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| Great White North |
| Military commander charged with brutal murders |
| 2010-02-12 |
| It was a dragnet along a stretch of highway north of Belleville that police say cracked the brutal murder of two eastern Ontario women, the violent sexual assault of two others and snared the base commander of one of Canada's largest and busiest airbases. Col. Russell Williams, 46, the wing commander of CFB Trenton, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd. Williams has also been charged with two counts of forcible confinement and two counts of breaking and entering and sexual assault after two Tweed women were attacked in September. On Feb. 4, police stopped cars travelling in both directions along Hwy. 37 north of Belleville, near Lloyd's home where she vanished without any identification, her wallet or her car in January. Three days after that roadside canvas, Williams was arrested in Ottawa — the same city where one of his alleged victims was laid to rest in the National Cemetery back in December. Police told reporters in Belleville Monday that unspecified information received at that roadside check put Williams in their crosshairs. They had him in handcuffs by Sunday and were searching his Cosy Cove Lane home in Tweed. OPP Det.-Insp. Chris Nicholas told reporters Monday 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, Nicholas said. When asked if they are examining other unsolved crimes, OPP inspectors said they will look at where Williams was stationed during his accomplished career and speak to police services in those jurisdictions. “We are certainly tracking the movements of where this man has been over the past several years,' Nicholas said. The colonel was out of uniform Monday, wearing a blue prisoner jumpsuit as he was led into the Belleville courthouse in shackles. Except for reciting his name and acknowledging the charges against him, Williams said nothing and stared at the floor. As Williams was led away, Lloyd's burly brother, Andy, stared grimly at the man accused of killing his sister. Lloyd, 27, went missing Jan. 29 after she failed to show up for her job in Napanee. Her body was found early Monday morning off Carry Rd., near Tweed, police said. Comeau, 38, was found murdered in Brighton, Ont., on Nov. 25, 2009. She was a member of 437 Squadron at CFB Trenton. A slew of media clippings, photographs and Department of National Defence literature paint a heroic portrait of Williams, a married man with more than 20 years in the Canadian Forces. In charge of CFB Trenton since July, Williams had been tasked with overseeing the 24-hour “air bridge' that moves equipment and personnel between Trenton, Jamaica and Haiti, to support Canada's relief mission on the earthquake ravaged island. Williams' wife Mary Elizabeth Harriman works in Ottawa as the associate executive director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Officials from the foundation said Harriman was taking an extended leave and described her as one of their most beloved staff members. Lieutenant-General André Deschamps, chief of the air staff, issued a statement Monday announcing Williams had been relieved of his duties. “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,' Deschamps said. At a press conference at CFB Trenton Monday night, Gen. Yvan Blondin, Commander of 1 Air Division, said base personnel are in a state of shock. — With files from Joe Warmington, Mike Strobel, Pete Fisher and QMI Agency |
| Posted by:Skunky Glins**** |
| #2 The MSM is trying to tar the entire Canadian military to every violent crime ever committed. It's just totally disgusting. The forces members, bless 'em, are just shoving this garbage aside and keeping on doing their jobs. |
| Posted by: Canuckistan sniper 2010-02-12 13:33 |
| #1 It is worse. Ontario Police are going through 30 cold case files. Including this: Col. Williams tied to Bernardo |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins**** 2010-02-12 12:50 |