He was long considered a suspect and now police have charged convicted murderer Chris Falconer with the kidnapping and murder of 19-year-old Amber Kirwan.

It is the news Pictou County waited seven long months to hear.

"It was expected," says resident Stephen Allen. "I think the community knew it was just a matter of time. They were crossing their t's and dotting their i's."

Within an hour of Thursday's police press conference, Falconer was being led into a Pictou courtroom to answer for the disappearance and murder of Kirwan.

Kirwan was last seen outside Dooley's pool hall in New Glasgow on Thanksgiving weekend. She was supposed to meet her boyfriend at a store parking lot only minutes away, but she never showed up.

Immediately after her disappearance in October, family and even strangers launched a massive campaign to find her, handing out thousands of posters nationwide.

"I think everybody in the town felt so horrible and so devastated when they found out Amber was missing," says resident Katie Edwards.

"Young girls didn't want to walk the streets at night. It was hard," says Allen.

Four weeks later, Kirwan's body was found in woods in the small community of Heathbell, N.S.

"He became a person of interest in the early stages of the investigation," says Supt. Darrell Beaton of the RCMP.

In November, Falconer was out on parole after serving time for killing a cab driver more than ten years ago. Police seized his car and investigators spent more than a week gathering evidence at his stepsister's trailer home in Heathbell.

Falconer was arrested on a parole violation and police found drugs and a weapon in his possession. The parole board revoked his parole in January, saying he was a suspect in a major crime investigation.

News of the charges has once again moved people to leave teddy bears and flowers at a cement wall that became the community's memorial for the teenager in October.

"It's good to have that person behind bars again and knowing that her family can have some rest and peace of mind knowing that person is behind bars," says resident Lorraine Emily.

It's devastating to know that it can happen and it's a relief to know something is being done," says Edwards.

Police will not say when, where or how Kirwan died or what led them to Falconer and Heathbell in the first place.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh and Kelland Sundahl