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Suspect arrested in McIntosh murder

Fear protected Squamish man for more than four years On June 21, at 12:30 p.m., Squamish RCMP officers arrested 25-year-old Ryan Aldridge for the 1997 New Year’s Eve murder of Squamish lawyer and father of two Bob McIntosh.

Fear protected Squamish man for more than four years

On June 21, at 12:30 p.m., Squamish RCMP officers arrested 25-year-old Ryan Aldridge for the 1997 New Year’s Eve murder of Squamish lawyer and father of two Bob McIntosh.

Aldridge was remanded into custody until his court appearance on Monday, June 24, where he was formally charged with manslaughter. He was then released on his own recognizance, with the stipulation that he would have to pay $3,000 if he missed his next court appearance on July 31.

RCMP say additional charges may be laid against Aldridge and others who were at the New Year’s Eve party where McIntosh was killed.

There were 150 youths at the party but for four and a half years nobody was willing to come forward and discuss what happened to McIntosh.

The RCMP likened the lack of co-operation to a "code of silence" where witnesses refused to talk, many out of fear for their own safety.

On that New Year’s eve, McIntosh, 40, was having a quiet evening at home with his family and a few friends. He had agreed to check on a party at the house of a friend, Dr. Richard Cudmore, that was being thrown by 19-year-old James Cudmore while his parents vacationed in Mexico.

A friend came with him to the house, where the two were separated. The friend stayed downstairs and McIntosh went upstairs. He never came down.

According to the RCMP, McIntosh was repeatedly hit or kicked in the head in one of the bedrooms, in front of several witnesses.

Five days after McIntosh’s death, the RCMP charged Squamish resident Ryan McMillan with manslaughter. That charge was stayed by the police ninth month later as witnesses changed their stories and untruths emerged.

According to McIntosh’s widow, Katy Hutchinson, the news that someone had been arrested was both good and bed.

"The RCMP called me to let me know that someone was arrested. It does give you a sense of relief, but it also brings it all back," said Hutchinson.

Hutchinson moved back to her home town of Victoria shortly after the murder and has since remarried, to lawyer Mike Hutchinson. While the phone call on Friday came as a surprise, she always had faith that the day would come.

"I don’t think it’s humanly possible to hold a secret like that forever. It certainly would be a dysfunctional way to go about things," she said.

Her twins, now nine years old, were also relieved.

"They’re absolutely old enough to know what’s going on, and this makes it easier to explain to them that when you do something wrong you face the consequences of your actions. They’re seeing that. I can’t explain the delay to them, but I can explain that the RCMP did a fantastic job, staying with it, and going where they needed to be," she said.

In the meantime she is trying to put the event into perspective for her children. "I don’t want their life to be about their father’s murder. They’re nine-year-olds on summer vacation and they’re doing what they should be doing."

She said it was time to drop the "code of silence" expression and use the experience to speak to children "in a way we can influence them. I’m more interested now in finding out what we can do to prevent this from happening than I am in what actually happened. We can’t bring Bob back. Unfortunately we cannot turn back the hands of time, as much as I would love to, so what can we do that’s proactive and positive to help kids lead productive, humane lives?"

While she says there can’t be any real closure for her and her children, she feels that the arrest in a way signified the end of a journey for her family. "And the beginning of another journey for Ryan Aldridge and his family, dealing with what they have to deal with."

In the Squamish community Bob McIntosh is remembered as a formidable triathlete who had twice qualified for the Canadian team and competed in the World Championships in England in1995 and in Australia in 1997. He was always supportive of other athletes, and worked with young people to develop a lifelong love of sport.

Following his death he has been memorialized in Squamish with a bike trail in Alice Lake park and a scholarship in his name that grants $1,000 each year to a local students who are community leaders in academics, athletics and citizenship. A youth program against violence is held in his name.

Appropriately the Squamish Triathlon, which was created in his memory by his friends, is billed as "Life is Large – A Memorial to Bob McIntosh."

For lawyer Doug Race, one of McIntosh’s friends and one of the creators of the triathlon, there was a mixed reaction to the news of the arrest among people that knew McIntosh. "All of his friends that I’ve talked to felt the same way when they heard the news – on one hand they’re glad to see the charges, but on the other hand it’s come back to hit them in the face again."

According to Race, the murder had a huge impact on McIntosh’s circle of friends. "Besides Katy I know of one or two other families that moved away for one reason or another, because they decided they didn’t want to be this close to the memory anymore.

"This was such a painful death for a lot of people in this community, and he certainly had a vast circle of friends. People did go on with their lives, but I don’t think it was ever that far from the surface."

Race believes that keeping McIntosh’ memory alive has been positive for the community, especially the scholarship, which the triathlon supports.

"A lot of people that compete in the triathlon were competing five years ago, and knew (McIntosh). He was quite well known in the triathlon community," said Race. With the triathlon growing, Race said they are including a brief biography of McIntosh on the back of the numbers to let people know who he was and where the money goes.

The scholarship fund has increased, according to Race, and starting this year the scholarship will be given out to two high school students that are leaders in academics, athletics and citizenship.

"He cared for young people, helping them with training, mentoring them, so the scholarship is particularly appropriate and it has become a real asset to this community, like the triathlon. Like he was for that matter," said Race.

In Canada there is no minimum penalty for manslaughter unless a firearm is used. The maximum sentence is life imprisonment.