Salem State Student Cold Case Killer Sentenced To Life In Prison For 1986 Strangulation

Updated 3 p.m.

SALEM, MA —The man convicted in the 1986 strangulation death of a Salem State student was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in Lawrence Superior Court on Thursday.

An Essex County Superior Court jury reached a first-degree murder conviction verdict against John Carey, 66, in the killing of 20-year-old Salem State University student Claire Gravel nearly 40 years after her death in March.

"The family of Claire Gravel has waited 40 long years for justice," said Essex County DA Paul Tucker. "The prosecutors here today, together with our partners in law enforcement, never gave up on Claire's case."

Carey was convicted in the June 29, 1986, killing of the student from North Andover. Prosecutors presented evidence of recent DNA testing that concluded that Carey's DNA was found on the black tank top that was used to strangle the student.

"What he left behind was his genetic blueprint on the murder weapon," Assistant Essex County DA Kim Faitella told the jury during closing arguments.

Carey will begin serving his sentence at Souza-Baronowski Correctional Center in Lancaster

Gravel's father, brothers and other family members attended the trial and spoke at Thursday's sentencing.

Bob Gravel, Claire’s older brother, remembered his sister as a young woman "full of hopes and dreams" who wanted to study law, have children, and "go everywhere and do everything."

James Gravel, Claire's younger brother, thanked all involved for their work on the long-unresolved case, and Mark Gravel, the youngest of the siblings, described Claire as "a ray of sunshine" and added, "The key to happiness for the Gravel family is justice."

Denise Foley, the oldest of the siblings, stated that she had been waiting nearly 40 years for this day before sharing a quotation in remembrance of her sister, saying: "Our dead are never dead to us."