Top Canadian military official charged with 2 murders

Tuesday 09th February, 02:16 PM JST

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.

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Latest 15 of 20 Total Comments Show All

tmarie at 09:49 PM JST - 9th February

You guys might want to know that ranks and whatnot are different for Canadian and US forces. He's VERY high ranking and was a base commander. This is MAJOR news for the Canadian military.
oberst at 09:53 PM JST - 9th February

you think it is easy to make colonel in mid 40's ?
ca1ic0cat at 09:54 PM JST - 9th February

In the UASF a full bird colonel is a high rank. Might be a middle rung elsewhere but it's up there in the air force.

I would have thought this guy would have had to pass a few psych profiles along the way but given what happened at Ft. Hood maybe those things aren't so thurough after all.
LIBERTAS at 09:54 PM JST - 9th February

Dispelling the stereotypical myth of the polite Canadian.
SuperLib at 10:47 PM JST - 9th February

Which shopping mall was he recruited at?
Sarge at 10:54 PM JST - 9th February

smith: "Lock him up for life and throw away the key"

Before he's been convicted? And if he is convicted, are you going to pay for his food, clothing, housing and medical care for the rest of his life or the rest of your life? Well, if you're a tax-paying Canadian, I guess you will be, lol.
USNinJapan2 at 11:28 PM JST - 9th February

tmarie, cat1cat, oberst

A Colonel is a Colonel in any branch with very little difference. As similar as the US and Canadian military rank structures are (aside from the rank names/titles) there's not much difference there either. An O-6 is officially a "Senior Officer" but to be considered top brass one has to be a flag officer (General or Admiral) of which there are four ranks above Colonel/Group Captain. If you've ever spent any time at the Pentagon or other HQ-type command you'd know that Colonels are are the ones scurrying around making coffee for all of their seniors. As for making O-6 in your 40's yes it's not that hard, especially in the Air Force which seems to have more younger senior officers than the other services. And FYI, a base commander is usually an O-6 that for some reason or another wasn't on the fast track to making flag rank and was relegated to flying a desk. They are not the elite by any stretch. If they were they would be in charge of an operational command like a squadron, ship, regiment, etc. Google and read Williams' bio. He's a glorified lear jet pilot who's previously had command of a transport squadron and another base. Definitely shouldn't qualify as a top military official.
adaydream at 03:35 AM JST - 10th February

WOW!! But there's nuts in all ranks. Pretty soon he'll be a newest member of the thigh-wide club. Initiation will be right after lights out. < :-)
wontond at 04:10 AM JST - 10th February

He's only a Colonel. A headline that says, "Top Canadian Military official..." is sensationalizing/exaggerating things a little no?

According to news reports here in Canada, he's also acted as the pilot for the Prime Minister and Governor General. I'm guessing he's not an ordinary Colonel if he's had that duty.
bushlover at 05:02 AM JST - 10th February

A Canadian friend of mine is posted to CFB Trenton and says that everyone there knows as much as we do with this report. It was quite a shock that he was arrested but that no one can speculate about his guilt until a court tries him. So far the only thing the police said they got him on were "geographical" similarities so that sounds pretty circumstantial however we may speculate that there may be more physical evidence for them to make such a high profile arrest. So hang onto your keys yet Richard. Your military is carrying on and so are your police services doing their jobs to high standards. We will have to wait and see if this guy, Russ Williams gets found guilty or not.

Canadian Forces rank structure is as per the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CanadianForcesranksandinsignia and my friend tells me that Captain is a working rank for officers and that it has 10 pay levels within it because an officer can be a Captain for a long time.

So remember as much as you want to hang a military guy right away how you always give the benefit of the doubt to your drug taking friends/selves. Give him the same benefit of the doubt until he has been proven guilty.
Smythe at 07:06 AM JST - 10th February

Obviously the Police will be sniffing around every darn place he has been just in case they find similiar patterns like above. A Colonel is pretty high ranking to use Cdns & highest I have knowen was a low rank Private like myself to meet him about to retire as a Major.
UnagiDon at 07:17 AM JST - 10th February

USN;

A Col in the CF is a high rank, and being placed in charge of an airbase is a big deal.esp Trenton as its the home of all of our strategic airlift. This guy WAS being groomed for BGen or higher - if guilty good thing he was caught.
USNinJapan2 at 09:50 AM JST - 10th February

UnagiDon

This guy WAS being groomed for BGen or higher

Sure, he may have been in the process of being groomed but that doesn't make him a TOP military official YET. It doesn't matter how bright a future he may have (had) he's still only a Colonel. Reading the headline you'd expect the Chief of the Air Staff to have been the one in trouble.
bushlover at 11:12 AM JST - 10th February

Being a Wing Commander is high enough. But the headline is misleading. Typical JT.
bushlover at 01:59 AM JST - 12th February

Friend says that a base email told them to refer to him as MR. Williams now Not Colonel Williams. Lost his status and respect just like that. I knew the Canadian Military also harbored War Criminals and common criminals alike.