Woman Wants Ex-Husband Declared Dead
Greg Carr
Judge says rumours don't prove missing millionaire was killed
Richard Watts
Times Colonist
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Greg Cyr was the best of fathers, and the worst of husbands, the most
charismatic of buddies and the lousiest friend.
He went missing three years ago amid rumours of dealings with organized
crime.
Now a B.C. Supreme Court judge has told his ex-wife, Miriam Byrne, that
she must provide reasonable proof that he was killed before the court
can pronounce him dead.
According to Byrne, there was always a secret, double-life quality to
Cyr. And it's one that took him to a criminal, "dark side." And on that
side of life, people quickly figured out they were dealing with
somebody who never paid his debts, was never without a story and would
always ask for more time.
"I just think he didn't know who he was dealing with and they got tired
of him," said Byrne in a telephone interview yesterday. "I can see him
standing there and saying, 'Just give me one more day. It'll happen,
Just give me one more day. We'll do it.' "
In October 2003, Cyr told his girlfriend of the time he was going to a
meeting in Vancouver and then was never seen again.
He left behind a $1.5-million house in Victoria on Beach Drive, which
Byrne said has since been sold as part of a receivership proceeding.
There was also a $20,000 speed boat, since unloaded for salvage, some
complicated finances and debts and rumors of dealings with Hells
Angels, Russian mobsters, Vietnamese and Indian gangsters.
Byrne said police investigating the missing-persons case confirmed they
had turned up tales Cyr had been "taken care of." One especially lurid
rumor had him shot full of heroin and locked in a cage that was then
sunk in the ocean.
But none of the rumours is positive proof of his death. And in a
decision made public yesterday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Malcolm
Macaulay ruled it will take more than rumors to declare Cyr dead and
allow Byrne to collect a $250,000 life insurance policy.
Macaulay gave Byrne until Nov. 21 to collect affidavit evidence from
police officers to back up the case for Cyr's death. Otherwise, common
law presumes death seven years after a person's disappearance.
Byrne, an adult education consultant living in Victoria, insists she
doesn't need the money. The real reason she is trying to have her
ex-husband declared dead is to bring some closure for herself and their
nine-year-old son.
The boy still has night terrors, waking every few months yelling
"Daddy!" and demands of his mother, "Why haven't you told me more?"
She met Cyr at a party in 1996 when he was making a living as a
drywaller. He was so confident and cocky he swept her away. Within a
few months she was pregnant and they were married shortly after their
son was born in July 1997.
But there were oddities. Cyr told her he had run with Hells Angels as a
youth. He would never cash his own cheques. Instead he would get Byrne
to use her accounts. There were huge cellphone bills. And at a family
reunion there were weird messages saying things like "Greg, I've got
the paint."
He borrowed money from her and never paid her back. He borrowed money
from friends and just walked away form them.
Byrne said she learned he had warrants out for him in three provinces
under an older family name. (He had changed his name to his mother's
maiden name supposedly because he loved her so much.) And she started
catching him out in stupid lies, like finding him on the golf course
when he said he was milling wood.
Finally, in September, 2000 she found some shipping receipts and Cyr
told her he had shipped some B.C. marijuana up to Whitehorse. She
walked out with her son the same day.
"I said, 'You scare me. I don't know who you are, just get away from
me,'" said Byrne.
For Byrne the best proof of Cyr's death is the lack of communication
with his son. With the possible exception of his own mother, the boy
was everything to Cyr. It was almost embarrassing how doting a father
he was. And if alive he would have tried to contact the boy.
Instead, the silence has been nearly complete. Save for one strange
incident when a Russian man showed up to try to claim a motorhome
belonging to Cyr, there has been no word at all.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2006
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/capital_van_isl/story.html?id=a9959ca4-4520-4640-a142-c7cec73557bf&p=2
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It should be noted that HAMC managed to hide Paul (Fon Fon) Fontaine
for years despite his large size and identifying tattoos. During those
years he was frequently rumored to be dead. Glad that Byrne walked from
the relationship as soon as she realized he was still engaged in
illegal activities. If declared dead it doesn't mean that the insurance
company has to pay out. It is logical to assume that Cyr if dead died
as a result of participating in illegal activities.
Scott
"Greg Carr" <greg...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:1161457289....@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
Brad
[But none of the rumours is positive proof of his death. And in a
[decision made public yesterday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Malcolm
[Macaulay ruled it will take more than rumors to declare Cyr dead and
[allow Byrne to collect a $250,000 life insurance policy.
[
[Macaulay gave Byrne until Nov. 21 to collect affidavit evidence from
[police officers to back up the case for Cyr's death. Otherwise, common
[law presumes death seven years after a person's disappearance.
[
[Byrne, an adult education consultant living in Victoria, insists she
[doesn't need the money. The real reason she is trying to have her
[ex-husband declared dead is to bring some closure for herself and their
[nine-year-old son.
LOL, Bullshit...The described events support that she's only going for the
money. As if declaring him dead with no evidence would provide any "closure"
for her.If she so believes he's dead then so be it. She doesnt need to push
for having him declared dead to help her sleep at night. If she doesnt need
the life insurance money as she claims, have her waive the policy
Greg Carr
kill Greg Cyr it would be nice if they contacted the media and told
them where to find the remains.
b
couldn't agree with you more
MB
Vancouver Police Department Major Crime Section at 604-717-2500 or
Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
Uncle Clover
<snip>
>> Byrne, an adult education consultant living in Victoria, insists she
>> doesn't need the money. The real reason she is trying to have her
>> ex-husband declared dead is to bring some closure for herself and their
>> nine-year-old son.
>
> LOL, Bullshit...The described events support that she's only going for the
> money. As if declaring him dead with no evidence would provide any "closure"
> for her.If she so believes he's dead then so be it. She doesnt need to push
> for having him declared dead to help her sleep at night. If she doesnt need
> the life insurance money as she claims, have her waive the policy
You wrote pretty much what I was thinking as I read that bit, though you used
slightly different words than I would have. But then again, for some people,
legal "closure" is as important as real closure. She -could- really mean that
to an extent, but I have to doubt that's the -only- "real reason" for her
actions. I'd have more respect for someone who just came out and admitted it.
--
L8r,
Uncle Clover the AntiTwink
************************************************
The true mark of a civilized society is that its
citizens know how to hate each other peacefully.
************************************************
Brad
> Vancouver Police Department Major Crime Section at 604-717-2500 or
> Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
Major Crime Section ?... the guy is missing and some rumors are rampant,
how does that classify as a "major crime" ??