On a frigid February morning in 2010, Ontario Provincial Police Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth sat down across from one of Canada’s most decorated military officers. The man facing him wore casual civilian clothes, his posture relaxed, a piece of gum working methodically in his jaw. Colonel Russell Williams smiled easily, even told the detective to “call me Russ, please”.
To anyone watching through the two-way mirror, Williams appeared utterly at ease—the picture of cooperation, the epitome of a respectable citizen with nothing to hide. After all, this was a man who had piloted Queen Elizabeth II across Canadian skies, who commanded the nation’s largest air force base, who had dedicated more than two decades to serving his country with distinction.
What no one in that room could have imagined—what would emerge over the next ten excruciating hours—was that the decorated colonel sitting before them had been living an unthinkable double life. By day, he was Commander Williams, respected leader of Canadian Forces Base Trenton. By night, he had transformed into something far more sinister: a prowler, a predator, and ultimately, a cold-blooded killer.
This is the story of how one man’s descent into darkness went undetected for years, hidden behind a uniform adorned with medals and a reputation beyond reproach.
The Perfect Life
Russell Williams seemed to have it all. Born in Bromsgrove, England in 1963, he immigrated to Canada with his family as a child. Though his parents divorced when he was just six years old, Williams pushed forward, excelling academically and earning admission to the prestigious University of Toronto Scarborough, where he studied economics and political science.
In 1987, at age 24, Williams joined the Canadian Armed Forces with dreams of serving his country. He quickly distinguished himself as an exceptional pilot, earning coveted positions that placed him in the cockpit of VIP aircraft. His responsibilities included flying some of the most important figures in Canadian politics and international diplomacy—prime ministers, governors general, and even British royalty.
By 2009, Williams had reached the pinnacle of his military career: command of CFB Trenton, the nerve center of Canada’s air transport operations and the country’s largest military airbase. At 46 years old, he was living what most would consider the American—or in this case, Canadian—dream.
He had married Mary Elizabeth Harriman, a successful executive director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Together, they owned a spacious home in Ottawa, the nation’s capital, and had purchased a cozy cottage as a weekend retreat in Tweed, a small town about two and a half hours away. To their neighbors, they were the ideal couple—accomplished, affluent, and admired.
But the cottage in Tweed would become ground zero for Williams’ transformation from decorated officer to depraved criminal.
The First Trespass
What began as a seemingly innocuous compulsion in 2007 would eventually spiral into unspeakable horror. Williams started breaking into homes in neighborhoods near his cottage, carefully selecting targets when residents were away. His objective was bizarre yet specific: stealing women’s and girls’ underwear.
The first known victim was just 12 years old. While the family was out, Williams broke into their home, found the child’s pink underwear, and masturbated with it. But he didn’t stop there. In a disturbing ritual that would become his signature, Williams photographed and videotaped himself wearing the stolen garments, posing in front of mirrors for hours.
He was meticulous, almost obsessive in his caution. Williams understood that he had everything to lose—his career, his reputation, his freedom. So he took extreme care not to leave evidence behind, cleaning up after himself and slipping away undetected.
Over the next two years, Williams’ compulsion intensified. He broke into home after home—ultimately 82 different residences. Some he visited multiple times, returning like a phantom to steal more items and indulge his fetish. He kept detailed records of every break-in: dates, times, victims’ names, items stolen. It was a catalog of crimes, hidden in plain sight on his personal computer.
The stolen underwear accumulated in his home, carefully stored and categorized. He photographed himself in each piece, creating a grotesque archive of his transgressions. Yet despite this escalating pattern of criminal behavior, Williams maintained his professional façade flawlessly. By day, he commanded respect and trust. By night, he prowled like a predator.
Escalation into Violence
In September 2009, Williams crossed a terrifying threshold. Breaking and entering was no longer enough to satisfy whatever dark urge drove him. He began targeting women not just for their belongings, but for something far more sinister—their bodies.
The first known sexual assault occurred in Tweed, where a woman was attacked in her own home. Williams had waited in the darkness for her to return, then ambushed her, binding her to a chair with rope and duct tape. He photographed her during the assault, just as he had photographed himself with the stolen underwear. The woman survived, traumatized but alive.
Just two weeks later, Williams struck again. Another woman in the same area was assaulted in her home in an almost identical fashion—bound, photographed, violated. The attacks followed a disturbing pattern that suggested careful planning and a complete lack of remorse.
The small community of Tweed was gripped by fear. Police increased patrols, but they had few leads. One of the assault victims believed her attacker might be a neighbor named Larry Jones, and suspicion fell heavily on the innocent man. He was ostracized, harassed, and verbally attacked by frightened neighbors convinced they knew the identity of the predator in their midst.
They were wrong. The real perpetrator was someone they would never have suspected—someone who wore a uniform, who commanded an air force base, who was supposed to protect them.
Meanwhile, Russell Williams was preparing to commit his most heinous acts yet.
Marie-France Comeau
On November 24, 2009, Williams set his sights on a new target: 38-year-old Corporal Marie-France Comeau. She wasn’t a stranger. In fact, Williams knew her professionally—Comeau served under his command at CFB Trenton, working as a flight attendant on the same VIP aircraft that Williams piloted.
As her commanding officer, Williams had access to Comeau’s personnel file, her work schedule, her home address. He had met her on multiple flights, knew she lived alone, and used his position of authority to gather every detail he needed to plan his attack.
That November night, Williams broke into Comeau’s home and waited. When she arrived, he ambushed her, striking her head with a flashlight and quickly overpowering her. He bound her with duct tape and rope, then spent the next three hours brutally assaulting her while documenting everything with his video camera.
Comeau pleaded for her life. According to court documents later revealed during Williams’ trial, she cried out: “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you? I don’t want to die. I don’t deserve to die. I have been good”.
Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Williams coldly covered her mouth and nose with duct tape, suffocating her. He photographed her body twice after death, collected several items of her underwear as trophies, and left.
Then, in an act of staggering callousness that would later shock the nation, Williams attended Comeau’s funeral. In his capacity as base commander, he even sent a letter of condolence to her father, a military veteran, expressing his sympathies for the family’s loss.
No one suspected him. How could they? He was Colonel Williams—decorated pilot, trusted commander, pillar of the military community.
But Williams wasn’t finished. Two months later, he would kill again.