Top Canadian commander to admit murders Charmaine Noronha and Rob Gillies, AAP
October 8, 2010, 2:19 am 24 Comments
The lawyer for a military commander who flew Queen Elizabeth II and other dignitaries around Canada says his client will plead guilty to murder, sexual assaults and dozens of breaking and entering charges.
Colonel Russell Williams was the commander of Canada's largest air force base until he was charged earlier this year with the murder of two women, the sexual assault of two others and 82 break-ins, during which he stole women's panties.
Michael Edelson, Williams' lawyer, told a judge on Thursday Williams intends to plead guilty to all the charges at his next court appearance on October 18.
The case shocked the country, hurt soldiers' morale and prompted fears that the commander of Canada's most high-profile military base and the man who once flew the country's prime ministers could have been a serial killer.
In 2005, Williams was pictured with the Queen and Prince Philip on the front page of the newspaper of Canadian Forces Base Trenton after he had served as their pilot during a visit.
Williams waived his right to a preliminary hearing in August and was ordered to stand trial and return to court on Thursday.
The 47-year-old is charged with the first-degree murder of Jessica Lloyd, 27, whose body was found in February, and Marie Comeau, a 38-year-old corporal under his command who was found dead in her home in November last year. Both women were asphyxiated.
He is also charged with forcible confinement, breaking and entering and sexual assault after two other women were attacked during separate home invasions in the Tweed, Ontario area in September 2009.
Williams is also charged with breaking into 47 homes 82 times, beginning in 2007, including one home nine times. Most homes were burglarised repeatedly on the same street.
Most of the homes Williams was accused of breaking into were in Ottawa, where Williams has a house with his wife, and in the Tweed, Ontario, area, where Williams lived while he worked at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Trenton, Ontario.
"He's just a very twisted individual; there's no two ways about it," said retired lieutenant-general Angus Watt, who once promoted Williams.
"He was able to lead an elaborate double life and was able to keep it successfully concealed. This was the act of a depraved individual and really has no reflection on the men and women of the Canadian Forces."
Angela McCanny, whose Ottawa home was broken into on consecutive days in 2008, said all the women's underwear in the house were stolen.
Anne Marsan-Cook, whose Belleville home was broken into on consecutive days in 2009, said her sex toys and all her underwear were taken. She also said a chilling message was left on her computer: "Go ahead, call the police. I want to tell the judge about your really big dildos."
"I was one of the lucky ones," Marsan-Cook said on Wednesday.
The Ottawa Citizen cited police sources as saying police seized 500 women's undergarments from Williams' Ottawa home.
Court documents allege Williams broke into Comeau's home days before he killed her. Another alleges Williams twice returned to the home of one of his victims to steal items after he sexually assaulted her.
October 8, 2010, 2:19 am 24 Comments
The lawyer for a military commander who flew Queen Elizabeth II and other dignitaries around Canada says his client will plead guilty to murder, sexual assaults and dozens of breaking and entering charges.
Colonel Russell Williams was the commander of Canada's largest air force base until he was charged earlier this year with the murder of two women, the sexual assault of two others and 82 break-ins, during which he stole women's panties.
Michael Edelson, Williams' lawyer, told a judge on Thursday Williams intends to plead guilty to all the charges at his next court appearance on October 18.
The case shocked the country, hurt soldiers' morale and prompted fears that the commander of Canada's most high-profile military base and the man who once flew the country's prime ministers could have been a serial killer.
In 2005, Williams was pictured with the Queen and Prince Philip on the front page of the newspaper of Canadian Forces Base Trenton after he had served as their pilot during a visit.
Williams waived his right to a preliminary hearing in August and was ordered to stand trial and return to court on Thursday.
The 47-year-old is charged with the first-degree murder of Jessica Lloyd, 27, whose body was found in February, and Marie Comeau, a 38-year-old corporal under his command who was found dead in her home in November last year. Both women were asphyxiated.
He is also charged with forcible confinement, breaking and entering and sexual assault after two other women were attacked during separate home invasions in the Tweed, Ontario area in September 2009.
Williams is also charged with breaking into 47 homes 82 times, beginning in 2007, including one home nine times. Most homes were burglarised repeatedly on the same street.
Most of the homes Williams was accused of breaking into were in Ottawa, where Williams has a house with his wife, and in the Tweed, Ontario, area, where Williams lived while he worked at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Trenton, Ontario.
"He's just a very twisted individual; there's no two ways about it," said retired lieutenant-general Angus Watt, who once promoted Williams.
"He was able to lead an elaborate double life and was able to keep it successfully concealed. This was the act of a depraved individual and really has no reflection on the men and women of the Canadian Forces."
Angela McCanny, whose Ottawa home was broken into on consecutive days in 2008, said all the women's underwear in the house were stolen.
Anne Marsan-Cook, whose Belleville home was broken into on consecutive days in 2009, said her sex toys and all her underwear were taken. She also said a chilling message was left on her computer: "Go ahead, call the police. I want to tell the judge about your really big dildos."
"I was one of the lucky ones," Marsan-Cook said on Wednesday.
The Ottawa Citizen cited police sources as saying police seized 500 women's undergarments from Williams' Ottawa home.
Court documents allege Williams broke into Comeau's home days before he killed her. Another alleges Williams twice returned to the home of one of his victims to steal items after he sexually assaulted her.
