlie's death were later arrested and sentenced to jail, only to be released within a couple of years.
Charlie's murder became the subject of many cultural topics, including Stephen King's novel It. A biography was later written on Charlie's life titled Penitence by Ed Armstrong. A memorial has been set up for Charlie within a short distance from where Charlie was murdered at. Charlie's death date, July 7, is now known as Diversity Day in Bangor, Maine.
Charles was born in Portsmouth New Hampshire. He was fair haired and and small boned and suffered from asthma which led to quite a bit of teasing. In highschool he was bullied for being openly gay to the extent that he didn't even attend his Highschool Graduation.
In January 1984 Charles relocated to Bagnor, Maine and started making a life for himself.
Charles was openly gay and out and even quite flamboyant in his life style. If he felt like wearing make up, jewelry and a woman's accessories he would. He was known for singing the song "I Am What I Am" from the musical La Cage Aux Folles. Charlie was often tormented by local high school boys and was asked to leave a local night club when he danced with a man. Charlie was accosted by a woman in a local market one day shouting epithets such as "You pervert" and "You Queer!" Frightened, Charlie made a hasty retreat, but as he was leaving, stopped, turned around, and blew a kiss. After this, Charlie was more wary of strangers. Leaving his apartment one day, he found his pet kitten dead on the doorstep. It had been strangled.
On Saturday, July 7, 1984 Charlie attended a potluck at Interweave. He left the party at 10 pm with his friend Roy Ogden, he decided to go to the post office to check his P.O. Box. As Charlie and Roy walked up State St. and began to cross the Kenduskeag River Bridge, a car full of high school teens began to slow down. As Charlie and Roy walked up State St. and began to cross the Kenduskeag River Bridge, a car full of high school children began to slow down. Charlie was beaten and thrown off the Kenduskeag River Bridge. The Teens threatened Roy to try and make him keep quiet. Roy ran and pulled the first fire alarm that he could find on State Street.
An immediate search began for Charlie. At 1AM they found Charlie's body. An autopsy would reveal he had an asthma attack and drowned.
Today a short distance from the bridge a memorial has been erected. July 7, Charlie's Death Date, is now Diversity Day in Bangor. In July 2004 the Charles O. Howard Memorial Foundation was formed to promote diversity, tolerance and hate crime prevention.
This past year in July of 2009 a memorial service was held for Charlie which is the time the memorial for Charlie was dedicated 25 years after his death.∼Murder Victim. Known for being a victim of a hate crime by a couple of teenagers as he was thrown off a bridge to his death due to being gay.
Charlie was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. At a young age, Charlie was often picked on by his classmates and students, due to Charlie being sick all the time (he suffered from asthma), and as a result decided to move away from New Hampshire and go elsewhere.
Charlie later moved to Ellsworth, Maine, where he stayed there until January 1984. While there, he made friends with a couple of guys named Paul Noddin and Scott Hamilton, where he remained friends with them until his death and moved in with them for a month.
Charlie later moved to Bangor,Maine where he joined a local Unitarian Church as well as a group called Interweave. Charlie became an active member there and later found him an apartment on First Street, where he also adopted a kitten too.
Charlie was openly gay, and would often recieve hateful taunts and criticism from many local citizens. Because of this, Charlie became more wary of strangers, especially after he came home to find his cat dead on his front step due to strangulation.
At the time of his death, Charlie was leaving to head home after participating at a potluck that the group Interweave was serving. While walking home with a friend, a couple of teenagers came by and started attacking Charlie, even going as far as to tie him up and later throw Charlie over the bridge, despite Charlie begging them not to do it because of his health and for the fact that he's not a good swimmer.
Charlie's body was found at 1 am by local fishermen. He suffered from severe astma attack and drowned. A memorial service was later held for Charlie at the Unitarian Church, and after the funeral, mourners later dropped flowers into the Kenduskeag Stream. Later, family and friends gathered by the local police station to pay their respects to Charlie by holding a silent observance.
The men responsible for Charlie's death were later arrested and sentenced to jail, only to be released within a couple of years.
Charlie's murder became the subject of many cultural topics, including Stephen King's novel It. A biography was later written on Charlie's life titled Penitence by Ed Armstrong. A memorial has been set up for Charlie within a short distance from where Charlie was murdered at. Charlie's death date, July 7, is now known as Diversity Day in Bangor, Maine.
In January 1984 Charles relocated to Bagnor, Maine and started making a life for himself.
Charles was openly gay and out and even quite flamboyant in his life style. If he felt like wearing make up, jewelry and a woman's accessories he would. He was known for singing the song "I Am What I Am" from the musical La Cage Aux Folles. Charlie was often tormented by local high school boys and was asked to leave a local night club when he danced with a man. Charlie was accosted by a woman in a local market one day shouting epithets such as "You pervert" and "You Queer!" Frightened, Charlie made a hasty retreat, but as he was leaving, stopped, turned around, and blew a kiss. After this, Charlie was more wary of strangers. Leaving his apartment one day, he found his pet kitten dead on the doorstep. It had been strangled.
On Saturday, July 7, 1984 Charlie attended a potluck at Interweave. He left the party at 10 pm with his friend Roy Ogden, he decided to go to the post office to check his P.O. Box. As Charlie and Roy walked up State St. and began to cross the Kenduskeag River Bridge, a car full of high school teens began to slow down. As Charlie and Roy walked up State St. and began to cross the Kenduskeag River Bridge, a car full of high school children began to slow down. Charlie was beaten and thrown off the Kenduskeag River Bridge. The Teens threatened Roy to try and make him keep quiet. Roy ran and pulled the first fire alarm that he could find on State Street.
An immediate search began for Charlie. At 1AM they found Charlie's body. An autopsy would reveal he had an asthma attack and drowned.
Today a short distance from the bridge a memorial has been erected. July 7, Charlie's Death Date, is now Diversity Day in Bangor. In July 2004 the Charles O. Howard Memorial Foundation was formed to promote diversity, tolerance and hate crime prevention.
This past year in July of 2009 a memorial service was held for Charlie which is the time the memorial for Charlie was dedicated 25 years after his death.∼Murder Victim. Known for being a victim of a hate crime by a couple of teenagers as he was thrown off a bridge to his death due to being gay.
Charlie was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. At a young age, Charlie was often picked on by his classmates and students, due to Charlie being sick all the time (he suffered from asthma), and as a result decided to move away from New Hampshire and go elsewhere.
Charlie later moved to Ellsworth, Maine, where he stayed there until January 1984. While there, he made friends with a couple of guys named Paul Noddin and Scott Hamilton, where he remained friends with them until his death and moved in with them for a month.
Charlie later moved to Bangor,Maine where he joined a local Unitarian Church as well as a group called Interweave. Charlie became an active member there and later found him an apartment on First Street, where he also adopted a kitten too.
Charlie was openly gay, and would often recieve hateful taunts and criticism from many local citizens. Because of this, Charlie became more wary of strangers, especially after he came home to find his cat dead on his front step due to strangulation.
At the time of his death, Charlie was leaving to head home after participating at a potluck that the group Interweave was serving. While walking home with a friend, a couple of teenagers came by and started attacking Charlie, even going as far as to tie him up and later throw Charlie over the bridge, despite Charlie begging them not to do it because of his health and for the fact that he's not a good swimmer.
Charlie's body was found at 1 am by local fishermen. He suffered from severe astma attack and drowned. A memorial service was later held for Charlie at the Unitarian Church, and after the funeral, mourners later dropped flowers into the Kenduskeag Stream. Later, family and friends gathered by the local police station to pay their respects to Charlie by holding a silent observance.
The men responsible for Charlie's death were later arrested and sentenced to jail, only to be released within a couple of years.
Charlie's murder became the subject of many cultural topics, including Stephen King's novel It. A biography was later written on Charlie's life titled Penitence by Ed Armstrong. A memorial has been set up for Charlie within a short distance from where Charlie was murdered at. Charlie's death date, July 7, is now known as Diversity Day in Bangor, Maine.
