Russell Williams (Colonel)
Encyclopedia
David Russell Williams is a convicted murder
er, rapist
, and former Colonel
in the Canadian Forces
. From July 2009 to his arrest in February 2010, he commanded Canadian Forces Base Trenton, a hub for air transport operations in Canada
and abroad and the country's largest and busiest airbase. Williams was also a decorated military pilot who had flown Canadian Forces VIP aircraft
for Canadian dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
, the governor general
, the prime minister
, and others.
On February 8, 2010, he was relieved as the base commander at CFB Trenton
due to criminal charges. He was formally charged by the Crown Attorney
pursuant to provisions set forth in the Criminal Code of Canada
on evidence collected by the Ontario Provincial Police
with two counts of first-degree murder along with two counts of forcible confinement
and two counts of breaking and entering
and sexual assault
; another 82 charges relating to breaking and entry were subsequently added. On October 21, 2010, Williams was sentenced to two life sentences for first-degree murder, two 10-year sentences for other sexual assaults, two 10-year sentences for forcible confinement and 82 one-year sentences for burglary; all the sentences will be served concurrently at Kingston Penitentiary
. The life sentences mean Williams will serve a minimum of 25 years before parole eligibility. Since he has been convicted of multiple murders, Williams is not eligible for early parole under the so-called "faint hope clause
" of the Canadian Criminal Code.
On October 22, 2010, Williams was stripped of his commission, ranks, and awards by the Governor General of Canada
on the recommendation of the Chief of the Defence Staff
. His severance pay was terminated and the salary he received following his arrest was seized, although he is still entitled to a pension.
, England
, to Cedric David Williams and Christine Nonie Williams (née Chivers). His family immigrated to Canada
, where they moved to Chalk River, Ontario
. His father was hired as a metallurgist at Chalk River Laboratories
, Canada's premier nuclear research laboratory.
After relocating to Chalk River, the Williams family met another family, the Sovkas, and they became good friends. The families would spend a lot of time together. Williams' parents divorced when he was six years old and soon after, Nonie Williams married Jerry Sovka. During this time Williams took on the name Sovka from his stepfather Dr. Jerry Sovka, and moved again to Scarborough, Ontario
. While in the Scarborough Bluffs
area, Williams began high school at Toronto's Birchmount Collegiate, but finished at Upper Canada College. He delivered The Globe and Mail
newspaper and learned piano. By 1979 his family had moved to South Korea
, where Sovka was overseeing another reactor project. Williams completed his final two years of high school as a boarding student at Toronto's Upper Canada College
while his parents were in South Korea
. In his final year in 1982, he was elected as one of two prefects for his boarding house, and reported to his house steward, Andrew Saxton
, now the Conservative
Member of Parliament for North Vancouver.
On June 1, 1991 he married Mary Elizabeth Harriman, who is an associate director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. According to Canadian Defence Department Williams biography, Williams is a keen photographer, fisherman and runner, and he and his wife Mary Elizabeth are also avid golfers.
The couple moved to Orleans, a suburb of Ottawa
in July 2006. By then Williams had been posted to the Directorate of Air Requirements at NDHQ. He served at the Airlift Capability Projects Strategic (CC177 Globemaster III) and Tactical (CC130J Hercules J), and Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue.
Williams' wife has since December 2010 started the process of filing for divorce together with a request to have any of her financial and medical information sealed by the court.
in 1987 after graduating from the University of Toronto with an economics and political science degree. He received his flying wings in 1990, and was posted to 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School
, based at CFB Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
, where he served for two years as an instructor.
Promoted to captain
on January 1, 1991, Williams was posted to 434 Combat Support Squadron at CFB Shearwater
, N.S. in 1992, where he flew the CC-144 Challenger in the electronic warfare and coastal patrol role. In 1994, he was posted to the 412 Transport Squadron in Ottawa, where he transported VIPs, including high-ranking government officials and foreign dignitaries, also on Challengers.
Williams was promoted to major
in November 1999 and was posted to Director General Military Careers, in Ottawa, where he served as the multi-engine pilot career manager.
He obtained a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada
in 2004 with a 55-page thesis that supported pre-emptive war in Iraq
, and in June 2004, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel
and on July 19, 2004 he was appointed commanding officer of 437 Transport Squadron
at CFB Trenton
, Ont., a post he held for two years.
From December 2005 to May 2006, Williams also served as the commanding officer of Camp Mirage
, a secretive logistics facility believed to be located at Al Minhad Air Base
in Dubai
, United Arab Emirates
that provides support to Canadian Forces operations in Afghanistan
.
He was posted to the Directorate of Air Requirements on July 21, 2006 where he served as project director for the Airlift Capability Projects Strategic (C-17 Globemaster III) and Tactical (CC-130J Super Hercules), and Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue (CC-127J Spartan), working under Lieutenant General Angus Watt at this posting.
In January 2009 he was posted to the Canadian Forces Language School in Gatineau, Quebec, for a six-month period of French language
training, during which he was promoted to colonel by recommendation of now retired Lieutenant-General Angus Watt.
On July 15, 2009, Williams was sworn in as the Wing Commander at Canadian Forces Base Trenton
by the outgoing Wing Commander Brigadier General Mike Hood. Canadian Forces Base Trenton
is Canada's busiest air base and locus of support for overseas military operations. Located in Trenton, Ontario
, the base also functions as the point of arrival for the bodies of all Canadian Forces personnel killed in Afghanistan
, and the starting point for funeral processions along the "Highway of Heroes" whence their bodies are brought to Toronto
for autopsy
.
Williams has been described as an elite pilot and "shining bright star" of the military. He had flown Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh
, the Governor General of Canada
, the Prime Minister of Canada
, and many other dignitaries across Canada and overseas in Canadian Forces VIP aircraft
.
conducted an extensive canvassing of all motorists using the highway near her home from 7 pm on February 4, 2010, to 6 am on the following day, looking for the unusual tire treads. Williams was driving his Pathfinder
that day — rather than the BMW
he usually drove — and an officer noticed the resemblance of his tire treads. These were subsequently matched to the treads near Lloyd's home.
On February 7, 2010, the CFB Trenton base commander was at his newly built home in Ottawa
, where his wife lived full-time and he lived part-time, when he was called by the OPP in Ottawa and asked to come in for questioning. During the 10-hour interview he confessed to the numerous crimes of which he was later convicted. Early the next morning Williams led investigators to the woman's body in a secluded area on Cary Road, about 13 minutes away from where he lived. Williams was also charged in the death of Corporal Marie-France Comeau, a 37-year-old military flight attendant based at CFB Trenton, who had been found dead inside her home in late November 2009.
Along with the murder
charges, Williams was charged with breaking and entering
, forcible confinement
, and the sexual assault
of two other women in connection with two separate home invasion
s near Tweed, Ontario
in September 2009. According to reports, the women had been bound in their homes and the attacker had taken photos of them.
Williams was arraigned
and remanded
into custody on Monday, February 8, 2010. The Canadian Forces announced that day that an interim commander would soon be appointed to replace him (Dave Cochrane
took over 11 days later), and removed his biography from the Department of National Defence
website the following day.
Hours after the announcement of Williams' arrest, police services across the country reopened unsolved homicide cases involving young women in areas where Williams, a career military man, had previously been stationed. According to news reports, police began looking at other unsolved cases based on a full statement that Williams gave to police.
A week after his arrest, investigators reported that, along with hidden keepsakes and other evidence they had found in his home, they had matched a print from one of the homicide scenes to his boot.
In addition to the four primary incidents, the investigation into Williams includes probes into 48 cases of theft of women's underwear dating back to 2006. In the searches of his Ottawa home, police discovered stolen lingerie that was neatly stored, catalogued, and concealed.
In April 2010, Williams was placed on suicide
watch after he tried to kill himself by wedging a stuffed cardboard toilet paper roll down his throat.
's Behavioural Sciences Unit. The interview started at 3 p.m. and by 7:45 p.m. he was describing his crimes. The interrogation lasted approximately ten hours. Excerpts of the confession were shown in court at Williams' sentencing hearing on October 20, 2010.
In the confession, Williams gave details of his crimes, including the sexual assaults in Tweed and 82 break-ins and thefts. Some of them occurred in Ottawa
homes within walking distance of his Orleans, Ontario home where he lived with his wife. Other break-ins and thefts occurred in Belleville
, and in Tweed, where the couple had had a cottage since 2004.
He also told police where they could find evidence, including hidden keepsakes, inside the Ottawa home. The couple had moved to a new house two months before he was interrogated by police. He told Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth where police could find the thousands of images he took of Lloyd and Comeau and the two women he sexually assaulted. He then identified on a map where he dumped Lloyd’s body. A video of the interrogation was made available to the public and was posted online by several newspapers and on YouTube
.
in Belleville, Ontario
via video link from the Quinte Detention Centre on July 22, 2010, where his next court appearance was set for August 26. Again via video link, Williams waived his right to a preliminary inquiry and thus had his next appearance scheduled at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
for October 7, 2010. Williams' lawyer stated then that his client would plead guilty to all 82 Criminal Code charges
filed against him.
On October 18, 2010 Williams pleaded guilty to all charges. On the first day of Williams' trial and guilty plea, details emerged of other sexual assaults he committed, including that of a new mother who was wakened with a blow to the head while she and her baby were asleep in her house.
The first day of trial revealed that Williams also had pedophilia
c tendencies, stealing underwear of girls as young as nine years old. He made 82 fetish-related home invasions and attempted break-ins between September 2007 and November 2009.
Williams progressed from break-ins to sexual assaults with no penetration to rape and murder. He kept detailed track of police reports of the crimes he was committing, logged his crimes, kept photos and videos and even left notes and messages for his victims. In a break-in into the bedroom of a 12-year-old, he left a message in her computer saying: "Merci" ("Thank you" in French).
He took thousands of pictures of his crimes and kept the photos on his computer. Crown Attorney Robert Morrison presented numerous pictures of Williams dressed in the very underwear and bras he had stolen, frequently masturbating
while lying on the beds of his victims.
Some of the photos presented on the first day of his trial were published in several newspapers. As some newspapers explained, although troubling, the photos were published because they capture the essence of the crimes of Williams and show the true nature of his crimes. Among the news media that published some of the released photographs were The Montreal Gazette and The Toronto Star.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert F. Scott sentenced Williams on October 22, 2010, to two concurrent terms of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
In what is believed to be a first, Williams' uniform was destroyed through burning by the Canadian Forces, as his name had been stitched into the fabric. His medals were also later destroyed and his Pathfinder was crushed and scrapped.
|-
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
er, rapist
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, and former Colonel
Colonel (Canada)
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a captain of the Navy. A colonel is the highest rank of senior officer...
in the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. From July 2009 to his arrest in February 2010, he commanded Canadian Forces Base Trenton, a hub for air transport operations in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and abroad and the country's largest and busiest airbase. Williams was also a decorated military pilot who had flown Canadian Forces VIP aircraft
Canadian Forces VIP aircraft
The Royal Canadian Air Force maintains specialised aircraft to transport Canada's monarch, governor general, other members of the Royal Family, prime minister, other senior members of the government of Canada, and other dignitaries. A small fleet of dedicated executive government transport...
for Canadian dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, the governor general
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, the prime minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, and others.
On February 8, 2010, he was relieved as the base commander at CFB Trenton
CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
due to criminal charges. He was formally charged by the Crown Attorney
Crown attorney
Crown Attorneys or Crown Counsel are the prosecutors in the legal system of Canada.Crown Attorneys represent the Crown and act as prosecutor in proceedings under the Criminal Code of Canada...
pursuant to provisions set forth in the Criminal Code of Canada
Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...
on evidence collected by the Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
with two counts of first-degree murder along with two counts of forcible confinement
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and two counts of breaking and entering
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
and sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
; another 82 charges relating to breaking and entry were subsequently added. On October 21, 2010, Williams was sentenced to two life sentences for first-degree murder, two 10-year sentences for other sexual assaults, two 10-year sentences for forcible confinement and 82 one-year sentences for burglary; all the sentences will be served concurrently at Kingston Penitentiary
Kingston Penitentiary
Kingston Penitentiary is a maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario between King Street West and Lake Ontario....
. The life sentences mean Williams will serve a minimum of 25 years before parole eligibility. Since he has been convicted of multiple murders, Williams is not eligible for early parole under the so-called "faint hope clause
Faint hope clause
The "Faint hope clause" was the popular name for §745.6 of the Criminal Code of Canada, a statutory provision that allows prisoners who have been sentenced to life imprisonment with a parole eligibility period of greater than 15 years to apply for early parole once he or she has served 15...
" of the Canadian Criminal Code.
On October 22, 2010, Williams was stripped of his commission, ranks, and awards by the Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
on the recommendation of the Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the second most senior member of the Canadian Forces, and heads the Armed Forces Council, having primary responsibility for command, control, and administration of the forces, as well as military strategy, plans, and requirements...
. His severance pay was terminated and the salary he received following his arrest was seized, although he is still entitled to a pension.
Personal life
Williams was born in BromsgroveBromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to Cedric David Williams and Christine Nonie Williams (née Chivers). His family immigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where they moved to Chalk River, Ontario
Chalk River, Ontario
Chalk River is a Canadian rural community part of the Laurentian Hills municipality in Renfrew County, Ontario. It is located in the Upper Ottawa Valley along Highway 17 , 10 km inland from the Ottawa River, approximately 21 km northwest of Petawawa, and 182 km northwest of Ottawa...
. His father was hired as a metallurgist at Chalk River Laboratories
Chalk River Laboratories
The Chalk River Laboratories is a Canadian nuclear research facility located near Chalk River, about north-west of Ottawa in the province of Ontario.CRL is a site of major research and development to support and advance nuclear technology, in particular CANDU reactor...
, Canada's premier nuclear research laboratory.
After relocating to Chalk River, the Williams family met another family, the Sovkas, and they became good friends. The families would spend a lot of time together. Williams' parents divorced when he was six years old and soon after, Nonie Williams married Jerry Sovka. During this time Williams took on the name Sovka from his stepfather Dr. Jerry Sovka, and moved again to Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
. While in the Scarborough Bluffs
Scarborough Bluffs
The Scarborough Bluffs is an escarpment in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Forming much of the eastern portion of Toronto's waterfront, it is located along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. At its highest point, the escarpment rises above its foot and spans a length of...
area, Williams began high school at Toronto's Birchmount Collegiate, but finished at Upper Canada College. He delivered The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
newspaper and learned piano. By 1979 his family had moved to South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, where Sovka was overseeing another reactor project. Williams completed his final two years of high school as a boarding student at Toronto's Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
while his parents were in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. In his final year in 1982, he was elected as one of two prefects for his boarding house, and reported to his house steward, Andrew Saxton
Andrew Saxton
Andrew Saxton is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of North Vancouver in the 2008 Canadian federal election and re-elected in 2011...
, now the Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Member of Parliament for North Vancouver.
On June 1, 1991 he married Mary Elizabeth Harriman, who is an associate director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. According to Canadian Defence Department Williams biography, Williams is a keen photographer, fisherman and runner, and he and his wife Mary Elizabeth are also avid golfers.
The couple moved to Orleans, a suburb of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in July 2006. By then Williams had been posted to the Directorate of Air Requirements at NDHQ. He served at the Airlift Capability Projects Strategic (CC177 Globemaster III) and Tactical (CC130J Hercules J), and Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue.
Williams' wife has since December 2010 started the process of filing for divorce together with a request to have any of her financial and medical information sealed by the court.
Military service
Williams was regarded as a model military man over the course of his 23-year career. He enrolled in the Canadian ForcesCanadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
in 1987 after graduating from the University of Toronto with an economics and political science degree. He received his flying wings in 1990, and was posted to 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School
3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School
3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School is located at the Southport Aerospace Centre just south of Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada....
, based at CFB Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, where he served for two years as an instructor.
Promoted to captain
Captain (Canada)
Captain is a rank in the Canadian military.In the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, the rank insignia of an army and air force captain is two wide bars.The rank insignia of a navy captain is four wide bars....
on January 1, 1991, Williams was posted to 434 Combat Support Squadron at CFB Shearwater
CFB Shearwater
Canadian Forces Base Shearwater , commonly referred to as CFB Shearwater, was a Canadian Forces Base located in Shearwater, Nova Scotia on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality....
, N.S. in 1992, where he flew the CC-144 Challenger in the electronic warfare and coastal patrol role. In 1994, he was posted to the 412 Transport Squadron in Ottawa, where he transported VIPs, including high-ranking government officials and foreign dignitaries, also on Challengers.
Williams was promoted to major
Major (Canada)
Major is a rank of the Canadian Forces. The rank insignia of a major is two half-inch stripes with a quarter-inch stripe between. Majors fill the positions of Company/Squadron/Battery Commanders, or Deputy Commanders of a Battalion/Regiment; in the Air Force they are typically squadron...
in November 1999 and was posted to Director General Military Careers, in Ottawa, where he served as the multi-engine pilot career manager.
He obtained a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
in 2004 with a 55-page thesis that supported pre-emptive war in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and in June 2004, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel
Lieutenant-Colonel (Canada)
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of lieutenant-colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a commander of the Navy. A lieutenant-colonel is the second-highest rank of senior officer...
and on July 19, 2004 he was appointed commanding officer of 437 Transport Squadron
No. 437 Squadron RCAF
437 Transport Squadron is a unit of the Canadian Forces under the Royal Canadian Air Force, based at CFB Trenton in Ontario. The unit operates the CC-150 Polaris, and is responsible for long range military and VIP transportation .-History:437 Squadron was formed at Blakehill Farm in Wiltshire,...
at CFB Trenton
CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
, Ont., a post he held for two years.
From December 2005 to May 2006, Williams also served as the commanding officer of Camp Mirage
Camp Mirage
Camp Mirage is the codename for a former Canadian Forces forward logistics facility located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The facility was established in late-December 2001 and, though not officially acknowledged by the Canadian Forces, is considered an "open secret"...
, a secretive logistics facility believed to be located at Al Minhad Air Base
Al Minhad Air Base
Al Minhad Air Base is a military installation in the United Arab Emirates. The base is located approximately south of Dubai and is operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force.-Facilities:The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level...
in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
that provides support to Canadian Forces operations in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
He was posted to the Directorate of Air Requirements on July 21, 2006 where he served as project director for the Airlift Capability Projects Strategic (C-17 Globemaster III) and Tactical (CC-130J Super Hercules), and Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue (CC-127J Spartan), working under Lieutenant General Angus Watt at this posting.
In January 2009 he was posted to the Canadian Forces Language School in Gatineau, Quebec, for a six-month period of French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
training, during which he was promoted to colonel by recommendation of now retired Lieutenant-General Angus Watt.
On July 15, 2009, Williams was sworn in as the Wing Commander at Canadian Forces Base Trenton
CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
by the outgoing Wing Commander Brigadier General Mike Hood. Canadian Forces Base Trenton
CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
is Canada's busiest air base and locus of support for overseas military operations. Located in Trenton, Ontario
Trenton, Ontario
Trenton is a community in Southern Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the main population centre in Quinte West....
, the base also functions as the point of arrival for the bodies of all Canadian Forces personnel killed in Afghanistan
Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan
The number of Canadian Forces' fatalities resulting from Canadian military activities in Afghanistan is the largest for any single Canadian military mission since the Korean War between 1950 and 1953...
, and the starting point for funeral processions along the "Highway of Heroes" whence their bodies are brought to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
for autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
.
Williams has been described as an elite pilot and "shining bright star" of the military. He had flown Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
, the Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, the Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, and many other dignitaries across Canada and overseas in Canadian Forces VIP aircraft
Canadian Forces VIP aircraft
The Royal Canadian Air Force maintains specialised aircraft to transport Canada's monarch, governor general, other members of the Royal Family, prime minister, other senior members of the government of Canada, and other dignitaries. A small fleet of dedicated executive government transport...
.
Investigation and arrest
Jessica Lloyd, 27, had vanished on January 28, 2010. Investigators identified distinctive tire tracks left in snow near her home. One week after her disappearance, the Ontario Provincial PoliceOntario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
conducted an extensive canvassing of all motorists using the highway near her home from 7 pm on February 4, 2010, to 6 am on the following day, looking for the unusual tire treads. Williams was driving his Pathfinder
Nissan Pathfinder
The Nissan Pathfinder is a SUV manufactured by Nissan Motors since 1986, derived from Nissan's compact pickup truck platform. The Pathfinder is slotted in size between the Murano and Armada or Patrol, but in price between the Xterra and Murano...
that day — rather than the BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
he usually drove — and an officer noticed the resemblance of his tire treads. These were subsequently matched to the treads near Lloyd's home.
On February 7, 2010, the CFB Trenton base commander was at his newly built home in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, where his wife lived full-time and he lived part-time, when he was called by the OPP in Ottawa and asked to come in for questioning. During the 10-hour interview he confessed to the numerous crimes of which he was later convicted. Early the next morning Williams led investigators to the woman's body in a secluded area on Cary Road, about 13 minutes away from where he lived. Williams was also charged in the death of Corporal Marie-France Comeau, a 37-year-old military flight attendant based at CFB Trenton, who had been found dead inside her home in late November 2009.
Along with the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
charges, Williams was charged with breaking and entering
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
, forcible confinement
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, and the sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
of two other women in connection with two separate home invasion
Home invasion
Home invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally...
s near Tweed, Ontario
Tweed, Ontario (village)
Tweed, Ontario is a community on Stoco Lake and the only urban centre in the Municipality of Tweed in Hastings County, central-eastern Ontario, Canada. Tweed has a population of 1,540 according to the 2001 Canada Census...
in September 2009. According to reports, the women had been bound in their homes and the attacker had taken photos of them.
Williams was arraigned
Arraignment
Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal complaint in the presence of the defendant to inform the defendant of the charges against him or her. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea...
and remanded
Detention of suspects
The detention of suspects is the process of keeping a person who has been arrested in a police-cell, remand prison or other detention centre before trial or sentencing. One criticism of pretrial detention is that eventual acquittal can be a somewhat hollow victory, in that there is no way to...
into custody on Monday, February 8, 2010. The Canadian Forces announced that day that an interim commander would soon be appointed to replace him (Dave Cochrane
Dave Cochrane (Canadian Forces officer)
Colonel D. B. "Dave" Cochrane, CD is a Royal Canadian Air Force officer. Col. Cochrane is currently the commanding officer of CFB Trenton as well as the primary lodger unit for the base, 8 Wing.Col...
took over 11 days later), and removed his biography from the Department of National Defence
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
website the following day.
Hours after the announcement of Williams' arrest, police services across the country reopened unsolved homicide cases involving young women in areas where Williams, a career military man, had previously been stationed. According to news reports, police began looking at other unsolved cases based on a full statement that Williams gave to police.
A week after his arrest, investigators reported that, along with hidden keepsakes and other evidence they had found in his home, they had matched a print from one of the homicide scenes to his boot.
In addition to the four primary incidents, the investigation into Williams includes probes into 48 cases of theft of women's underwear dating back to 2006. In the searches of his Ottawa home, police discovered stolen lingerie that was neatly stored, catalogued, and concealed.
In April 2010, Williams was placed on suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
watch after he tried to kill himself by wedging a stuffed cardboard toilet paper roll down his throat.
Confession
On February 7, 2010, Williams was interrogated at Ottawa Police Service headquarters by Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth, a member of the Ontario Provincial PoliceOntario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
's Behavioural Sciences Unit. The interview started at 3 p.m. and by 7:45 p.m. he was describing his crimes. The interrogation lasted approximately ten hours. Excerpts of the confession were shown in court at Williams' sentencing hearing on October 20, 2010.
In the confession, Williams gave details of his crimes, including the sexual assaults in Tweed and 82 break-ins and thefts. Some of them occurred in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
homes within walking distance of his Orleans, Ontario home where he lived with his wife. Other break-ins and thefts occurred in Belleville
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
, and in Tweed, where the couple had had a cottage since 2004.
He also told police where they could find evidence, including hidden keepsakes, inside the Ottawa home. The couple had moved to a new house two months before he was interrogated by police. He told Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth where police could find the thousands of images he took of Lloyd and Comeau and the two women he sexually assaulted. He then identified on a map where he dumped Lloyd’s body. A video of the interrogation was made available to the public and was posted online by several newspapers and on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Court proceedings and trial
Williams appeared before the Ontario Court of JusticeOntario Court of Justice
The Ontario Court of Justice is a Provincial Court for the Canadian province of Ontario. This court oversees matters relating to family law and criminal law....
in Belleville, Ontario
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
via video link from the Quinte Detention Centre on July 22, 2010, where his next court appearance was set for August 26. Again via video link, Williams waived his right to a preliminary inquiry and thus had his next appearance scheduled at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
Ontario Superior Court of Justice
The Superior Court of Justice is the superior court of general jurisdiction for the Province of Ontario, Canada. It is the successor to the former Ontario Court of Justice , and was created on April 19, 1999...
for October 7, 2010. Williams' lawyer stated then that his client would plead guilty to all 82 Criminal Code charges
Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...
filed against him.
On October 18, 2010 Williams pleaded guilty to all charges. On the first day of Williams' trial and guilty plea, details emerged of other sexual assaults he committed, including that of a new mother who was wakened with a blow to the head while she and her baby were asleep in her house.
The first day of trial revealed that Williams also had pedophilia
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
c tendencies, stealing underwear of girls as young as nine years old. He made 82 fetish-related home invasions and attempted break-ins between September 2007 and November 2009.
Williams progressed from break-ins to sexual assaults with no penetration to rape and murder. He kept detailed track of police reports of the crimes he was committing, logged his crimes, kept photos and videos and even left notes and messages for his victims. In a break-in into the bedroom of a 12-year-old, he left a message in her computer saying: "Merci" ("Thank you" in French).
He took thousands of pictures of his crimes and kept the photos on his computer. Crown Attorney Robert Morrison presented numerous pictures of Williams dressed in the very underwear and bras he had stolen, frequently masturbating
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
while lying on the beds of his victims.
Some of the photos presented on the first day of his trial were published in several newspapers. As some newspapers explained, although troubling, the photos were published because they capture the essence of the crimes of Williams and show the true nature of his crimes. Among the news media that published some of the released photographs were The Montreal Gazette and The Toronto Star.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert F. Scott sentenced Williams on October 22, 2010, to two concurrent terms of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
In what is believed to be a first, Williams' uniform was destroyed through burning by the Canadian Forces, as his name had been stitched into the fabric. His medals were also later destroyed and his Pathfinder was crushed and scrapped.
External links
- Russell Williams Confession Part 1
- Russell Williams Confession Part 2
- Russell Williams Confession Part 3
- Russell Williams interview transcript
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