Russell Williams charged in 2 x murders, confinement, sexual assault.

[McG]

“This is a tough day for anyone in uniform,” Natynczyk said.

That's putting it a little lightly.
Where our whole purpose is to protect our society from those who would prey on them ... the possibility is quite upsetting that a so accomplished one of our own might be such a predator.

 

[krustyrl]

Well said MCG... people here in Trenton are absolutely stunned .. as everyone else is, whether military or civilian.
I'm sure lots of head scratching is going on. My thoughts and prayers are with the families.   

 

[old medic]

Forces move swiftly to replace Col. Williams
By KATHLEEN HARRIS, Parliamentary Bureau Chief
Last Updated: 8th February 2010, 6:31pm
copy at: http://www.calgarysun.com/news/canada/2010/02/08/12796766.html

OTTAWA — Canadian Forces brass and rank-and-file were reeling from the shock of a high-ranking officer charged with multiple counts of murder and rape, but experts doubt it will be a black mark for the military.

The Forces moved swiftly to replace Col. Russ Williams as top commander at CFB Trenton and is considering other sanctions against the senior soldier charged with murder, home invasion and sexual assault. Lt.-Gen. Andre Deschamps, chief of the air staff, said a review by 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg will mull “the most appropriate action,” noting members are held to a “very high standard of conduct and performance” whether in Canada or abroad, and whether on or off military duty.

Military legal expert and retired colonel Michel Drapeau said murder is among a small handful of offences that must be tried in civilian court instead of military tribunal. While Williams could retain his rank pending the outcome of proceedings, Drapeau said National Defence could force his compulsory release based on the severity of charges.

“I don’t remember in my lifetime someone of that rank charged with something so serious,” he said. “There are a whole range of actions that DND will have to take. Right now he is still a member of the armed forces, still innocent until proven guilty.”

Retired major general Lewis Mackenzie called the case “totally unique” because of the rank of the accused and gravity of offence. But he doubts it will tarnish the reputation of the military.

“It will garner more attention because of the rank, but I don’t think the Canadian public will make a decision based on an act that hasn’t been confirmed yet and involves only one individual,” he said.

Retired colonel Alain Pellerin, executive director of the Conference of Defence Associations, expects charges will be a blow to tight military circles, but doesn’t believe it will have broader implications for the reputation of the Forces because it wasn’t an alleged crime that occurred in the line of duty.

“It’s a very sad event and it will have an effect on the people in Trenton, but I would suggest that it won’t have much of an impact on the Forces outside that community or the way the population views the Forces,” he said.

Deschamps said the Forces is supporting civilian investigators and expressed condolences to victims, their families and members of the Forces.

“This situation affects us all and I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those affected by these tragic events,” he said.

 

[old medic]

Comeau remembered as charming, intelligent
By DON PEAT, QMI Agency
Last Updated: 8th February 2010, 7:41pm
copy at: http://www.calgarysun.com/news/canada/2010/02/08/12797201.html

For almost three months, friends and family of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau had no answers to the simple question of who killed the beautiful military flight attendant.

On Monday they learned the corporal attached to 437 Squadron at CFB Trenton allegedly was murdered by her own base commander, Col. Russell Williams.

As news of the arrest spread, friends and family wrote on the Facebook memorial to Comeau that remembered her as a charming, intelligent, generous hard worker and loyal friend.

“RIP sweet girl,” one friend wrote. “You live on in our hearts.”

Another woman noted the deeper tragedy that Comeau, who dedicated the last 12 years of her life to the military, allegedly was slain by her own base commander.

“You proudly served our country and you were taken away (allegedly) by someone who was supposed to be our and your leader,” the woman wrote.

Comeau’s body was discovered Nov. 25 by her boyfriend, who is also in the military, inside her Raglan St. home in Brighton.

At the time, neighbours said her boyfriend came running out of the house toward the road, yelling, “she’s dead inside the house.”

Comeau was laid to rest at the National Cemetery in Ottawa on Dec. 4.

Despite Comeau having served in Trenton for less than a year, her colleagues remembered her fondly.

“Marie will be missed by comrades at 437 Squadron,” CFB Trenton public affairs officer Capt. Mark Peebles told reporters in November.

Neighbours of Comeau were shocked in the wake of Monday’s arrest of her alleged killer, who is also charged with the murder of a Belleville woman and the sexual assault of two women in Tweed.

“We’re almost all military families on this street,” said Jocelyn Kieffer, a next-door neighbour.

“There are no words I can put into how I feel right now.

“I’ve known other base commanders and it’s not something you think can happen.”

Terry Alexander, a neighbour across the street from the Comeau residence, said he’s glad the situation seems to be 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.”

 

[old medic]

Air Force commander 'shocked' by colonel's arrest
ctvtoronto.ca
Date: Mon. Feb. 8 2010 10:08 PM ET
link : http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100208/lloyd_police_national_100208/20100208?hub=Canada

The commander of Canada's Air Force expressed his sympathies to the families of two women recently murdered near Belleville, Ont., and said he was "shocked" that a colonel under his authority has been charged with their murders.

"Their families have our deepest sympathy, as we ourselves mourn," Maj. Gen. Yvan Blondin told reporters at a news conference Monday.

The commander of CFB Trenton, 46-year-old Col. Russell Williams, was formally charged on Monday with murdering two women and sexually assaulting another two.

Bellville resident Jessica Lloyd, 27, went missing on Jan. 28. Her body was discovered on Monday. Marie Comeau, a corporal at CFB Trenton who lived in Brighton, Ont., was found dead in her home in late November.

Williams was arrested in Ottawa on Sunday in connection with their murders. He also stands accused of breaking into the homes of two other women and sexually assaulting them.

On Monday he was taken to a Belleville courthouse, wearing a blue prison suit as well as hand and leg shackles. He told the court he understood the charges that were laid against him.

Williams was then remanded to police custody until his next court appearance, which will take place by video on Feb. 18.

"We're shocked by the connection to a leader in our Air Force," Blondin said, adding that he could not comment on any aspect of the investigation.

An interim base commander has been appointed to take over Williams' responsibilities, Blondin added, so that personnel can continue to carry out their work at the base, which includes airlifts to and from Haiti and Afghanistan.

Police are combing through Williams' home in Tweed, Ont., about 30 kilometres north of Belleville. Trenton is about 18 km west of Belleville, and Brighton is about 15 km west of Trenton.

The suspect came to the attention of police following a Highway 37 roadside canvass on Thursday (Highway 37 runs from Belleville to Tweed). The investigation involved the OPP, Belleville Police and investigators from the Canadian Forces.

Det. Insp. Chris Nicholas told the news conference that the investigation caused police to examine other incidents in the surrounding area, including recent home invasions.

"Due to the seriousness of those incidents, the police linked the crimes to a single suspect," he said.

Police announced that Williams has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder along with two counts of forcible confinement and two counts of break and enter and sexual assault.

Those "home invasion" crimes occurred in the Tweed area in September, Nicholas said.

Earlier Monday, police were seen cordoning off a property on Cosy Cove Lane in Tweed, a site that is reportedly close to where Lloyd's body was found. The registered owner of the home is listed as Col. Russ Williams.

Police say their investigation will extend to other communities Williams lived in recent years. As a career military officer, he moved around a lot.

Williams joined the Air Force in 1987 and rose through the ranks. Before becoming a base commander in July 2009, Williams -- who is married, according to his Canadian Forces biography -- piloted the Challenger aircraft that is often used by Canada's elite dignitaries.

From December 2005 to June 2006, he reportedly commanded Camp Mirage, a secretive logistics base near Dubai that's not officially acknowledged by the government or military.

One photo shows him with Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of the defence staff.

No allegations against Williams have been proven in a court of law.

Lloyd was last heard from on Jan. 28, when someone sent a text message from her cellphone to a family friend. Police say she was last known to be at her home on Highway 37 in the late hours of that same evening.

Her family reported her missing the next day after she failed to show up for work at Tri-Board Student Transportation Services in Napanee, Ont.

In the days that followed, police launched helicopter and ground searches but did not locate her.

Anyone with information about Lloyd is asked to contact police at 613-966-0882, ext. 2313, or to call Quinte Crime Stoppers at 613-969-8477, or 1-800-222-8477.

 

[Journeyman]

Just a pedantic point, particularly for any media types perusing --

Major-General Yvan Blondin is not the "commander of Canada's Air Force." He commands 1 Canadian Air Division; the operational-level command and control formation of the Canadian Forces' Air Command. He commands the 13 subordinate Wings of Air Command, with 1 Cdn Air Div also being the headquarters of the Canadian NORAD Region.

The Chief of the Air Staff, effectively the "commander of Canada's Air Force," is Lieutenant-General Andre Deschamps.

Thanks


(I know that and I'm an Army guy  )

 

[F.I.R.S.T.]

I figure the the Police (and likely the CF Military Police) will go through every base he's ever been to a fine toothcomb to check for missing persons, sexual assaults and unsolved murders, to rule him in or out of those investigations as well.

Two murders and two assaults he's been charged with. How many more could there be in his CF career? Maybe none, maybe more, but who'd have suspected a Base Commander?

My thoughts are with the families of all of the victims, and may justice be served (and seen to be served).

 

[old medic]

'In the company of the devil': Victim
By MIKE STROBEL, QMI Agency
09 Feb 2010
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2010/02/08/12797701-qmi.html

“I was in the company of the devil himself.

“And I was sure he was going to kill me.”

She has titanic courage, this Tweed single mom.

For 21/2 hours in the deepest dark of last Sept. 30, she fought, begged, cajoled and prayed for her life.

And now the horror of that sexual assault returns in a stunning flash.

Her accused attacker is CFB Trenton’s commander, Col. Russ Williams — also charged Monday in another Tweed sexual attack, and for the murders of Jessica Lloyd and Marie-France Comeau.


A top soldier. A neighbour. A leading citizen of Tweed.

“I’m still in shock,” the mom tells me. “Just sick to my stomach. He was so close.”

The detectives gave her the news first thing Monday morning. “It’s over,” they assured her.

Well, not by a long shot. Not for her. Hours of counselling lie behind and ahead.

And she will live that night again and again.

She fell asleep alone in her house, in a back room, and awoke around 2 a.m. She was choking. Her comforter was pressed to her face. “I thought maybe there was a fire,” she says.

But it was a man. A strong man. She struggled. He beat her about the head. She broke free enough to breathe.

“You DON’T want to look at me,” he said. His voice was deep and muffled.

“I won’t,” she whispered. But he blindfolded her and she never laid eyes on him, not once.

Even when he bound her hands behind her back.

Even when he trussed her up in a sort of makeshift harness, fashioned from a pillowcase, twist ties and wire he found in her room.

Even when he cut off her clothes with a knife and said, “I’ll be careful not to cut you.”

Even when he assaulted her.

Even when he took photographs, letting her touch the camera so she’d know.

Even when he told her: “You seem like a nice lady.”

“It was so bizarre,” she says. “He was playing a game with me. I had conversations with him the whole time, almost like I was negotiating with him.”

“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” she asked him, early on.

“No need for that,” he replied.

He convinced her he had accomplices burglarizing her home, though she heard nothing.

At 4:30 a.m, in that bleakest time before dawn, he ordered her onto her knees, head down, on a couch. “He has a gun,” she thought. “Now, I die.”

But he left, warning her he’d come back in 10 minutes. She waited, but he did not return. And she called for help.

The next four months are a blur. DNA tests, therapy, bewilderment, fear. She bought a German shepherd. She could not sleep. Always the question: Who could do this? In Tweed!?

She saw no connection to the Lloyd and Comeau cases, until cops announced last week there might be a link.

Then came Monday’s shocking news. The other sexual assault. Two women murdered. One suspect. The police vowing to probe the colonel’s past.

“Why am I alive?” the Tweed mom asks me.

I wish I had an answer. She will seek it for years to come.

“I guess I’m blessed,” she says. “He let me live. I can’t explain it.

“Now I just want to sleep. I’m so exhausted.”

She knew Col. Williams only to say hello. She did not even know he was CFB Trenton’s commander.

Shortly after Christmas, she drove past his front yard on Cosy Cove Lane.

She waved. He waved back.

 

[observor 69]

Stages of grief :

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance

I'm still working on "Anger." 

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Everyone one is presumed innocent until proven guilty, no matter the prima facie evidence, in a Court of Law. Not in the media and not on the internet, and most certainly not by a TV program like CSI.

So with all the major media outlets that are hovering on our every word here, everyone can stop the conjecture, the petty niggling, stay in your lanes and let the professionals assigned to the case do their jobs.

Milnet.ca Staff

 

[Redeye]

Sounds like that's happening already, heard this morning that there are two unsolved cases in Dartmouth/Eastern Passage that may have some similarities, in the timeline Cpl Russell was posted at CFB Shearwater - however - whoever was reporting it was careful to stress that they haven't linked anything yet - but obviously it bears looking into.

I figure the the Police (and likely the CF Military Police) will go through every base he's ever been to a fine toothcomb to check for missing persons, sexual assaults and unsolved murders, to rule him in or out of those investigations as well.

Two murders and two assaults he's been charged with. How many more could there be in his CF career? Maybe none, maybe more, but who'd have suspected a Base Commander?

My thoughts are with the families of all of the victims, and may justice be served (and seen to be served).

 

[observor 69]

Sounds like that's happening already, heard this morning that there are two unsolved cases in Dartmouth/Eastern Passage that may have some similarities, in the timeline Cpl Russell was posted at CFB Shearwater - however - whoever was reporting it was careful to stress that they haven't linked anything yet - but obviously it bears looking into.

"Shearwater among areas cops probing"

LINK

 

[The Bread Guy]

This from the BBC:

The commander of Canada's largest air force base has been charged with the murder of two women and the sexual assault of two others, police said.

Col Russell Williams, 46, appeared in court a day after his arrest. He was held in custody and will appear again by video on 18 February.

One woman was found dead in her house in November and the other was reported missing 11 days ago.

Col Williams oversaw logistical support for missions to Haiti and Afghanistan ....

New York Times:

The commander of the largest air force base in eastern Canada has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two women from eastern Ontario and with the sexual assault of two others. Col. Russell Williams, 46, commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, was arrested Sunday in Ottawa, the police said Monday. He was charged with the first-degree murder of Jessica Lloyd, 27, of Belleville, and Marie Comeau, 38, an air force corporal, of Brighton. Ms. Lloyd’s body was found Monday and Corporal Comeau’s was found in November.

Agence France-Presse:

A Canadian military base commander who once piloted the prime minister's jet has been charged with murdering two women and sexually assaulting two others, police said.

Colonel Russell Williams, 46, was arrested on Sunday for the disappearance and death of a 27-year-old woman last heard from on January 28 when she sent a text message to a friend.

Her body was found on Monday on a rural roadside near Williams's home in Tweed, Ontario, about 215 kilometers (134 miles) east of Toronto.

Police said a review of similar unsolved cases in the region led to further charges being laid in the murder of a corporal under Williams' command at Canadian Forces Base Trenton. She was found dead in her home in November ....

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Trenton colonel's charges spur cold case review
Residents of 2 victims' communities express shock
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 | 11:44 AM ET
CBC News

Col. Russ Williams, shown here at the Battle of Britain parade in Trenton, Ont., on Sept. 20, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two eastern Ontario women. (Department of National Defence)

The 2001 slaying of a Nova Scotia woman at CFB Trenton is among the cases being re-examined by police in the wake of murder charges against Col. Russell Williams.

Kathleen MacVicar, 19, of Glace Bay, N.S., was staying with relatives on the Ontario military base when she was found slain in June 2001.

Trenton isn't far from Tweed, where the body of 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd was found Monday, and from Brighton, where 38-year-old Cpl. Marie-France Comeau was found. Williams has been charged with first-degree murder in both women's deaths.

"We're looking at where Kathleen was killed," said Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kristine Rae Tuesday.

"We need to see if there is anything else that is similar to the crimes that we are presently investigating."

Rae said a $50,000 reward is still being offered for new information about MacVicar's killing.

Williams, 46, of Tweed, is in custody Tuesday after a brief court appearance Monday afternoon.

The commander of 8 Wing at CFB Trenton was also charged with breaking and entering, sexual assault and forcible confinement in connection with two home invasions in Tweed, about 30 kilometres north of Belleville.

Map of eastern Ontario, showing the location of CFB Trenton, the base that Col. Russell Williams commanded. (CBC)

Rae said police are still investigating and have not ruled out further charges against Williams.

"We will follow the evidence," she said. "If further charges are required, they will be laid."

Williams has been based in other cities, including Shearwater, N.S., and Ottawa, during his military career.

"As we go through the investigation, we will be looking at where he has been posted before to see if there is any other occurrences that have any kind of similarity to what we've arrested him for," Rae said.

Detectives in Belleville told CBC News late Monday night, while they were off-duty, that the two women sexually assaulted in the home invasions last September were found tied up and had been photographed.

Provincial police remained Tuesday outside Williams's new home on Edison Avenue in Ottawa's Westboro neighbourhood, where his wife lives, waiting for a warrant to conduct a search.

On Sunday, the day of Williams's arrest, two OPP officers and four detectives escorted his wife into the home, where she was allowed to collect a few belongings and some medication for her husband, CBC's Hannah Thibedeau reported.

'Shocking news'
Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis said Tuesday that news of Williams's arrest has left the community, which has close ties to the Canadian Forces Base, reeling.

"That [is] shocking news, that somebody of [Williams's] position and trust is accused of these murders."

Ellis recalled that the community had rallied together in an effort to locate Lloyd, who disappeared on Jan. 28. Her body was found Monday outside Tweed, following Williams's arrest on Sunday.

"It's not the outcome we hoped for," Ellis said. But he said at least now, someone has been charged in her death and hopefully the community can move forward "in the next chapter of having the whole story come out."

Neighbours who lived near Williams's homes in both Tweed and Ottawa also expressed disbelief.

Tweed resident Larry Jones said he had talked to Williams several times in the last five years, and described him as a "real down-to-earth guy."

Jones said he did not speak to his neighbour often.

"He's usually kind of a loner and kind of stuck to himself," Jones added.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Canadian Forces
Commander charged
Biography: Col. Russell Williams
Last Updated: Monday, February 8, 2010 | 9:51 PM ET
CBC News

Col. Russell Williams, left, is shown with Defence Minister Peter MacKay, centre, and Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Canada's chief of defence staff, right. (Trentonian/QMI Agency)

Col. Russell Williams, a high-ranking Canadian military commander who has met with senior Canadian politicians and been quoted extensively about the war in Afghanistan and the earthquake in Haiti, is facing first-degree murder charges in the deaths of two women from eastern Ontario.

Williams, of Tweed, Ont., and the 8 Wing Commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, was arrested Sunday in Ottawa and has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jessica Lloyd, 27, and Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 38.

In addition to the murder charges, Williams faces counts of forcible confinement, breaking and entering, and sexual assault in relation to two home invasions in the Tweed area in September 2009. Here's a look at key points in Williams' 23-year military career:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WIlliams joined the Canadian Forces in 1987 after obtaining a degree in economics and political science from the University of Toronto.

Williams earned his wings in 1990 and was posted to 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School, based in Portage La Prairie, Man., where he served for two years as an instructor.

In 1992, Williams was posted to 434 Combat Support Squadron in Shearwater, N.S., where he flew the CC-144 Challenger in the electronic warfare and coastal patrol role.

He was then posted to the 412 Transport Squadron in Ottawa, where he transported VIPs, including high-ranking government officials and foreign dignitaries, also on Challengers.

Williams was promoted to major in November 1999 and was posted to Director General Military Careers, where he served as the multi-engine pilot career manager.

From August 2003 to June 2004, Williams obtained a master's of defence studies from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont.

In June 2004, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and was appointed commanding officer of 437 Transport Squadron in Trenton, Ont., a post he held for two years.

Between December 2005 and June 2006, he was the commanding officer for Camp Mirage, the secretive Canadian Forces forward logistics base that's not officially acknowledged by the government or military but has been widely reported to be near Dubai.

He was posted to the Directorate of Air Requirements in July 2006 where he served as project director for the Airlift Capability Projects Strategic (CC177 Globemaster III) and Tactical (CC130J Hercules J), and Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue.

In January 2009 he was posted to the Canadian Forces Language School in Gatineau, Que., for a six-month period of French language training, during which he was promoted to colonel.

Williams succeed Col. Mike Hood as commanding officer at CFB Trenton on July 15, 2009.

On Dec. 11, 2009, Col. Russ Williams welcomed the Olympic torch when it stopped in Trenton. He said: "On behalf of the base I would like to take the time to thank RBC for providing us with the opportunity to participate in this event. It's very exciting to be a part of this."

On Jan. 30, 2010, Williams was interviewed about 8 Wing's participation in Haiti relief. Williams said that in addition to Haiti, 8 Wing co-ordinates the resupply for Canada's mission in Afghanistan and air support for the Vancouver Olympics, which has a significant military presence.

According to Williams's DND profile, he is a keen photographer, fisherman and runner. Williams is married to a woman named Mary Elizabeth, and they lived on Cosy Cover Lane in Tweed, Ont., which is about 60 kilometres northeast of CFB Trenton.

 

[old medic]

They are just reprinting the official bio, found here;
http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/8w-8e/page-eng.asp?id=964

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/762663--could-trenton-murders-be-serial-killings


Could Trenton murders be serial killings?

Cathal Kelly Staff Reporter

The crimes are less than five months old. The violent sex offender who committed them has likely been active for far longer, according to an FBI profiler.
Air Force colonel Russ Williams stands charged with two first-degree murders and two sex assaults in and around CFB Trenton. He is 46.

On Tuesday morning, police were poring over unsolved crimes in the many stops in Williams’ 23-year military career, including towns small and large across Canada, as well as overseas postings.

Williams stands accused of an escalating rampage of violence. First, a pair break-and-enters followed by fetishistic sex assaults over a two-week span in September. Both targeted homes were on the same road. Both victims’ identities are now shielded by court order.
Then, on Nov. 25, Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 37, was found slain in her home in nearby Brighton. On Jan. 29, 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd disappeared. Her body was recovered Monday, the day after Williams was arrested.

Police are not revealing the details surrounding the murders. They have said that in both sexual assaults, the victims were surprised in their homes late at night. They were tied to chairs. They were photographed by their assailant. A report in the Toronto Sun provided details of one attack, which included an unhurried intruder who seemed calm throughout.

We asked Mark Safarik, one of the FBI’s serial-killer hunters with the famed Behavioral Analysis Unit, about the likelihood that crimes like that were the work of a first-time offender.
After 22 years in the bureau, Safarik now operates a Virginia-based consultancy with Robert K. Ressler, the FBI investigator credited with popularizing the term “serial killer.”

After considering some of the published details, Safarik observes, “People don’t just wake up one day and say, ‘I’m going to abduct someone and murder them.’ I’m sure there’s a history.
“For me, the surprise is the number of assaults in a relatively short period of time,” Safarik says. “He’s obviously intelligent. He’s careful. So what’s happening with him? Is there some sort of mental decompensation? Did something trigger this?”

According to the profile of this sort of violent sex offender, “Usually there’s a progression,” Safarik says. “First, prowling, peeping, non-violent paraphilic (sexually deviant) stuff, voyeuristic activities. At some point, offenders decide that’s not enough. They’ll cross that line into fantasy fulfillment. He may have acted out with willing partners initially, prostitutes or others. And then that isn’t enough of a thrill, and he crosses over into non-compliant victims.”

The offender in the latest crimes sounds like someone at the mature end of that progression, Safarik believes.
“He’s comfortable in the environment. He’s breaking in. He’s staying for long periods of time. He’s engaged in other activities – binding, photographing. That isn’t typically behaviour that just starts.”

Safarik suggested that, aside from other violent sex crimes, police will be looking for reports of unsolved “precursor” crimes in places where Williams has lived.
“I would be looking for cases where we tend to see sexual components that aren’t necessarily seen as sex crimes,” he says. “For instance, night-time burglaries where someone’s house is broken into but nothing is stolen. Or fetish-type burglaries, where they’re taking clothing.”

The search will be complicated by several factors, Safarik says. First, there’s Williams’ job.
“He’s in the military. That’s a problem. Not only has he moved around, the people around him have moved around.”
There’s also a massive time gap to fill in.

“I’d be checking back into his late teens. I’d probably start at age 18,” Safarik says. That would leave police poring over cold case files, many of them seemingly minor crimes, going back to early ’70s.
“I’d be running the whole gamut, going deep into this guy’s history,” says Safarik. “I know that’s what they are doing.”

 

[Nemo888]

When I lived in Belleville in 2000 there was a suspicious missing person that I thought was a murder. I thought it was probably someone tied to the base. I don't remember why. Then the 2001 murder confirmed it, at least in many locals minds. Then I moved away and never thought of it again. Where was the Col. in 2000/2001?

 

[leroi]

Condolences to the families, and friends of the victims ...

Here's hoping it's kept in perspective despite the shock.

Municipal leaders from around the Quinte region met with Gen. Yvan Blondin, Commander of 1 Air Division.

(link in title above~highlights below mine)

The Belleville Intelligencer
February, 9, 2010

"What I want out in the community is that we are here to support the men and women at CFB Trenton who continue to work hard on three difficult operations — Haiti, Afghanistan and the Olympics. That's important,'' said Williams.

The arrest of Col. Williams, said the mayor, should not change that "special relationship.''

"We rely on each other. We work closely together. These people are our neighbours, friends and family,'' said the mayor. "This is just one individual who has been charged. It should not be a reflection of how the community perceives the base.''

Mayor Neil Ellis said Tuesday's meeting was nothing more than the military underscoring its relationship with the city of Belleville and emphasizing that the lines of communication between the two would remain open. He said the military community is "obviously hurting" and the meeting allowed all the local community leaders to share their thoughts on the situation.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

When I lived in Belleville in 2000 there was a suspicious missing person that I thought was a murder. I thought it was probably someone tied to the base. I don't remember why. Then the 2001 murder confirmed it, at least in many locals minds. Then I moved away and never thought of it again. Where was the Col. in 2000/2001?

Speculation won't help anyone at this point. Let's allow the law enforcement types to do their job and get this solved as quickly and as correctly as possible. Those of us in the CF still have jobs to do so lets carry on and let those better suited solve these crimes.