Published On Tue Feb 09 2010
Jesse McLean
Sept. 17 and 30, 2009: Police investigate two home invasions in Tweed where women were tied to a chair and photographed. The suspect entered the houses while the residents slept.
Nov. 15, 2009: Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 37, a flight attendant with CFB Trenton's 437 transport squadron, is found slain in her Brighton, Ont., home. Her boyfriend discovers her body after she misses work.
Jan. 28: The last time anyone hears from Jessica Lloyd, 27. She is reported missing after she doesn't show up for her job in Napanee.
Feb. 4: While doing a roadside canvass on Highway 37, investigators get some information that leads them to Col. Russell Williams' home in Tweed.
Feb. 7: Ontario Provincial Police and Belleville Police arrest Williams, 46, a commander at CFB Trenton. He is charged with the first-degree murders of Lloyd and Comeau. He also faces two counts of forcible confinement and two counts each of break and enter and sexual assault.
Feb. 8: Investigators find Lloyd's body off Cary Rd. in Tweed.
Showing posts with label February 9th 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label February 9th 2010. Show all posts
Friday, February 12, 2010
Is Trenton commander a “Macho Man” killer?
Criminal profilers share their thoughts on Col. Russell Williams
Published On Tue Feb 09 2010
DANIEL DALE STAFF REPORTER
A serial killer and serial sex offender need not be obviously abnormal. He need not be a loser in life. And, indeed, he may sometimes wear a uniform.
Col. Russell Williams, charged with two murders and two sexual assaults, is innocent until proven guilty. If he is guilty, he is not entirely unique – though, according to criminal profiler Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, he would appear to be the rarest type of serial offender: a “Macho Man.”
Schurman-Kauflin identified the Macho Man category in a 2005 book after interviewing 25 serial killers. Macho Man killers, she said in an email Tuesday, tend to be articulate men with significant others who “do well in the workplace,” “are drawn to law enforcement or military,” display an obsessive-compulsive need for things to be “done a very specific way,” “prefer to dress in uniform,” and “stand up very straight, even in personal life.”
Like the rest of us, profiling experts contacted about Williams could only speculate on his psyche. But they offered insights, gleaned from knowledge of high-functioning offenders, which may help explain how a top military official could commit heinous crimes – and how a criminal could achieve such prestige in the first place.
Mark Zelig, a forensic psychologist and former Salt Lake City police lieutenant, said many serial offenders are experts in “compartmentalization” who are able to separate their secret deviant behaviour from their respectable daily lives. “If they can’t separate it, then their behaviour comes to attention early in life, and they probably never have the opportunity to be coined a serial offender,” he said.
Schurman-Kauflin said it would not be surprising if a serial offender fooled military brass into believing he was a good man. “A serial offender who is very organized can hide his dark side,” she said. “In fact, he will go out of his way to cultivate relationships with others so that he is viewed in a positive light. Doing so is another way he is expressing his power. He can fool the top guys, and he enjoys doing that.”
Schurman-Kauflin, Zelig and Pat Brown, a profiler and U.S. television commentator, said Williams could have been drawn to the military by some of the same traits that made him an alleged offender.
Brown noted that a job as a military officer allows for “a level of extreme power and control,” the goal of many sex offenders. Zelig said many serial offenders possess low levels of anxiety; if this were true of Williams, it could partially explain his success as a military pilot. And Schurman-Kauflin said an offender may deliberately seek to attain an elite job because such a position would “help him in many ways,” such as minimizing the possibility he would be suspected of an offence.
“Everything a serial offender does,” she said, “is to further his compulsion to fulfill his deviant desires.”
Like the other profilers, Mark Safarik, a consultant who formerly worked for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, said it is likely the offender in the latest crimes has been active for far longer. Typically, he said, an offender progresses from relatively minor transgressions like prowling or peeping to “fantasy fulfilment,” perhaps with willing partners; when “that isn’t enough of a thrill,” Safarik said, “he crosses over into non-compliant victims.”
“People don’t just wake up one day and say, ‘I’m going to abduct someone and murder them,’” he said. “I’m sure there’s a history.”
With files from Cathal Kelly
Published On Tue Feb 09 2010
DANIEL DALE STAFF REPORTER
A serial killer and serial sex offender need not be obviously abnormal. He need not be a loser in life. And, indeed, he may sometimes wear a uniform.
Col. Russell Williams, charged with two murders and two sexual assaults, is innocent until proven guilty. If he is guilty, he is not entirely unique – though, according to criminal profiler Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, he would appear to be the rarest type of serial offender: a “Macho Man.”
Schurman-Kauflin identified the Macho Man category in a 2005 book after interviewing 25 serial killers. Macho Man killers, she said in an email Tuesday, tend to be articulate men with significant others who “do well in the workplace,” “are drawn to law enforcement or military,” display an obsessive-compulsive need for things to be “done a very specific way,” “prefer to dress in uniform,” and “stand up very straight, even in personal life.”
Like the rest of us, profiling experts contacted about Williams could only speculate on his psyche. But they offered insights, gleaned from knowledge of high-functioning offenders, which may help explain how a top military official could commit heinous crimes – and how a criminal could achieve such prestige in the first place.
Mark Zelig, a forensic psychologist and former Salt Lake City police lieutenant, said many serial offenders are experts in “compartmentalization” who are able to separate their secret deviant behaviour from their respectable daily lives. “If they can’t separate it, then their behaviour comes to attention early in life, and they probably never have the opportunity to be coined a serial offender,” he said.
Schurman-Kauflin said it would not be surprising if a serial offender fooled military brass into believing he was a good man. “A serial offender who is very organized can hide his dark side,” she said. “In fact, he will go out of his way to cultivate relationships with others so that he is viewed in a positive light. Doing so is another way he is expressing his power. He can fool the top guys, and he enjoys doing that.”
Schurman-Kauflin, Zelig and Pat Brown, a profiler and U.S. television commentator, said Williams could have been drawn to the military by some of the same traits that made him an alleged offender.
Brown noted that a job as a military officer allows for “a level of extreme power and control,” the goal of many sex offenders. Zelig said many serial offenders possess low levels of anxiety; if this were true of Williams, it could partially explain his success as a military pilot. And Schurman-Kauflin said an offender may deliberately seek to attain an elite job because such a position would “help him in many ways,” such as minimizing the possibility he would be suspected of an offence.
“Everything a serial offender does,” she said, “is to further his compulsion to fulfill his deviant desires.”
Like the other profilers, Mark Safarik, a consultant who formerly worked for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, said it is likely the offender in the latest crimes has been active for far longer. Typically, he said, an offender progresses from relatively minor transgressions like prowling or peeping to “fantasy fulfilment,” perhaps with willing partners; when “that isn’t enough of a thrill,” Safarik said, “he crosses over into non-compliant victims.”
“People don’t just wake up one day and say, ‘I’m going to abduct someone and murder them,’” he said. “I’m sure there’s a history.”
With files from Cathal Kelly
Police revisit unsolved murders after Trenton commander’s arrest
Published On Tue Feb 09 2010
Jennifer Yang and Raveena Aulakh Staff Reporters
Women’s underwear, computers and digital photography are all bread crumbs in the investigation that sources say culminated in murder charges against one of the country’s top military superstars.
Many unanswered questions remain in the arrest of Col. Russell Williams, a high-ranking career officer who has been charged with the deaths of two women and the sexual assaults of two others. His charges have also cracked open a Pandora’s box of unsolved murders, with police forces across the country revisiting cold cases involving young women in the areas where Williams has been previously stationed.
Ontario Provincial Police say several connecting factors ultimately led them to Williams but are refusing to divulge any specifics, only citing geography as one of the common elements. But according to Larry Jones, the man who was initially suspected in Williams’ alleged home invasions and sexual assaults, police were looking for very specific items in the early days of their investigation.
Jones, who lives next door to Williams on Cosy Cove Lane in Tweed, said that back when police were investigating him, they searched his home and produced a search warrant for La Senza bras, Jessica brand panties, computers, laptops, and digital photography. Other reports say police were also looking for baby blankets and zip ties.
“They took the (computer) with my pictures on it,” Jones said, adding that police were looking for photographs that the sexual assault victims said were taken of them. Newspaper reports of the incidents have said that the women were struck, tied to chairs and photographed by their assailant.
Little progress was made on the home invasions but they landed back on investigators’ radar screens shortly after Jessica Lloyd disappeared. The 27-year-old was last heard from on Jan. 28, when she sent a text message to a friend.
Belleville police immediately asked for help from the Ontario Provincial Police, who began connecting Lloyd’s disappearance to the sexual assaults, as well as the murder of 37-year-old Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, found dead in her Brighton home in November.
Lloyd’s body was discovered Monday, found off Cary Rd., a winding, dark and secluded stretch located about 13 minutes away from Cosy Cove Lane.
When asked whether Williams is alleged to have stolen underwear, OPP Sgt. Kristine Rae declined to comment.
“Anything evidentiary, I can’t comment on,” she said.
Rae also wouldn’t comment on reports that police traced Lloyd’s disappearance to Williams by using distinctive tire tracks left in snow near the woman’s home off Highway 37. Reports have said that investigators linked the tire tracks to a specific vehicle and that Williams was stopped by police on Feb. 4 during an extensive canvassing of motorists driving along that highway.
Williams was arrested on Sunday in Ottawa, where he also shares a home with his wife Mary Elizabeth Harriman, an associate executive director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. On Tuesday, police were seen carrying bags from the couple’s home.
The colonel appeared shackled at the ankles in a Belleville court on Monday, and is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 18 via video link.
The OPP say their investigation is still “very much ongoing” and they have also been fielding numerous calls from other police departments. Hours after the announcement of Williams’ arrest, police services across the country were reopening cases of unsolved homicides involving young women; the colonel, who took over command of 8 Wing/CFB Trenton in July, has enjoyed an illustrious military career that has taken him across the country and even overseas.
At last count, at least four cold cases in Nova Scotia and Ontario were under scrutiny for connection to Williams.
Halifax Regional Police contacted Ontario Provincial Police investigators regarding murders of three young women after they were inundated with calls from people wondering if there was a correlation.
Williams, a career military man, had been posted to the Shearwater base near Halifax, N.S., from 1992 to 1994, according to his biography posted on the Department of National Defence website until Tuesday afternoon. During that same time frame, Andrea King, 18, Shelley Connors, 17, and Kimber Leanne Lucas, 24, were murdered.
“We’ve had some preliminary discussions with them (OPP investigators) but so far they haven’t been able to provide any information that would impact any of our files here,” said Const. Brian Palmeter in Halifax. “But it’s very early on in that investigation.”
There are cases of missing women in that same time period as well but Palmeter said they are not considering those right now. “Homicide files always remain open,” he said, suggesting there is more information in those cases to go on.
He didn’t say if cases of sexual assault will also be investigated again.
Investigators will also look into the unsolved 2001 murder of 19-year-old Kathleen MacVicar in Trenton as they explore links with Williams.
The teen from Nova Scotia was found in Middleton Park, a housing development inside CFB Trenton. MacVicar had been staying with family at the military base when she disappeared June 13, 2001. Her body was found two days later in a corner of the base; she had been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death.
MacVicar’s mother said she first heard about Williams’ arrest Monday afternoon, and her first thought was “it could be related to Kathleen.” Within hours, OPP had called her.
“I’m glad they are looking at it again,” Colleen MacVicar, Kathleen’s mother, told the Star on Tuesday afternoon from her home in Glace Bay, N.S. She said OPP told her they would be looking “everywhere this person had been and other crimes that have gone unsolved to see if there are any similarities.”
They told her they would also be looking at Kathleen’s case but MacVicar said she isn’t getting her hopes up. She has been disappointed before.
“It would be nice if it was solved, but I’m just waiting here,” she said. “It would give us something to focus on, somebody to blame.”
Williams’ first posting was at Portage la Prairie in 1990, about 85 kilometres from Winnipeg; Glenda Morrisseau, 19, went missing on July 17, 1991. Her battered body was found about three weeks later.
Winnipeg police said Tuesday in an email that they were “aware of the arrest of the Air Force Officer. Investigators will continue to review information as it unfolds.”
Military officials are shocked by the allegations against Williams, and his superiors describe him as a “calm” and “hard-working” member of the Canadian Forces. His arrest has shaken the military community to the core and in light of the charges, Williams has been removed from his commanding post in Trenton. Lieutenant Colonel David Murphy has been currently appointed acting commander, according to the Northumberland News.
Williams’ has performed several high-profile duties throughout his career, piloting planes that have squired the prime minister and governor general around the world and once working out of the secretive Camp Mirage, a logistics based in the Arabian Gulf. Williams also recently oversaw Canadian aid efforts to Haiti.
The small community of Tweed, where both Williams and three of his alleged victims lived, is also reeling from the trauma that has visited their town. On Tuesday, police were visibly present around the area, guarding each exit along Cary Rd. as well as Williams’ residence, which has been cordoned off with yellow tape.
Many residents feel a mixture of sorrow and relief that the investigation has led to an arrest. This past fall, the home invasions caused people to point angry fingers, said Lawrence Ramsay, owner of Tweedsmuir Bar and Grill.
Ramsay said he knew Lloyd as a customer at the Tweedsmuir — pretty and pleasant, she was part of a group who came in on weekends. He last saw her around Christmas but has never seen Williams in the bar.
“How he got tangled up with her, I don't know,” Ramsay said.
Ramsay also said that the boyfriend of one of the sexual assault victims is also an occasional customer at the bar. He said the young couple in their 20s had just moved into the area shortly before the assault. He added they had recently had a baby and have since moved out of the home.
Another woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted lives just doors down from Williams, in a one-story home decorated by lamps and lights in the window. A “Do not trespass” sign has also been placed in the snow bank.
The single mother declined to be interviewed on Tuesday, but previously relayed her terrifying ordeal to the Toronto Sun, stating that her attacker snuck into her room as she was sleeping. He reportedly blindfolded her and tied her hands behind her back before cutting her clothes off with a knife and assaulting her.
She said he took photographs of her before leaving her home just before dawn.
With files from Katie Daubs, Jesse McLean and the Canadian Press
Cold cases revisited?
Here are five cold cases involving women murdered in Winnipeg, Trenton and Halifax that could be reopened after the Williams arrest:
Glenda Morrisseau, 19, a high school student in Winnipeg, disappeared on July 17, 1991. Her battered body was found three weeks later on Aug. 7.
Andrea King, 18, of British Columbia was last heard from on Jan. 1, 1992, when she called home from the Halifax airport. She had just landed in the city and planned to look for work and check out universities. Her remains were found on Dec. 22, 1992.
Shelley Connors, 17, was found dead behind a rink in Halifax on June 1, 1993. She left her family home on May 29 after receiving a phone call from a man.
Kimber Leanne Lucas, 24, was seven months pregnant when she was strangled in Halifax on Nov. 23, 1994. Halifax police say she was known to be a heavy-drug user.
Kathleen MacVicar, 19, disappeared on June 13, 2001 from CFB Trenton. Her body was found two days later in a wooded corner on the base.
Raveena Aulakh
Jennifer Yang and Raveena Aulakh Staff Reporters
Women’s underwear, computers and digital photography are all bread crumbs in the investigation that sources say culminated in murder charges against one of the country’s top military superstars.
Many unanswered questions remain in the arrest of Col. Russell Williams, a high-ranking career officer who has been charged with the deaths of two women and the sexual assaults of two others. His charges have also cracked open a Pandora’s box of unsolved murders, with police forces across the country revisiting cold cases involving young women in the areas where Williams has been previously stationed.
Ontario Provincial Police say several connecting factors ultimately led them to Williams but are refusing to divulge any specifics, only citing geography as one of the common elements. But according to Larry Jones, the man who was initially suspected in Williams’ alleged home invasions and sexual assaults, police were looking for very specific items in the early days of their investigation.
Jones, who lives next door to Williams on Cosy Cove Lane in Tweed, said that back when police were investigating him, they searched his home and produced a search warrant for La Senza bras, Jessica brand panties, computers, laptops, and digital photography. Other reports say police were also looking for baby blankets and zip ties.
“They took the (computer) with my pictures on it,” Jones said, adding that police were looking for photographs that the sexual assault victims said were taken of them. Newspaper reports of the incidents have said that the women were struck, tied to chairs and photographed by their assailant.
Little progress was made on the home invasions but they landed back on investigators’ radar screens shortly after Jessica Lloyd disappeared. The 27-year-old was last heard from on Jan. 28, when she sent a text message to a friend.
Belleville police immediately asked for help from the Ontario Provincial Police, who began connecting Lloyd’s disappearance to the sexual assaults, as well as the murder of 37-year-old Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, found dead in her Brighton home in November.
Lloyd’s body was discovered Monday, found off Cary Rd., a winding, dark and secluded stretch located about 13 minutes away from Cosy Cove Lane.
When asked whether Williams is alleged to have stolen underwear, OPP Sgt. Kristine Rae declined to comment.
“Anything evidentiary, I can’t comment on,” she said.
Rae also wouldn’t comment on reports that police traced Lloyd’s disappearance to Williams by using distinctive tire tracks left in snow near the woman’s home off Highway 37. Reports have said that investigators linked the tire tracks to a specific vehicle and that Williams was stopped by police on Feb. 4 during an extensive canvassing of motorists driving along that highway.
Williams was arrested on Sunday in Ottawa, where he also shares a home with his wife Mary Elizabeth Harriman, an associate executive director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. On Tuesday, police were seen carrying bags from the couple’s home.
The colonel appeared shackled at the ankles in a Belleville court on Monday, and is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 18 via video link.
The OPP say their investigation is still “very much ongoing” and they have also been fielding numerous calls from other police departments. Hours after the announcement of Williams’ arrest, police services across the country were reopening cases of unsolved homicides involving young women; the colonel, who took over command of 8 Wing/CFB Trenton in July, has enjoyed an illustrious military career that has taken him across the country and even overseas.
At last count, at least four cold cases in Nova Scotia and Ontario were under scrutiny for connection to Williams.
Halifax Regional Police contacted Ontario Provincial Police investigators regarding murders of three young women after they were inundated with calls from people wondering if there was a correlation.
Williams, a career military man, had been posted to the Shearwater base near Halifax, N.S., from 1992 to 1994, according to his biography posted on the Department of National Defence website until Tuesday afternoon. During that same time frame, Andrea King, 18, Shelley Connors, 17, and Kimber Leanne Lucas, 24, were murdered.
“We’ve had some preliminary discussions with them (OPP investigators) but so far they haven’t been able to provide any information that would impact any of our files here,” said Const. Brian Palmeter in Halifax. “But it’s very early on in that investigation.”
There are cases of missing women in that same time period as well but Palmeter said they are not considering those right now. “Homicide files always remain open,” he said, suggesting there is more information in those cases to go on.
He didn’t say if cases of sexual assault will also be investigated again.
Investigators will also look into the unsolved 2001 murder of 19-year-old Kathleen MacVicar in Trenton as they explore links with Williams.
The teen from Nova Scotia was found in Middleton Park, a housing development inside CFB Trenton. MacVicar had been staying with family at the military base when she disappeared June 13, 2001. Her body was found two days later in a corner of the base; she had been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death.
MacVicar’s mother said she first heard about Williams’ arrest Monday afternoon, and her first thought was “it could be related to Kathleen.” Within hours, OPP had called her.
“I’m glad they are looking at it again,” Colleen MacVicar, Kathleen’s mother, told the Star on Tuesday afternoon from her home in Glace Bay, N.S. She said OPP told her they would be looking “everywhere this person had been and other crimes that have gone unsolved to see if there are any similarities.”
They told her they would also be looking at Kathleen’s case but MacVicar said she isn’t getting her hopes up. She has been disappointed before.
“It would be nice if it was solved, but I’m just waiting here,” she said. “It would give us something to focus on, somebody to blame.”
Williams’ first posting was at Portage la Prairie in 1990, about 85 kilometres from Winnipeg; Glenda Morrisseau, 19, went missing on July 17, 1991. Her battered body was found about three weeks later.
Winnipeg police said Tuesday in an email that they were “aware of the arrest of the Air Force Officer. Investigators will continue to review information as it unfolds.”
Military officials are shocked by the allegations against Williams, and his superiors describe him as a “calm” and “hard-working” member of the Canadian Forces. His arrest has shaken the military community to the core and in light of the charges, Williams has been removed from his commanding post in Trenton. Lieutenant Colonel David Murphy has been currently appointed acting commander, according to the Northumberland News.
Williams’ has performed several high-profile duties throughout his career, piloting planes that have squired the prime minister and governor general around the world and once working out of the secretive Camp Mirage, a logistics based in the Arabian Gulf. Williams also recently oversaw Canadian aid efforts to Haiti.
The small community of Tweed, where both Williams and three of his alleged victims lived, is also reeling from the trauma that has visited their town. On Tuesday, police were visibly present around the area, guarding each exit along Cary Rd. as well as Williams’ residence, which has been cordoned off with yellow tape.
Many residents feel a mixture of sorrow and relief that the investigation has led to an arrest. This past fall, the home invasions caused people to point angry fingers, said Lawrence Ramsay, owner of Tweedsmuir Bar and Grill.
Ramsay said he knew Lloyd as a customer at the Tweedsmuir — pretty and pleasant, she was part of a group who came in on weekends. He last saw her around Christmas but has never seen Williams in the bar.
“How he got tangled up with her, I don't know,” Ramsay said.
Ramsay also said that the boyfriend of one of the sexual assault victims is also an occasional customer at the bar. He said the young couple in their 20s had just moved into the area shortly before the assault. He added they had recently had a baby and have since moved out of the home.
Another woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted lives just doors down from Williams, in a one-story home decorated by lamps and lights in the window. A “Do not trespass” sign has also been placed in the snow bank.
The single mother declined to be interviewed on Tuesday, but previously relayed her terrifying ordeal to the Toronto Sun, stating that her attacker snuck into her room as she was sleeping. He reportedly blindfolded her and tied her hands behind her back before cutting her clothes off with a knife and assaulting her.
She said he took photographs of her before leaving her home just before dawn.
With files from Katie Daubs, Jesse McLean and the Canadian Press
Cold cases revisited?
Here are five cold cases involving women murdered in Winnipeg, Trenton and Halifax that could be reopened after the Williams arrest:
Glenda Morrisseau, 19, a high school student in Winnipeg, disappeared on July 17, 1991. Her battered body was found three weeks later on Aug. 7.
Andrea King, 18, of British Columbia was last heard from on Jan. 1, 1992, when she called home from the Halifax airport. She had just landed in the city and planned to look for work and check out universities. Her remains were found on Dec. 22, 1992.
Shelley Connors, 17, was found dead behind a rink in Halifax on June 1, 1993. She left her family home on May 29 after receiving a phone call from a man.
Kimber Leanne Lucas, 24, was seven months pregnant when she was strangled in Halifax on Nov. 23, 1994. Halifax police say she was known to be a heavy-drug user.
Kathleen MacVicar, 19, disappeared on June 13, 2001 from CFB Trenton. Her body was found two days later in a wooded corner on the base.
Raveena Aulakh
'Not a good day for the air force' as trusted leader charged with murder
By David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen
February 9, 2010
He was the trusted "mayor" overseeing the lives of more than 3,500 military and civilian staff.
Col. Russell Williams, the commander of 8 Wing at Canadian Forces Base Trenton was also a high profile community member in the Ontario region and hand-picked by the senior military leadership to run one of the country's largest air force installations.
That responsibility, and the severity of the criminal charges Williams now faces, has members of the military searching vainly for answers about the murder cases involving the respected officer.
On Sunday, Williams, 46, was arrested in Ottawa and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of forcible confinement and two counts of break and enter and sexual assault.
"This is the person that everyone in the Wing looks up to," said Keith McDonald, a retired air force major general who met Williams for the first time during a Senate committee trip to the base in November. "This is a person we saw on television three weeks ago with the minister of national defence. He's the guy who commands the base, who has to make sure they treat with dignity the return of fallen soldiers (from Afghanistan."
Base commanders have a lot of power in the installations they oversee and are seen as the public face of the military in nearby communities.
According to the air force, CFB Trenton is at the forefront of Canadian military aviation with its fleet of tactical transport and search-and-rescue aircraft. Daily flights to the four corners of the globe take off from or arrive at the base, also known to Canadians as the site where the bodies of soldiers killed in Afghanistan first arrive home.
Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, 2,640 regular force members, 620 reservists and 600 civilian staff work at the base.
McDonald, who was a base commander in Germany, said very few officers are eventually selected to run such a base.
"You're looking at a group of folks who have done well in their careers, who have warranted the trust, and it is a big trust," he added. "You are responsible for the military people and providing them with a working environment where they want to come to work every day.
"That job is probably the best job you're going to have as your own boss," McDonald added. "You are responsible for everything that goes on at that Wing, responsible for all of the flying operations, responsible for support to all of the folks there."
McDonald said he has never heard of this type of incident happening in the Canadian Forces to an individual with such a high rank. "It definitely will impact on how people look at the air force," he said. "It's not a good day for the air force."
Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, chairman of the senate defence committee, said he and other committee members met Russell on Nov. 18 during a brief visit to the base.
"The guy was really impressive," said Kenny. "He looked like a really clean-cut comer. We left the place thinking it was a big complex place with a big capable guy running it."
Kenny said Russell told the committee he was dealing with issues, ranging from finding enough personnel to do various jobs to figuring out how to house giant C-17 transport planes located at CFB Trenton.
Kenny noted the importance of the role of a base commander since such individuals ensure that military personnel are cared for and that relations with the surrounding community are run smoothly. "They handle the housing," Kenny said. "They would convene court martials if they were needed. They are it on a base."
"A guy like him can also have a huge impact on the health of the towns nearby, just because he's the boss of so many people earning so much money," Kenny added.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
February 9, 2010
He was the trusted "mayor" overseeing the lives of more than 3,500 military and civilian staff.
Col. Russell Williams, the commander of 8 Wing at Canadian Forces Base Trenton was also a high profile community member in the Ontario region and hand-picked by the senior military leadership to run one of the country's largest air force installations.
That responsibility, and the severity of the criminal charges Williams now faces, has members of the military searching vainly for answers about the murder cases involving the respected officer.
On Sunday, Williams, 46, was arrested in Ottawa and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of forcible confinement and two counts of break and enter and sexual assault.
"This is the person that everyone in the Wing looks up to," said Keith McDonald, a retired air force major general who met Williams for the first time during a Senate committee trip to the base in November. "This is a person we saw on television three weeks ago with the minister of national defence. He's the guy who commands the base, who has to make sure they treat with dignity the return of fallen soldiers (from Afghanistan."
Base commanders have a lot of power in the installations they oversee and are seen as the public face of the military in nearby communities.
According to the air force, CFB Trenton is at the forefront of Canadian military aviation with its fleet of tactical transport and search-and-rescue aircraft. Daily flights to the four corners of the globe take off from or arrive at the base, also known to Canadians as the site where the bodies of soldiers killed in Afghanistan first arrive home.
Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, 2,640 regular force members, 620 reservists and 600 civilian staff work at the base.
McDonald, who was a base commander in Germany, said very few officers are eventually selected to run such a base.
"You're looking at a group of folks who have done well in their careers, who have warranted the trust, and it is a big trust," he added. "You are responsible for the military people and providing them with a working environment where they want to come to work every day.
"That job is probably the best job you're going to have as your own boss," McDonald added. "You are responsible for everything that goes on at that Wing, responsible for all of the flying operations, responsible for support to all of the folks there."
McDonald said he has never heard of this type of incident happening in the Canadian Forces to an individual with such a high rank. "It definitely will impact on how people look at the air force," he said. "It's not a good day for the air force."
Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, chairman of the senate defence committee, said he and other committee members met Russell on Nov. 18 during a brief visit to the base.
"The guy was really impressive," said Kenny. "He looked like a really clean-cut comer. We left the place thinking it was a big complex place with a big capable guy running it."
Kenny said Russell told the committee he was dealing with issues, ranging from finding enough personnel to do various jobs to figuring out how to house giant C-17 transport planes located at CFB Trenton.
Kenny noted the importance of the role of a base commander since such individuals ensure that military personnel are cared for and that relations with the surrounding community are run smoothly. "They handle the housing," Kenny said. "They would convene court martials if they were needed. They are it on a base."
"A guy like him can also have a huge impact on the health of the towns nearby, just because he's the boss of so many people earning so much money," Kenny added.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
'Not a good day for the air force' as trusted leader charged with murder
By David Pugliese,
Ottawa Citizen
February 9, 2010
He was the trusted "mayor" overseeing the lives of more than 3,500 military and civilian staff.
Col. Russell Williams, the commander of 8 Wing at Canadian Forces Base Trenton was also a high profile community member in the Ontario region and hand-picked by the senior military leadership to run one of the country's largest air force installations.
That responsibility, and the severity of the criminal charges Williams now faces, has members of the military searching vainly for answers about the murder cases involving the respected officer.
On Sunday, Williams, 46, was arrested in Ottawa and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of forcible confinement and two counts of break and enter and sexual assault.
"This is the person that everyone in the Wing looks up to," said Keith McDonald, a retired air force major general who met Williams for the first time during a Senate committee trip to the base in November. "This is a person we saw on television three weeks ago with the minister of national defence. He's the guy who commands the base, who has to make sure they treat with dignity the return of fallen soldiers (from Afghanistan."
Base commanders have a lot of power in the installations they oversee and are seen as the public face of the military in nearby communities.
According to the air force, CFB Trenton is at the forefront of Canadian military aviation with its fleet of tactical transport and search-and-rescue aircraft. Daily flights to the four corners of the globe take off from or arrive at the base, also known to Canadians as the site where the bodies of soldiers killed in Afghanistan first arrive home.
Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, 2,640 regular force members, 620 reservists and 600 civilian staff work at the base.
McDonald, who was a base commander in Germany, said very few officers are eventually selected to run such a base.
"You're looking at a group of folks who have done well in their careers, who have warranted the trust, and it is a big trust," he added. "You are responsible for the military people and providing them with a working environment where they want to come to work every day.
"That job is probably the best job you're going to have as your own boss," McDonald added. "You are responsible for everything that goes on at that Wing, responsible for all of the flying operations, responsible for support to all of the folks there."
McDonald said he has never heard of this type of incident happening in the Canadian Forces to an individual with such a high rank. "It definitely will impact on how people look at the air force," he said. "It's not a good day for the air force."
Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, chairman of the senate defence committee, said he and other committee members met Russell on Nov. 18 during a brief visit to the base.
"The guy was really impressive," said Kenny. "He looked like a really clean-cut comer. We left the place thinking it was a big complex place with a big capable guy running it."
Kenny said Russell told the committee he was dealing with issues, ranging from finding enough personnel to do various jobs to figuring out how to house giant C-17 transport planes located at CFB Trenton.
Kenny noted the importance of the role of a base commander since such individuals ensure that military personnel are cared for and that relations with the surrounding community are run smoothly. "They handle the housing," Kenny said. "They would convene court martials if they were needed. They are it on a base."
"A guy like him can also have a huge impact on the health of the towns nearby, just because he's the boss of so many people earning so much money," Kenny added.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Ottawa Citizen
February 9, 2010
He was the trusted "mayor" overseeing the lives of more than 3,500 military and civilian staff.
Col. Russell Williams, the commander of 8 Wing at Canadian Forces Base Trenton was also a high profile community member in the Ontario region and hand-picked by the senior military leadership to run one of the country's largest air force installations.
That responsibility, and the severity of the criminal charges Williams now faces, has members of the military searching vainly for answers about the murder cases involving the respected officer.
On Sunday, Williams, 46, was arrested in Ottawa and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of forcible confinement and two counts of break and enter and sexual assault.
"This is the person that everyone in the Wing looks up to," said Keith McDonald, a retired air force major general who met Williams for the first time during a Senate committee trip to the base in November. "This is a person we saw on television three weeks ago with the minister of national defence. He's the guy who commands the base, who has to make sure they treat with dignity the return of fallen soldiers (from Afghanistan."
Base commanders have a lot of power in the installations they oversee and are seen as the public face of the military in nearby communities.
According to the air force, CFB Trenton is at the forefront of Canadian military aviation with its fleet of tactical transport and search-and-rescue aircraft. Daily flights to the four corners of the globe take off from or arrive at the base, also known to Canadians as the site where the bodies of soldiers killed in Afghanistan first arrive home.
Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, 2,640 regular force members, 620 reservists and 600 civilian staff work at the base.
McDonald, who was a base commander in Germany, said very few officers are eventually selected to run such a base.
"You're looking at a group of folks who have done well in their careers, who have warranted the trust, and it is a big trust," he added. "You are responsible for the military people and providing them with a working environment where they want to come to work every day.
"That job is probably the best job you're going to have as your own boss," McDonald added. "You are responsible for everything that goes on at that Wing, responsible for all of the flying operations, responsible for support to all of the folks there."
McDonald said he has never heard of this type of incident happening in the Canadian Forces to an individual with such a high rank. "It definitely will impact on how people look at the air force," he said. "It's not a good day for the air force."
Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, chairman of the senate defence committee, said he and other committee members met Russell on Nov. 18 during a brief visit to the base.
"The guy was really impressive," said Kenny. "He looked like a really clean-cut comer. We left the place thinking it was a big complex place with a big capable guy running it."
Kenny said Russell told the committee he was dealing with issues, ranging from finding enough personnel to do various jobs to figuring out how to house giant C-17 transport planes located at CFB Trenton.
Kenny noted the importance of the role of a base commander since such individuals ensure that military personnel are cared for and that relations with the surrounding community are run smoothly. "They handle the housing," Kenny said. "They would convene court martials if they were needed. They are it on a base."
"A guy like him can also have a huge impact on the health of the towns nearby, just because he's the boss of so many people earning so much money," Kenny added.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Murder, arrest shock Belleville
Posted By W. BRICE MCVICAR, THE INTELLIGENCER
Updated February 9th, 2010
As news spread of the discovery of Jessica Lloyd's body -- and the subsequent arrest of CFB Trenton-8 Wing base commander Col. Russ Williams -- emotions ranging from shock to disbelief to grief were expressed by area residents.
Quinte residents started their day Monday to media reports indicating the 27-year-old city woman's body had been located and a suspect was in police custody. The story changed dramatically later in the day as it was learned Williams had been arrested not only for Lloyd's murder but also for the November 2009 homicide of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau and for two home invasions in Tweed where women were tied up, assaulted and photographed.
A joint press conference between the Ontario Provincial Police and the Belleville police service confirmed those details.
"It's a relief but it's also shocking to know there are people like that so close to our home," said Lisa Kerr, a Madoc resident who listened to the news conference at the Wally Dever Arena.
Kerr said she exercised caution following Lloyd's disappearance. All doors to her home were locked and her daughters, she said, were not permitted to walk to and from school.
Kerr's 14-year-old daughter, Emily, said news of the arrest was a relief but the incidents and Williams arrest have shaken her.
"It's scary knowing someone was that close and doing stuff like that," she said.
Linda Greer said her heart goes out to Lloyd's family. The 27-yearold's murder means her family and friends have suffered a terrible loss and, though a suspect has been arrested, it does not lessen their loss, she said.
The fact the suspect is such a high-ranking official in the military, Greer said, is not only shocking but disturbing.
"I'm glad they caught him and justice will be served," she said. "It's pathetic for a man of that position and authority to be doing that."
Williams' position in the military was also noted by Gerry Murphy. The Belleville man said he had been following the story of Lloyd's disappearance and was surprised to learn of the woman's death and the arrest.
"It's rather surprising that someone that high up in the military is that sick," Murphy said. "I think the police did a great job catching this guy before he could do it again."
Murphy said it is interesting to note Williams has been charged with the home invasions and the two homicides. The pattern, he said, appears to show a man who was escalating in his crimes.
Miles Fleming said he hopes the arrest will bring some "closure" to Lloyd's family. The crime may be surprising because of the size of the community, but it should remind people these types of crimes can happen anywhere, he said.
Lloyd's disappearance instilled fear in the community, he said, and Williams' arrest shows it is not always the people you suspect of committing the crimes who are actually the perpetrators.
"It's not always the people you expect," he said, noting people in power can sometimes hide their actions because of their social status.
bmcvicar@intelligencer.ca
Updated February 9th, 2010
As news spread of the discovery of Jessica Lloyd's body -- and the subsequent arrest of CFB Trenton-8 Wing base commander Col. Russ Williams -- emotions ranging from shock to disbelief to grief were expressed by area residents.
Quinte residents started their day Monday to media reports indicating the 27-year-old city woman's body had been located and a suspect was in police custody. The story changed dramatically later in the day as it was learned Williams had been arrested not only for Lloyd's murder but also for the November 2009 homicide of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau and for two home invasions in Tweed where women were tied up, assaulted and photographed.
A joint press conference between the Ontario Provincial Police and the Belleville police service confirmed those details.
"It's a relief but it's also shocking to know there are people like that so close to our home," said Lisa Kerr, a Madoc resident who listened to the news conference at the Wally Dever Arena.
Kerr said she exercised caution following Lloyd's disappearance. All doors to her home were locked and her daughters, she said, were not permitted to walk to and from school.
Kerr's 14-year-old daughter, Emily, said news of the arrest was a relief but the incidents and Williams arrest have shaken her.
"It's scary knowing someone was that close and doing stuff like that," she said.
Linda Greer said her heart goes out to Lloyd's family. The 27-yearold's murder means her family and friends have suffered a terrible loss and, though a suspect has been arrested, it does not lessen their loss, she said.
The fact the suspect is such a high-ranking official in the military, Greer said, is not only shocking but disturbing.
"I'm glad they caught him and justice will be served," she said. "It's pathetic for a man of that position and authority to be doing that."
Williams' position in the military was also noted by Gerry Murphy. The Belleville man said he had been following the story of Lloyd's disappearance and was surprised to learn of the woman's death and the arrest.
"It's rather surprising that someone that high up in the military is that sick," Murphy said. "I think the police did a great job catching this guy before he could do it again."
Murphy said it is interesting to note Williams has been charged with the home invasions and the two homicides. The pattern, he said, appears to show a man who was escalating in his crimes.
Miles Fleming said he hopes the arrest will bring some "closure" to Lloyd's family. The crime may be surprising because of the size of the community, but it should remind people these types of crimes can happen anywhere, he said.
Lloyd's disappearance instilled fear in the community, he said, and Williams' arrest shows it is not always the people you suspect of committing the crimes who are actually the perpetrators.
"It's not always the people you expect," he said, noting people in power can sometimes hide their actions because of their social status.
bmcvicar@intelligencer.ca
Double murder
Posted By W. BRICE MCVICAR, THE INTELLIGENCER
Updated February 9th, 2010
Military and local communities here were stunned to learn Monday the most senior military officer at CFB Trenton is accused of being a murderer.
First-degree murder charges have been laid against 8 Wing/CFB Trenton commander Col. Russ Williams in the deaths of both Jessica Lloyd and Marie-France Comeau.
Members of the Ontario Provincial Police and the Belleville Police Service made the announcement during a joint press conference. Williams, 46, is also facing two counts of forcible confinement and two counts of break and enter and sexual assault in relation to two home invasions in Tweed late last year.
Williams was arrested Sunday in Ottawa at the home where his wife lives. Williams lived mostly in Trenton through the work week, but also spent time at the couple's summer home on Stoco Lake -- the cottage that was cordoned off Monday as a crime scene. The couple has no children.
The arrest came 11 days after 27-year-old Lloyd disappeared and three months after Comeau, a military flight attendant from CFB Trenton, was found murdered in her Brighton home in November.
Lloyd's body was located Sunday off Carry Road in Tweed. A post mortem is being scheduled to take place in Toronto.
Two women in the Tweed area had their homes broken into in September. They were assaulted, tied up and photographed in their bound state by their assailant. Williams is also charged in those crimes.
Few details of the investigation leading up to Williams' arrest were made available to media at Monday's press conference. OPP Det.-Insp. Chris Nicholas, however, said the arrest came as a result of information received during a canvass of motorists on Highway 37 late last week.
Nicholas said it was "due to the similarities" of the crimes committed against Comeau, Lloyd's disappearance and the assaults on women in Tweed that led police to believe the crimes were committed by the same individual. Those similarities include the "geography" of the crimes, though Nicholas said he could not divulge any further information for fear of compromising the ongoing investigation.
That investigation -- and protecting its integrity -- prevented Nicholas from answering a number of questions, he said. Queries regarding how Williams knew Lloyd and Comeau, how long Lloyd was in her murderer's company before being killed and whether Lloyd's disappearance was an "Internet crime" went unanswered due to the status of the investigation.
Williams has served with the Canadian Forces since 1987 and police confirmed they are looking into unsolved crimes in areas where he has served since then.
"We are certainly tracking the movements of where this man has been over the past several years and we're continuing on with our investigation," Nicholas said, adding that includes the 2001 murder of 19-year-old Kathleen MacVicar. MacVicar's body was found in Middleton Park, an on-base housing development for mostly military personnel, in 2001.
Williams was led into Belleville's Ontario Court at 15 Victoria Ave. Monday afternoon for a bail hearing by a phalanx of four Belleville criminal investigations branch officers and Insp. Mike Graham.
He shuffled in from the court holding cells wearing a blue jail coverall, manacled at the feet, hands cuffed behind him. Williams looked to the floor as conditions of his remand were heard. All the while, Lloyd's burly brother, Andy Lloyd, stared grimly at the man accused of killing his sister.
"Ought to shoot the f----ing pervert," muttered Andy Lloyd as Williams was led away moments later.
Williams said nothing, other than loudly and clearly reciting his name for the record and acknowledging the charges against him.
He has been remanded into custody until a video remand Feb. 18 at 9:30 a.m. in Belleville court.
A ban on publication has been issued on the identities of the women in the cases of sexual assault against Williams.
Outside the court, as a horde of television and print cameras tried in vain to capture an image of Williams being driven off to jail, a friend of Jessica Lloyd's looked on.
Crystal Wright, 27, said she had been a high school friend of Lloyd and had last spent time with her friend a week after the New Year when they shared a drink at a local nightclub.
"Somehow, people still don't feel safe," she said, looking on as the accused killer of her friend was whisked away in a police motorcade.
At the press conference earlier, Belleville police Chief Cory McMullan extended thanks to the community, businesses and police officers involved in the search for Lloyd. She read a prepared statement from Lloyd's brother, Andy, and her mother, Roxanne.
"We would like to thank all of our family, friends and co-workers for their unwavering love and support over the past 11 days. Thanks to everyone who helped search for Jessica and to those who created and printed the banners, posters and flyers and to all family and friends who distributed them. Thanks to the many companies who assisted in making sure Jessica's picture was everywhere," McMullan read.
The family also thanked police officers who worked on the case and requested their privacy be respected.
"These results must be bittersweet for the families, however, the knowledge that this has been solved is the beginning to the healing and grieving process," McMullan said.
(With files from Jerome Lessard, Trentonian) bmcvicar@intelligencer.ca
Updated February 9th, 2010
Military and local communities here were stunned to learn Monday the most senior military officer at CFB Trenton is accused of being a murderer.
First-degree murder charges have been laid against 8 Wing/CFB Trenton commander Col. Russ Williams in the deaths of both Jessica Lloyd and Marie-France Comeau.
Members of the Ontario Provincial Police and the Belleville Police Service made the announcement during a joint press conference. Williams, 46, is also facing two counts of forcible confinement and two counts of break and enter and sexual assault in relation to two home invasions in Tweed late last year.
Williams was arrested Sunday in Ottawa at the home where his wife lives. Williams lived mostly in Trenton through the work week, but also spent time at the couple's summer home on Stoco Lake -- the cottage that was cordoned off Monday as a crime scene. The couple has no children.
The arrest came 11 days after 27-year-old Lloyd disappeared and three months after Comeau, a military flight attendant from CFB Trenton, was found murdered in her Brighton home in November.
Lloyd's body was located Sunday off Carry Road in Tweed. A post mortem is being scheduled to take place in Toronto.
Two women in the Tweed area had their homes broken into in September. They were assaulted, tied up and photographed in their bound state by their assailant. Williams is also charged in those crimes.
Few details of the investigation leading up to Williams' arrest were made available to media at Monday's press conference. OPP Det.-Insp. Chris Nicholas, however, said the arrest came as a result of information received during a canvass of motorists on Highway 37 late last week.
Nicholas said it was "due to the similarities" of the crimes committed against Comeau, Lloyd's disappearance and the assaults on women in Tweed that led police to believe the crimes were committed by the same individual. Those similarities include the "geography" of the crimes, though Nicholas said he could not divulge any further information for fear of compromising the ongoing investigation.
That investigation -- and protecting its integrity -- prevented Nicholas from answering a number of questions, he said. Queries regarding how Williams knew Lloyd and Comeau, how long Lloyd was in her murderer's company before being killed and whether Lloyd's disappearance was an "Internet crime" went unanswered due to the status of the investigation.
Williams has served with the Canadian Forces since 1987 and police confirmed they are looking into unsolved crimes in areas where he has served since then.
"We are certainly tracking the movements of where this man has been over the past several years and we're continuing on with our investigation," Nicholas said, adding that includes the 2001 murder of 19-year-old Kathleen MacVicar. MacVicar's body was found in Middleton Park, an on-base housing development for mostly military personnel, in 2001.
Williams was led into Belleville's Ontario Court at 15 Victoria Ave. Monday afternoon for a bail hearing by a phalanx of four Belleville criminal investigations branch officers and Insp. Mike Graham.
He shuffled in from the court holding cells wearing a blue jail coverall, manacled at the feet, hands cuffed behind him. Williams looked to the floor as conditions of his remand were heard. All the while, Lloyd's burly brother, Andy Lloyd, stared grimly at the man accused of killing his sister.
"Ought to shoot the f----ing pervert," muttered Andy Lloyd as Williams was led away moments later.
Williams said nothing, other than loudly and clearly reciting his name for the record and acknowledging the charges against him.
He has been remanded into custody until a video remand Feb. 18 at 9:30 a.m. in Belleville court.
A ban on publication has been issued on the identities of the women in the cases of sexual assault against Williams.
Outside the court, as a horde of television and print cameras tried in vain to capture an image of Williams being driven off to jail, a friend of Jessica Lloyd's looked on.
Crystal Wright, 27, said she had been a high school friend of Lloyd and had last spent time with her friend a week after the New Year when they shared a drink at a local nightclub.
"Somehow, people still don't feel safe," she said, looking on as the accused killer of her friend was whisked away in a police motorcade.
At the press conference earlier, Belleville police Chief Cory McMullan extended thanks to the community, businesses and police officers involved in the search for Lloyd. She read a prepared statement from Lloyd's brother, Andy, and her mother, Roxanne.
"We would like to thank all of our family, friends and co-workers for their unwavering love and support over the past 11 days. Thanks to everyone who helped search for Jessica and to those who created and printed the banners, posters and flyers and to all family and friends who distributed them. Thanks to the many companies who assisted in making sure Jessica's picture was everywhere," McMullan read.
The family also thanked police officers who worked on the case and requested their privacy be respected.
"These results must be bittersweet for the families, however, the knowledge that this has been solved is the beginning to the healing and grieving process," McMullan said.
(With files from Jerome Lessard, Trentonian) bmcvicar@intelligencer.ca
About Col. Russ Williams
Posted By LUKE HENDRY, THE INTELLIGENCER
Posted February 9th, 2010
As the top officer of Canada's largest air force base, Col. David Russ Williams is a familiar face in the Quinte region.
Williams, 46, is married to Mary Elizabeth Harriman. They have no children.
Williams is quiet and at times awkward, yet personable.
In an Intelligencer interview in January, he appeared relaxed, focused and happy with his job as base commander, a role he has held since July.
"It's been outstanding," he said. "It's been a lot of fun but very, very busy. What has really impressed me in the last few months is how outstanding the support from the local community continues to be. I can think of very few events that have been anything less than positive."
The job of base commander requires an officer to be a visible public figure: the commander is host of an annual public golf tournament and Christmas reception, takes part in charity events and speaks to municipal councils and service clubs.
Williams also was one of Trenton's Olympic torch bearers during the flame's 2009 pass through the region. More recently, he oversaw aid flights to Haiti and escorted defence minister Peter MacKay and Gen. Walt Natynczyk, Canada's chief of defence staff, around the base.
His military resumé is relatively unremarkable for an officer of his rank: he's flown with various squadrons and has had some administrative desk jobs in Ottawa.
The officer earned a degree in economics and political science from the University of Toronto.
He enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1987 and earned his pilot's wings in 1990.
Williams was a flight instructor with 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Portage la Prairie, Man.
He was stationed with 434 Combat Support Squadron in Shearwater, N.S., where he flew the CC-144 Challenger, a small passenger jet, for coastal patrol and electronic warfare, such as disrupting enemy communications.
Williams was eventually transferred to 412 Transport Squadron. Though technically a Trenton unit, its Challengers are based in Ottawa. It was with this squadron that Williams began piloting VIPs to various destinations.
A promotion to major came in 1999 along with a job as a career manager for military pilots of multi-engine planes.
Williams studied in Kingston's Royal Military College command and staff course from August 2003 to 2004, earning a Master of Defence Studies before being promoted to lieutenant-colonel.
He was given command of Trenton's 437 "Husky" Transport Squadron in 2004.
His duties with 437 Squadron also included flying high-profile Canadian dignitaries around the globe in the squadron's specially-equipped CC-150 Polaris, a modified version of the Airbus A310.
Though it's not clear just which VIPs were aboard those flights, the squadron is routinely assigned to high-profile missions in which prime ministers and the governor general travel the world.
After departing Trenton, Williams worked with the military's Directorate of Air Requirements where, in 2006, he began serving as a project director. There, he was involved in the studies on Canada's needs for heavy-lift aircraft, the new CC-130J Hercules and CC-177 Globemaster III transports and other search and rescue planes.
Williams took command of CFB Trenton and 8 Wing, the base's air force element on July 14, 2009.
The base is the air force's transportation hub, with virtually all personnel and cargo going to and from Canada passing through Trenton. The base is also a major employer and in the midst of nearly $1 billion in infrastructure development.
Williams said in January that development boom was an obvious good-news story but the disruptions it causes can be distracting for staff.
"We just need to keep our eyes on the ball so that our operations don't suffer," Williams said.
"My main concern is that we're able to continue operations, which is the reason we're here, but at the same time make sure that people are keeping in mind that they ought not get too distracted by the day-to-day inconveniences."
His official military biography described Williams as an athlete and photographer.
Asked in an interview what he liked to photograph, Williams fumbled a little before responding with a laugh that he had many pictures of his car, including one he kept on his Blackberry. He said he also enjoyed photographing nature scenes.
- - -
Colonel David Russell Williams?
-Williams enrolled in the Canadian Force in 1987, after obtaining an economic and political science degree from the University of Toronto
-After receiving his wings in 1990, Williams was posted to 434 (Combat Support) Squadron in Shearwater, NS, where he flew the CC144 Challenger. Later he was posted to the 412 Transport Squadron in Ottawa where he fly the Challenger, this time in the VIP transport role.
-From August 2003 to 2004, Williams obtained a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College.
-Following a promotion to Lt. col. in June 2005, he was appointed Commanding Officer of 437 Transport Squadron. He held the post for two years, serving for six months as commanding Officer, Theatre Support Element at camp mirage.
-In 2006, Williams was posted to the Directorate of Air Requirements where he served as project director for the airlift capability projects.
-Williams took command of 8 Wing/CFB Trenton at a ceremony on July 14, 2009.
-He is married, but Williams and his wife, who lives in Ottawa, have no children.
Posted February 9th, 2010
As the top officer of Canada's largest air force base, Col. David Russ Williams is a familiar face in the Quinte region.
Williams, 46, is married to Mary Elizabeth Harriman. They have no children.
Williams is quiet and at times awkward, yet personable.
In an Intelligencer interview in January, he appeared relaxed, focused and happy with his job as base commander, a role he has held since July.
"It's been outstanding," he said. "It's been a lot of fun but very, very busy. What has really impressed me in the last few months is how outstanding the support from the local community continues to be. I can think of very few events that have been anything less than positive."
The job of base commander requires an officer to be a visible public figure: the commander is host of an annual public golf tournament and Christmas reception, takes part in charity events and speaks to municipal councils and service clubs.
Williams also was one of Trenton's Olympic torch bearers during the flame's 2009 pass through the region. More recently, he oversaw aid flights to Haiti and escorted defence minister Peter MacKay and Gen. Walt Natynczyk, Canada's chief of defence staff, around the base.
His military resumé is relatively unremarkable for an officer of his rank: he's flown with various squadrons and has had some administrative desk jobs in Ottawa.
The officer earned a degree in economics and political science from the University of Toronto.
He enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1987 and earned his pilot's wings in 1990.
Williams was a flight instructor with 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Portage la Prairie, Man.
He was stationed with 434 Combat Support Squadron in Shearwater, N.S., where he flew the CC-144 Challenger, a small passenger jet, for coastal patrol and electronic warfare, such as disrupting enemy communications.
Williams was eventually transferred to 412 Transport Squadron. Though technically a Trenton unit, its Challengers are based in Ottawa. It was with this squadron that Williams began piloting VIPs to various destinations.
A promotion to major came in 1999 along with a job as a career manager for military pilots of multi-engine planes.
Williams studied in Kingston's Royal Military College command and staff course from August 2003 to 2004, earning a Master of Defence Studies before being promoted to lieutenant-colonel.
He was given command of Trenton's 437 "Husky" Transport Squadron in 2004.
His duties with 437 Squadron also included flying high-profile Canadian dignitaries around the globe in the squadron's specially-equipped CC-150 Polaris, a modified version of the Airbus A310.
Though it's not clear just which VIPs were aboard those flights, the squadron is routinely assigned to high-profile missions in which prime ministers and the governor general travel the world.
After departing Trenton, Williams worked with the military's Directorate of Air Requirements where, in 2006, he began serving as a project director. There, he was involved in the studies on Canada's needs for heavy-lift aircraft, the new CC-130J Hercules and CC-177 Globemaster III transports and other search and rescue planes.
Williams took command of CFB Trenton and 8 Wing, the base's air force element on July 14, 2009.
The base is the air force's transportation hub, with virtually all personnel and cargo going to and from Canada passing through Trenton. The base is also a major employer and in the midst of nearly $1 billion in infrastructure development.
Williams said in January that development boom was an obvious good-news story but the disruptions it causes can be distracting for staff.
"We just need to keep our eyes on the ball so that our operations don't suffer," Williams said.
"My main concern is that we're able to continue operations, which is the reason we're here, but at the same time make sure that people are keeping in mind that they ought not get too distracted by the day-to-day inconveniences."
His official military biography described Williams as an athlete and photographer.
Asked in an interview what he liked to photograph, Williams fumbled a little before responding with a laugh that he had many pictures of his car, including one he kept on his Blackberry. He said he also enjoyed photographing nature scenes.
- - -
Colonel David Russell Williams?
-Williams enrolled in the Canadian Force in 1987, after obtaining an economic and political science degree from the University of Toronto
-After receiving his wings in 1990, Williams was posted to 434 (Combat Support) Squadron in Shearwater, NS, where he flew the CC144 Challenger. Later he was posted to the 412 Transport Squadron in Ottawa where he fly the Challenger, this time in the VIP transport role.
-From August 2003 to 2004, Williams obtained a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College.
-Following a promotion to Lt. col. in June 2005, he was appointed Commanding Officer of 437 Transport Squadron. He held the post for two years, serving for six months as commanding Officer, Theatre Support Element at camp mirage.
-In 2006, Williams was posted to the Directorate of Air Requirements where he served as project director for the airlift capability projects.
-Williams took command of 8 Wing/CFB Trenton at a ceremony on July 14, 2009.
-He is married, but Williams and his wife, who lives in Ottawa, have no children.
Murders not a reflection on military
Posted By ERNST KUGLIN, QMI AGENCY
Posted February 9th, 2010
The military is struggling to come to grips with the stunning arrest of Col. Russ Williams, now the former commanding officer of 8 Wing.
At a press conference Monday evening, Gen. Yvan Blondin, Commander of 1 Air Division, said base personnel at Trenton are in a state of shock.
Ultimately, in the chain of command, Blondin is Williams' boss, despite the fact he didn't know the base commander well.
"There are a lot of mixed emotions right now,'' said Blondin. "Marie France Comeau (whom Williams is charged with murdering) is one of us.
"Today we learned one of us is charged with the crime. It's shocking. How do we reconcile that?''
It was a question Blondin couldn't immediately answer.
But the general said that base personnel are part of the broader Quinte community.
"This affects people on both sides. We are a big part of the community.''
Blondin wasted little time in saying the murder charges against one of their own was not a reflection of the Air Force or the military.
"Whoever did the crimes ... it was the act of an individual,'' said Blondin.
The general said there was nothing in Williams' personal file to suggest he shouldn't have been picked for a top command posting.
"When we pick people for command, we observe them closely. We look for extraordinary people. That's why Williams was picked as a wing commander.''
Blondin said he personally didn't know Williams.
"But from his file, he (Williams) was a shining example of leadership,'' he said. "Right now we don't know what to think.''
Lt. Col. Dave Murphy, 8 Wing Operations Office, is now 8 Wing's acting commanding officer.
Top ranking officers spent most of Monday talking to base personnel.
They say troop morale at the base is high despite the arrest of their commanding officer and ongoing round the clock operations.
"We, everyone were both surprised and shocked to find out about the arrest. Base personnel are trying to absorb what has happened,'' said Murphy. "Right now we are trying to focus on the job at hand -- the Olympics, Haiti and Afghanistan.''
Base officials will meet with their civilian counterparts as soon as possible in an effort to maintain close relations.
The base has close ties with communities in the Quinte region.
"We were all taken aback with the news. Our hearts go out to family members and friends of the victims. It's extremely important to communicate with the community.''
Blondin said he couldn't comment on the details surrounding the police investigation.
"We are relying on the Canadian justice system ... our priority is the people of 8 Wing, the busiest Air Force base in Canada,'' he said.
"They are members of the military and local community. They are neighbours and friends.''
Posted February 9th, 2010
The military is struggling to come to grips with the stunning arrest of Col. Russ Williams, now the former commanding officer of 8 Wing.
At a press conference Monday evening, Gen. Yvan Blondin, Commander of 1 Air Division, said base personnel at Trenton are in a state of shock.
Ultimately, in the chain of command, Blondin is Williams' boss, despite the fact he didn't know the base commander well.
"There are a lot of mixed emotions right now,'' said Blondin. "Marie France Comeau (whom Williams is charged with murdering) is one of us.
"Today we learned one of us is charged with the crime. It's shocking. How do we reconcile that?''
It was a question Blondin couldn't immediately answer.
But the general said that base personnel are part of the broader Quinte community.
"This affects people on both sides. We are a big part of the community.''
Blondin wasted little time in saying the murder charges against one of their own was not a reflection of the Air Force or the military.
"Whoever did the crimes ... it was the act of an individual,'' said Blondin.
The general said there was nothing in Williams' personal file to suggest he shouldn't have been picked for a top command posting.
"When we pick people for command, we observe them closely. We look for extraordinary people. That's why Williams was picked as a wing commander.''
Blondin said he personally didn't know Williams.
"But from his file, he (Williams) was a shining example of leadership,'' he said. "Right now we don't know what to think.''
Lt. Col. Dave Murphy, 8 Wing Operations Office, is now 8 Wing's acting commanding officer.
Top ranking officers spent most of Monday talking to base personnel.
They say troop morale at the base is high despite the arrest of their commanding officer and ongoing round the clock operations.
"We, everyone were both surprised and shocked to find out about the arrest. Base personnel are trying to absorb what has happened,'' said Murphy. "Right now we are trying to focus on the job at hand -- the Olympics, Haiti and Afghanistan.''
Base officials will meet with their civilian counterparts as soon as possible in an effort to maintain close relations.
The base has close ties with communities in the Quinte region.
"We were all taken aback with the news. Our hearts go out to family members and friends of the victims. It's extremely important to communicate with the community.''
Blondin said he couldn't comment on the details surrounding the police investigation.
"We are relying on the Canadian justice system ... our priority is the people of 8 Wing, the busiest Air Force base in Canada,'' he said.
"They are members of the military and local community. They are neighbours and friends.''
Neighbours of Brighton woman reeling at arrest
Posted By JOYCE CASSIN, QMI AGENCY
Posted February 9th, 2010
Neighbours of a murdered Canadian Forces woman are reeling at news the CFB Trenton base commander has been charged with her murder.
"I'm shocked," Jocelyn Kieffer, a next-door neighbour of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, said Monday. "We're almost all military families on this street."
Police announced Monday they charged 8 Wing CFB Trenton base commander Col. Russ Williams with the first-degree murder of Comeau and Jessica Lloyd of Belleville.
Williams, 46, was also charged with two separate sexual assault and home invasions that took place in the Tweed area in September.
Comeau, 37, a flight attendant at 437 (Transport) Squadron, was found murdered Nov. 25, 2009 at her Raglan Street home in Brighton.
To "protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation," police will concede only geography linked the incidents.
Kieffer said she is relieved Williams was arrested, but is having a difficult time dealing with the fact he is the base commander and, therefore, someone they all trusted.
"There are no words I can put into how I feel right now," Kieffer said. "I've known other base commanders and it's not something you think can happen."
Kieffer is single and turned 20 two days after the Comeau murder.
"It's not easy to deal with," the Raglan Street resident said. "Our homes are just two feet apart."
Terry Alexander, a neighbour across the street from the Comeau residence, said he's glad the situation is coming to an end.
"I hope the case is closed and we feel safe now," Alexander said. "We moved away from Mississauga to get away from this type of thing and here it is happening at my front door."
Northumberland OPP Staff-Sgt. Phil Pike said there would be no comment from the local detachment.
Members of the Northumberland OPP conducted a door-to-door investigation throughout last week, but Pike would not reveal whether their investigation contributed anything to the arrest of Williams.
Posted February 9th, 2010
Neighbours of a murdered Canadian Forces woman are reeling at news the CFB Trenton base commander has been charged with her murder.
"I'm shocked," Jocelyn Kieffer, a next-door neighbour of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, said Monday. "We're almost all military families on this street."
Police announced Monday they charged 8 Wing CFB Trenton base commander Col. Russ Williams with the first-degree murder of Comeau and Jessica Lloyd of Belleville.
Williams, 46, was also charged with two separate sexual assault and home invasions that took place in the Tweed area in September.
Comeau, 37, a flight attendant at 437 (Transport) Squadron, was found murdered Nov. 25, 2009 at her Raglan Street home in Brighton.
To "protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation," police will concede only geography linked the incidents.
Kieffer said she is relieved Williams was arrested, but is having a difficult time dealing with the fact he is the base commander and, therefore, someone they all trusted.
"There are no words I can put into how I feel right now," Kieffer said. "I've known other base commanders and it's not something you think can happen."
Kieffer is single and turned 20 two days after the Comeau murder.
"It's not easy to deal with," the Raglan Street resident said. "Our homes are just two feet apart."
Terry Alexander, a neighbour across the street from the Comeau residence, said he's glad the situation is coming to an end.
"I hope the case is closed and we feel safe now," Alexander said. "We moved away from Mississauga to get away from this type of thing and here it is happening at my front door."
Northumberland OPP Staff-Sgt. Phil Pike said there would be no comment from the local detachment.
Members of the Northumberland OPP conducted a door-to-door investigation throughout last week, but Pike would not reveal whether their investigation contributed anything to the arrest of Williams.
Quinte West in shock
Posted By ERNEST KUGLIN AND EMILY MOUNTNEY, QMI AGENCY
Posted February 9th, 2010
News that the commanding officer of Canada's largest air force base has been arrested on two counts of first degree murder came as a shock to its host community.
People in offices with televisions watched the live news conference about the arrest of Col. Russ Williams in disbelief. Others watched streaming video on computers.
To say the host civilian community and the base are closely interlinked is an understatement. There's also an emotional attachment with the base, mainly due to repatriation services of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
Forces personnel shopping at the base CANEX store refused to talk about the arrest of Williams, who has been base commander for about seven months.
"I don't want to comment ... I don't think so,'' said a soldier who asked not to be identified.
But, civilians in the community could barely contain their anger and disbelief.
"It's shocking. It's very sad, for the girls and for their families. How can someone of authority do something like this? He had earned the right to be respected, and no one would question that person's authority. Everyone trusted him," said Maggie George, a business owner in downtown Trenton.
The Chief of Air Staff, Lt.-Gen. André Deschamps, issued a formal statement about one hour after Monday's police press conference. Deschamps himself was a former wing commander at CFB Trenton.
"As Chief of the Air Staff, I take very seriously all allegations of service or criminal offences against one of our members. Although one is considered innocent until proven guilty, in light of the seriousness of the charges, and in consideration of the high level of responsibilities attached to the position of Wing Commander, an interim Wing Commander for 8 Wing Trenton will soon be appointed,'' said Deschamps.
8 Wing public affairs officer Capt. Annie Morin said the mood at the sprawling base is one of shock.
The majority of base personnel found out their boss had been arrested like anyone else -- through media outlets.
"Right now I'm speechless. We're all shocked by what has happened,'' she said.
Trenton Mayor John Williams was shocked as well. The mayor spoke regularly with Col. Russ Williams.
Despite Williams' high profile position in both the military and civilian communities, the mayor said his military counterpart seemed to keep a relatively low profile.
"Not in the sense that he didn't attend public functions, but in the sense that I found him really quiet. He seemed uncomfortable with speaking to groups of people,'' said the mayor. "I found it hard to talk to him on a personal level. Mostly it was all business.''
Williams said the reverberations surrounding the arrest and the continuing police investigation will be felt by the community for a long time.
"Put it this way, our community and CFB Trenton are interwoven. I know he's innocent until proven guilty, but nonetheless this is unbelievable. It's shocking,'' said Williams.
"I feel for the base personnel and I want them to know the arrest does not change the city's relationship with the base.''
Williams learned the base commander had been arrested just hours before his name was officially released at a news conference.
"I couldn't believe what I was hearing,'' said the mayor.
He last spoke with the 8-Wing commander Feb. 4.
"We talked regularly, sometimes three or four times a week. We were at a meeting to discuss the proposed memorial wall in Trenton for those soldiers killed in Afghanistan,'' he said.
At a local high school, both students and staff were also in shock.
More than 32 per cent of St. Paul Secondary School's student population have parents who are in the military.
"Both students and parents are a huge, integral part of our school community,'' said principal Marilynne Senese.
"We want them to know that we are here to support them in any way we can.''
The school has worked closely with the base on projects such as Habitat for Humanity, co-operative programs and air cadets.
A number of school staff watched video feed of the police press conference on computers. Senese added the school did not make a formal announcement to students regarding the arrest.
The school does have a youth officer trained to work with students and parents.
Quinte West is home to dozens of retired high-ranking Air Force officers.
Lt.-Col. (Ret.) Chris Colton knew Williams prior to retiring in 2002. As the executive director of the National Air Force Museum of Canada, located at CFB Trenton, Colton regularly talked to the base commander.
"You expect someone who sits in a position of authority to be beyond reproach,'' said Colton.
As a wing commander, Colton said the position touches just about every facet of both military and civilian public life.
He said Williams had just become of member of the Trenton Rotary Club.
"To think about all the local people that he (Williams) has dealt with. This is really difficult to process right now,'' said Colton.
Although there have been incidents where criminal charges have been laid against military personnel at CFB Trenton, Colton can't remember an incident of this magnitude occurring.
In his statement, Deschamps said the Air Force is supporting civilian authorities as the investigation continues.
"I am certain that Air Force personnel at 8 Wing will carry on with their duties, displaying the usual level of professionalism and sense of duty that they have always shown in the past. We will ensure that the Wing leadership and personnel are supported throughout this difficult period,'' he said.
"This situation affects us all and I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those affected by these tragic events.''
Deschamps added a review will be initiated by 1 Canadian Air Division, in Winnipeg, to determine the most appropriate action to take regarding Williams pending the outcome of the trial.
Posted February 9th, 2010
News that the commanding officer of Canada's largest air force base has been arrested on two counts of first degree murder came as a shock to its host community.
People in offices with televisions watched the live news conference about the arrest of Col. Russ Williams in disbelief. Others watched streaming video on computers.
To say the host civilian community and the base are closely interlinked is an understatement. There's also an emotional attachment with the base, mainly due to repatriation services of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
Forces personnel shopping at the base CANEX store refused to talk about the arrest of Williams, who has been base commander for about seven months.
"I don't want to comment ... I don't think so,'' said a soldier who asked not to be identified.
But, civilians in the community could barely contain their anger and disbelief.
"It's shocking. It's very sad, for the girls and for their families. How can someone of authority do something like this? He had earned the right to be respected, and no one would question that person's authority. Everyone trusted him," said Maggie George, a business owner in downtown Trenton.
The Chief of Air Staff, Lt.-Gen. André Deschamps, issued a formal statement about one hour after Monday's police press conference. Deschamps himself was a former wing commander at CFB Trenton.
"As Chief of the Air Staff, I take very seriously all allegations of service or criminal offences against one of our members. Although one is considered innocent until proven guilty, in light of the seriousness of the charges, and in consideration of the high level of responsibilities attached to the position of Wing Commander, an interim Wing Commander for 8 Wing Trenton will soon be appointed,'' said Deschamps.
8 Wing public affairs officer Capt. Annie Morin said the mood at the sprawling base is one of shock.
The majority of base personnel found out their boss had been arrested like anyone else -- through media outlets.
"Right now I'm speechless. We're all shocked by what has happened,'' she said.
Trenton Mayor John Williams was shocked as well. The mayor spoke regularly with Col. Russ Williams.
Despite Williams' high profile position in both the military and civilian communities, the mayor said his military counterpart seemed to keep a relatively low profile.
"Not in the sense that he didn't attend public functions, but in the sense that I found him really quiet. He seemed uncomfortable with speaking to groups of people,'' said the mayor. "I found it hard to talk to him on a personal level. Mostly it was all business.''
Williams said the reverberations surrounding the arrest and the continuing police investigation will be felt by the community for a long time.
"Put it this way, our community and CFB Trenton are interwoven. I know he's innocent until proven guilty, but nonetheless this is unbelievable. It's shocking,'' said Williams.
"I feel for the base personnel and I want them to know the arrest does not change the city's relationship with the base.''
Williams learned the base commander had been arrested just hours before his name was officially released at a news conference.
"I couldn't believe what I was hearing,'' said the mayor.
He last spoke with the 8-Wing commander Feb. 4.
"We talked regularly, sometimes three or four times a week. We were at a meeting to discuss the proposed memorial wall in Trenton for those soldiers killed in Afghanistan,'' he said.
At a local high school, both students and staff were also in shock.
More than 32 per cent of St. Paul Secondary School's student population have parents who are in the military.
"Both students and parents are a huge, integral part of our school community,'' said principal Marilynne Senese.
"We want them to know that we are here to support them in any way we can.''
The school has worked closely with the base on projects such as Habitat for Humanity, co-operative programs and air cadets.
A number of school staff watched video feed of the police press conference on computers. Senese added the school did not make a formal announcement to students regarding the arrest.
The school does have a youth officer trained to work with students and parents.
Quinte West is home to dozens of retired high-ranking Air Force officers.
Lt.-Col. (Ret.) Chris Colton knew Williams prior to retiring in 2002. As the executive director of the National Air Force Museum of Canada, located at CFB Trenton, Colton regularly talked to the base commander.
"You expect someone who sits in a position of authority to be beyond reproach,'' said Colton.
As a wing commander, Colton said the position touches just about every facet of both military and civilian public life.
He said Williams had just become of member of the Trenton Rotary Club.
"To think about all the local people that he (Williams) has dealt with. This is really difficult to process right now,'' said Colton.
Although there have been incidents where criminal charges have been laid against military personnel at CFB Trenton, Colton can't remember an incident of this magnitude occurring.
In his statement, Deschamps said the Air Force is supporting civilian authorities as the investigation continues.
"I am certain that Air Force personnel at 8 Wing will carry on with their duties, displaying the usual level of professionalism and sense of duty that they have always shown in the past. We will ensure that the Wing leadership and personnel are supported throughout this difficult period,'' he said.
"This situation affects us all and I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those affected by these tragic events.''
Deschamps added a review will be initiated by 1 Canadian Air Division, in Winnipeg, to determine the most appropriate action to take regarding Williams pending the outcome of the trial.
Tweed residents angry, relieved
Posted By JANET RICHARDS, MARIL SWAN, QMI AGENCY
Posted February 9th, 2010
The discovery of Jessica Lloyd's body near here was the topic of conversation virtually everywhere in the village Monday.
The picture and description of the 27-year-old who disappeared 11 days ago had been posted on lamp-posts in the village ever since her disappearance.
Reeve Jo-Anne Albert, who said she had never met Col Russ Williams, expressed the dismay of the residents of this quiet village.
"I watched the news conference," she said. "We're all very upset. My heart goes out to the families (of the victims)."
LCBO employee Lori Boldrick said she and her boyfriend had made the posters and had them photocopied at By The Way Coffee Shop and The Tweed News, both businesses having done the work for free.
"Tweed has been very supportive," said Boldrick, whose boyfriend is a close friend of Andy Lloyd, older brother of the victim.
At the local coffee shop, there was shock and sadness, especially at such a terrible conclusion to the search for Lloyd.
One man said he worked at the Trenton air base, but had never met the base commander who has been charged with Lloyd's murder. Shaking his head, he was incredulous that such a high-ranking officer could do such a thing.
"He was just installed last July," the man said.
Throughout Tweed, the reaction was sometimes angry, sometimes subdued, often relieved.
Vicky Chartrand was blunt. "I'm shocked. We just moved here in July. I will not walk my dog by myself even though they caught him. This is such a small town, it's awful, and him being commander at Trenton."
Greg Croucher said maybe the community can find some peace in the fact arrests have been made, despite the tragic ending in the search for Lloyd.
"We've been concerned since the two break-ins in September because they never did catch anyone," said Croucher. "It's good there's a few incidents tied up now. And it shows it really can be anyone."
"I don't think you'd run into anyone today not talking about it," said resident Rick Lynch. "It's nice to see they finally have somebody pegged, we have to let the justice system play its part.
"We found out some locals were taken in for questioning in respect to the incidents in Cosy Cove, it's nice to have their names cleared. There's been a lot of police presence the past couple of days. People have been nervous, but we're all happy to see some kind of closure for friends and family."
Mike Vance said "it's nice to have some closure, as sad as it is for the family and friends. It's nice to see the police presence and how well they have worked together -- city police, military police and OPP.
"It's good to clear the names of those who were involved beforehand and hopefully restore them. In a small town there is all kinds of talk. Deepest condolences to family and friends."
Still, some say they have been scarred by the experience.
"I don't feel safe in Tweed anymore," said Sharrese McEwen. "I've lived here my whole life and I always thought Tweed was such a quiet little town we never used to lock our doors.
"Now I'm afraid to go out at night. The big topic of today is how people don't feel safe in Tweed knowing how things can escalate in such a short time. It's not right."
Posted February 9th, 2010
The discovery of Jessica Lloyd's body near here was the topic of conversation virtually everywhere in the village Monday.
The picture and description of the 27-year-old who disappeared 11 days ago had been posted on lamp-posts in the village ever since her disappearance.
Reeve Jo-Anne Albert, who said she had never met Col Russ Williams, expressed the dismay of the residents of this quiet village.
"I watched the news conference," she said. "We're all very upset. My heart goes out to the families (of the victims)."
LCBO employee Lori Boldrick said she and her boyfriend had made the posters and had them photocopied at By The Way Coffee Shop and The Tweed News, both businesses having done the work for free.
"Tweed has been very supportive," said Boldrick, whose boyfriend is a close friend of Andy Lloyd, older brother of the victim.
At the local coffee shop, there was shock and sadness, especially at such a terrible conclusion to the search for Lloyd.
One man said he worked at the Trenton air base, but had never met the base commander who has been charged with Lloyd's murder. Shaking his head, he was incredulous that such a high-ranking officer could do such a thing.
"He was just installed last July," the man said.
Throughout Tweed, the reaction was sometimes angry, sometimes subdued, often relieved.
Vicky Chartrand was blunt. "I'm shocked. We just moved here in July. I will not walk my dog by myself even though they caught him. This is such a small town, it's awful, and him being commander at Trenton."
Greg Croucher said maybe the community can find some peace in the fact arrests have been made, despite the tragic ending in the search for Lloyd.
"We've been concerned since the two break-ins in September because they never did catch anyone," said Croucher. "It's good there's a few incidents tied up now. And it shows it really can be anyone."
"I don't think you'd run into anyone today not talking about it," said resident Rick Lynch. "It's nice to see they finally have somebody pegged, we have to let the justice system play its part.
"We found out some locals were taken in for questioning in respect to the incidents in Cosy Cove, it's nice to have their names cleared. There's been a lot of police presence the past couple of days. People have been nervous, but we're all happy to see some kind of closure for friends and family."
Mike Vance said "it's nice to have some closure, as sad as it is for the family and friends. It's nice to see the police presence and how well they have worked together -- city police, military police and OPP.
"It's good to clear the names of those who were involved beforehand and hopefully restore them. In a small town there is all kinds of talk. Deepest condolences to family and friends."
Still, some say they have been scarred by the experience.
"I don't feel safe in Tweed anymore," said Sharrese McEwen. "I've lived here my whole life and I always thought Tweed was such a quiet little town we never used to lock our doors.
"Now I'm afraid to go out at night. The big topic of today is how people don't feel safe in Tweed knowing how things can escalate in such a short time. It's not right."
Williams rose quickly through ranks
High-Profile Posts
Mary Vallis, National Post
Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010
By all accounts, Colonel Russ Williams was an ambitious military man. He rose quickly through the ranks to top roles that allowed him to meet the Queen, greet the Olympic torch, fly with Canada's most important dignitaries and preside over a massive relief effort to help victims of Haiti's earthquake.
The pilot and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, have been renovating a house in Ottawa, police said at a press conference yesterday. The couple, both avid golfers, also have a cottage in Tweed, Ont., which was cordoned off with police tape yesterday as investigators continued to probe the military man's alleged involvement in the murders of two women, one of whom was a soldier at Canadian Forces Base Trenton.
Col. Williams assumed command of 8 Wing Trenton in July 2009, after 22 years with the Canadian Forces. He was promoted to his current rank just six months earlier.
"These are exciting times for the air force," Col. Williams, former commander of Trenton's 437 "Husky" Transport Squadron, said at the time. "I am confident that the team here is up to the task and I look forward to getting right into that work."
According to an official biography published by the Department of National Defence, Col. Williams was also a "keen photographer," a fisherman and runner. The fitness of his troops was one of his top priorities.
"Fitness is vital," he told The Contact, CFB Trenton's base newspaper, when he took up his current role. "The Air Force has changed a lot in the past 10 years, in terms of the types of operations we conduct and support, and I think it's become very obvious to all of us that we need to step into operations on short notice. And that is only going to be easier if each of us is in good physical and mental condition."
His accomplished career began in 1987, after he graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in economics and enrolled in the Canadian Forces. Within three years, he earned his wings and worked as an instructor on the CT-134 Beech Musketeer at 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Portage la Prairie, Man.
By 1992, Col. Williams had moved across the country to CFB Shearwater in Nova Scotia, where he patrolled the coast in a CC144 Challenger, a type of airplane that is also used to fly dignitaries such as the prime minister and governor-general. Indeed, Col. Williams moved to Ottawa and took up that role with the 412 Transport Squadron before he was posted to Director General Military Careers.
After graduating with a Master in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and became Commanding Officer of 437 Squadron at CFB Trenton. During his two years in the post, he served for six months as the Commanding Officer Theatre Support Element for Camp Mirage, a secret military base in the Middle East.
As his string of high-profile postings continued, Col. Williams enrolled in French language training in Gatineau, Que., and was promoted to Colonel. In an interview with The Contact about his new role, Col. Williams remained humble.
"Certainly, I was keen to get the opportunity, but you never know," he said. "There are a number of qualified people who could do the job, and that's why I say that I feel very fortunate to have been appointed."
Mary Vallis, National Post
Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010
By all accounts, Colonel Russ Williams was an ambitious military man. He rose quickly through the ranks to top roles that allowed him to meet the Queen, greet the Olympic torch, fly with Canada's most important dignitaries and preside over a massive relief effort to help victims of Haiti's earthquake.
The pilot and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, have been renovating a house in Ottawa, police said at a press conference yesterday. The couple, both avid golfers, also have a cottage in Tweed, Ont., which was cordoned off with police tape yesterday as investigators continued to probe the military man's alleged involvement in the murders of two women, one of whom was a soldier at Canadian Forces Base Trenton.
Col. Williams assumed command of 8 Wing Trenton in July 2009, after 22 years with the Canadian Forces. He was promoted to his current rank just six months earlier.
"These are exciting times for the air force," Col. Williams, former commander of Trenton's 437 "Husky" Transport Squadron, said at the time. "I am confident that the team here is up to the task and I look forward to getting right into that work."
According to an official biography published by the Department of National Defence, Col. Williams was also a "keen photographer," a fisherman and runner. The fitness of his troops was one of his top priorities.
"Fitness is vital," he told The Contact, CFB Trenton's base newspaper, when he took up his current role. "The Air Force has changed a lot in the past 10 years, in terms of the types of operations we conduct and support, and I think it's become very obvious to all of us that we need to step into operations on short notice. And that is only going to be easier if each of us is in good physical and mental condition."
His accomplished career began in 1987, after he graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in economics and enrolled in the Canadian Forces. Within three years, he earned his wings and worked as an instructor on the CT-134 Beech Musketeer at 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Portage la Prairie, Man.
By 1992, Col. Williams had moved across the country to CFB Shearwater in Nova Scotia, where he patrolled the coast in a CC144 Challenger, a type of airplane that is also used to fly dignitaries such as the prime minister and governor-general. Indeed, Col. Williams moved to Ottawa and took up that role with the 412 Transport Squadron before he was posted to Director General Military Careers.
After graduating with a Master in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and became Commanding Officer of 437 Squadron at CFB Trenton. During his two years in the post, he served for six months as the Commanding Officer Theatre Support Element for Camp Mirage, a secret military base in the Middle East.
As his string of high-profile postings continued, Col. Williams enrolled in French language training in Gatineau, Que., and was promoted to Colonel. In an interview with The Contact about his new role, Col. Williams remained humble.
"Certainly, I was keen to get the opportunity, but you never know," he said. "There are a number of qualified people who could do the job, and that's why I say that I feel very fortunate to have been appointed."
Top Canadian military official charged with murder
Associated Press
Published: 2/9/2010 12:00 AM
TORONTO -- The commander of Canada's largest Air Force base, who once flew dignitaries around the country, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two women
Ontario Provincial Police Det. Insp. Chris Nicholas said Monday that Col. Russell Williams, 46, was also charged in the sexual assaults of two other women. Williams was arrested Sunday in Ottawa.
The charges left Canada's military in a state of shock.
Williams, a 23-year military veteran, was appointed as the base commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Trenton, Ontario last July. Trenton is Canada's busiest Air Force base and is providing logistical support for Canada's missions in Haiti and Afghanistan as well as support for the Vancouver Winter Games.
Williams is charged with the first-degree murder of Jessica Lloyd, 27, of a Belleville, Ontario, resident whose body was found earlier Monday, and Marie Comeau, a 38-year-old corporal found dead in her Brighton, Ontario, home in November.
Authorities said Williams came to the attention of police during a roadside canvas on Feb. 4, six days after Lloyd was deemed missing.
Williams is also charged with forcible confinement, breaking and entering and sexual assault after two women were sexually assaulted during two separate home invasions in the Tweed, Ontario area in September of 2009.
"We're shocked by the connection that has been made with a leader in our Air Force," Maj. Gen. Yvan Blondin, the direct commander of Williams, said in Trenton.
"It obviously is no longer possible for the commander to remain in his position."
Blondin said he didn't know him personally but said Williams was an elite pilot and considered a "shining bright star."
Williams was photographed last month with Defense Minister Peter MacKay and Canada's top general during an inspection of a Canadian aircraft that was on its way to support relief efforts in Haiti.
Lieutenant-General Andre Deschamps, Canada's Air Force chief, said the Air Force is fully supporting civilian police. He called it a difficult period but said the Air Force would provide support for personnel at Trenton.
Dan Dugas, a spokesman for MacKay, called the charges serious but said MacKay will not comment.
Police descended on Williams' Ottawa home on Sunday and police cars remained posted there Monday evening. Williams' Defense Department biography said he is married.
Williams once served as a Challenger aircraft pilot who transported VIPs. The Air Force declined to say who he flew but the Challenger regularly flies cabinet ministers and the governor general, Canada's ceremonial head of sate. A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he didn't believe Williams flew Harper.
Between December 2005 and June 2006, Williams was the commanding officer for Camp Mirage, the secretive Canadian Forces forward logistics base that is not officially acknowledged by the government or military but has been widely reported to be near Dubai.
"We are certainly tracking the movements of where this man has been over the past several years and we're continuing with our investigation," Nicholas said.
Williams walked into a courthouse in Belleville, Ontario on Monday in hand and leg shackles, wearing a blue prison-issue jumpsuit. The judge imposed a publication ban on other details.
He was held in custody and will appear in court by video on Feb. 18.
Published: 2/9/2010 12:00 AM
TORONTO -- The commander of Canada's largest Air Force base, who once flew dignitaries around the country, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two women
Ontario Provincial Police Det. Insp. Chris Nicholas said Monday that Col. Russell Williams, 46, was also charged in the sexual assaults of two other women. Williams was arrested Sunday in Ottawa.
The charges left Canada's military in a state of shock.
Williams, a 23-year military veteran, was appointed as the base commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Trenton, Ontario last July. Trenton is Canada's busiest Air Force base and is providing logistical support for Canada's missions in Haiti and Afghanistan as well as support for the Vancouver Winter Games.
Williams is charged with the first-degree murder of Jessica Lloyd, 27, of a Belleville, Ontario, resident whose body was found earlier Monday, and Marie Comeau, a 38-year-old corporal found dead in her Brighton, Ontario, home in November.
Authorities said Williams came to the attention of police during a roadside canvas on Feb. 4, six days after Lloyd was deemed missing.
Williams is also charged with forcible confinement, breaking and entering and sexual assault after two women were sexually assaulted during two separate home invasions in the Tweed, Ontario area in September of 2009.
"We're shocked by the connection that has been made with a leader in our Air Force," Maj. Gen. Yvan Blondin, the direct commander of Williams, said in Trenton.
"It obviously is no longer possible for the commander to remain in his position."
Blondin said he didn't know him personally but said Williams was an elite pilot and considered a "shining bright star."
Williams was photographed last month with Defense Minister Peter MacKay and Canada's top general during an inspection of a Canadian aircraft that was on its way to support relief efforts in Haiti.
Lieutenant-General Andre Deschamps, Canada's Air Force chief, said the Air Force is fully supporting civilian police. He called it a difficult period but said the Air Force would provide support for personnel at Trenton.
Dan Dugas, a spokesman for MacKay, called the charges serious but said MacKay will not comment.
Police descended on Williams' Ottawa home on Sunday and police cars remained posted there Monday evening. Williams' Defense Department biography said he is married.
Williams once served as a Challenger aircraft pilot who transported VIPs. The Air Force declined to say who he flew but the Challenger regularly flies cabinet ministers and the governor general, Canada's ceremonial head of sate. A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he didn't believe Williams flew Harper.
Between December 2005 and June 2006, Williams was the commanding officer for Camp Mirage, the secretive Canadian Forces forward logistics base that is not officially acknowledged by the government or military but has been widely reported to be near Dubai.
"We are certainly tracking the movements of where this man has been over the past several years and we're continuing with our investigation," Nicholas said.
Williams walked into a courthouse in Belleville, Ontario on Monday in hand and leg shackles, wearing a blue prison-issue jumpsuit. The judge imposed a publication ban on other details.
He was held in custody and will appear in court by video on Feb. 18.
'He didn't get that job for nothing'
Charles Lewis, National Post
Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010
The officer who is asked to oversee the complex workings of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, including the main air force arm, 8 Wing, is someone who is expected to have a great career in front of him and is highly trusted by the country's top brass, says one of the country's leading military scholars.
"It is a very important position of command and trust," said Douglas Bland, a professor in the Queen's University School of Policy Studies. "He didn't get that job for nothing."
Prof. Bland, who holds the Chair in Defence Management Studies, would not talk specifically about Colonel Russ Williams, the man charged yesterday in the murder of two women. However, he provided a description of the responsibilities of the commander's job and the kind of person who makes it to that level in the Canadian military.
"The person who is promoted to commander of 8 Wing is normally in line to become a general within a few years," said Prof. Bland.
The scope of the operation at Trenton is considered one of the most demanding in the military. The base itself has nearly 3,000 military personnel and the commander is responsible for running all operations of the base -- from firefighters, to schools and snow clearance. "It's like being mayor of a small town."
But the specific role of commander of 8 Wing is the most critical of those jobs. The 20 CC-130 Hercules and five Airbus CC-150 Polaris transport aircraft cover an enormous range of operations and territory and is the main air transport centre in Canada.
The aircraft are now involved in bringing relief to Haiti, co-ordinating resupply for Canada's mission in Afghanistan and air support for the Vancouver Olympics.
Aircraft and personnel from 8 Wing are often involved with resupplying Canadian Forces Station Alert, the world's northernmost inhabited location. Also, 8 Wing's 424 Squadron is responsible for providing search and rescue coverage to a million square-kilometre area in central Canada.
"He's got the lives of hundreds of people in his hands. If planes crash, people get killed," said Prof. Bland.
clewis@nationalpost.com
Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010
The officer who is asked to oversee the complex workings of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, including the main air force arm, 8 Wing, is someone who is expected to have a great career in front of him and is highly trusted by the country's top brass, says one of the country's leading military scholars.
"It is a very important position of command and trust," said Douglas Bland, a professor in the Queen's University School of Policy Studies. "He didn't get that job for nothing."
Prof. Bland, who holds the Chair in Defence Management Studies, would not talk specifically about Colonel Russ Williams, the man charged yesterday in the murder of two women. However, he provided a description of the responsibilities of the commander's job and the kind of person who makes it to that level in the Canadian military.
"The person who is promoted to commander of 8 Wing is normally in line to become a general within a few years," said Prof. Bland.
The scope of the operation at Trenton is considered one of the most demanding in the military. The base itself has nearly 3,000 military personnel and the commander is responsible for running all operations of the base -- from firefighters, to schools and snow clearance. "It's like being mayor of a small town."
But the specific role of commander of 8 Wing is the most critical of those jobs. The 20 CC-130 Hercules and five Airbus CC-150 Polaris transport aircraft cover an enormous range of operations and territory and is the main air transport centre in Canada.
The aircraft are now involved in bringing relief to Haiti, co-ordinating resupply for Canada's mission in Afghanistan and air support for the Vancouver Olympics.
Aircraft and personnel from 8 Wing are often involved with resupplying Canadian Forces Station Alert, the world's northernmost inhabited location. Also, 8 Wing's 424 Squadron is responsible for providing search and rescue coverage to a million square-kilometre area in central Canada.
"He's got the lives of hundreds of people in his hands. If planes crash, people get killed," said Prof. Bland.
clewis@nationalpost.com
An autopsy will be performed today on Jessica Lloyd.
91X FM Newscast 12:00pm
02/09/2010
An autopsy will be performed today on Jessica Lloyd.
The body of the 27-year-old Belleville woman was found yesterday near Tweed, 11 days after she disappeared.
Colonel Russell Williams, the base commander of C-F-B Trenton, was charged yesterday with first-degree murder in Lloyd's death.
He was also charged in the recent death of Marie France Comeau, who was with C-F-B Trenton's 437 squadron.
Russell is also charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement in alleged attacks on two other women in Tweed last September.
Less than a week ago, Belleville Police Chief Cory McMullan said her goal was see Jessica Lloyd return home.
But yesterday, Chief McMullan, holding back emotions, told a news conference the case of the missing Belleville woman did NOT end as she hoped.
McMullan offered her condolences to the Lloyd family and to the families of the other victims of the crimes in Brighton and Tweed
The accused, Colonel Russell Williams, was remanded in custody following a brief court appearance yesterday.
He will appear again by video conference on February 18th.
02/09/2010
An autopsy will be performed today on Jessica Lloyd.
The body of the 27-year-old Belleville woman was found yesterday near Tweed, 11 days after she disappeared.
Colonel Russell Williams, the base commander of C-F-B Trenton, was charged yesterday with first-degree murder in Lloyd's death.
He was also charged in the recent death of Marie France Comeau, who was with C-F-B Trenton's 437 squadron.
Russell is also charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement in alleged attacks on two other women in Tweed last September.
Less than a week ago, Belleville Police Chief Cory McMullan said her goal was see Jessica Lloyd return home.
But yesterday, Chief McMullan, holding back emotions, told a news conference the case of the missing Belleville woman did NOT end as she hoped.
McMullan offered her condolences to the Lloyd family and to the families of the other victims of the crimes in Brighton and Tweed
The accused, Colonel Russell Williams, was remanded in custody following a brief court appearance yesterday.
He will appear again by video conference on February 18th.
Police didn't warn women enough about possible predator: friend of slain woman
(CP) – February 9th, 2010
BELLEVILLE, Ont. — A friend of a slain eastern Ontario woman says she's angry police didn't provide better warnings to women, now that one man has been charged in two killings and two sex assaults.
Col. Russell Williams, 46, of Tweed, Ont., the base commander at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, was arrested Sunday in Ottawa.
He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jessica Lloyd, 27, of Belleville and Marie Comeau, a 38-year-old corporal with CFB Trenton's 437 squadron.
Terra Dafoe, a friend of Lloyd, says she feels police didn't do enough to warn women of a possible predator on the loose after two sex assaults in November.
She says she feels police failed women in the area by not providing the warning until after Lloyd disappeared 11 days ago.
At a news conference police said they issued an advisory last week about safety concerns for females living alone.
BELLEVILLE, Ont. — A friend of a slain eastern Ontario woman says she's angry police didn't provide better warnings to women, now that one man has been charged in two killings and two sex assaults.
Col. Russell Williams, 46, of Tweed, Ont., the base commander at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, was arrested Sunday in Ottawa.
He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jessica Lloyd, 27, of Belleville and Marie Comeau, a 38-year-old corporal with CFB Trenton's 437 squadron.
Terra Dafoe, a friend of Lloyd, says she feels police didn't do enough to warn women of a possible predator on the loose after two sex assaults in November.
She says she feels police failed women in the area by not providing the warning until after Lloyd disappeared 11 days ago.
At a news conference police said they issued an advisory last week about safety concerns for females living alone.
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