From: jcs
Colonel Russell Williams served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1987, quickly rising to the rank of captain by January 1, 1991 [00:00:05]. Described as an “elite pilot” and a “shining bright star of a military,” he was promoted to colonel in June 2004 and appointed commanding officer at CFB Trenton, Canada’s largest air force base [00:00:17]. In this role, he commanded over 7,000 military personnel [00:00:30]. His elevated status and achievements were accentuated for all to see, boosting his composure and self-assurance [00:01:05]. However, this facade began to crumble upon his encounter with Detective Sergeant Jim Smith [00:01:14].
Investigation into Jessica Lloyd’s Disappearance
On January 28, 2010, Andy Lloyd received a call from his mother stating his 27-year-old sister, Jessica Lloyd, had not shown up for work and was unresponsive to calls or texts [00:01:42]. Andy found her isolated home on Ontario’s Highway 37 empty, with no signs of forced entry, though her doors were often left unlocked and all personal items remained inside [00:01:56]. Given Ottawa’s low crime rate, a missing person’s investigation was immediately launched, involving the Ottawa Police Force, public volunteers, and a specialist search and rescue unit from the Canadian Air Force [00:02:17].
On the second day of her disappearance, an anonymous tip came forward from a driver who, at roughly 3 AM the previous night, noticed an SUV parked unusually in a field near Jessica’s house [00:02:36]. Police canvassed the area, finding tire tracks and boot prints leading to Jessica’s home, which became the foundation for the investigation [00:03:04]. Six roadblocks were set up to stop SUVs and match tire tracks [00:03:17].
On February 4, 2010, Williams’s sports utility vehicle was stopped at a roadblock [00:03:37]. He was polite and nonchalant during the 90-second stop [00:03:46]. Unbeknownst to him, his tires matched the tracks found near Jessica Lloyd’s house, and he was immediately placed under surveillance [00:03:52].
The Interrogation and Linking Cases
On Sunday, February 7, Williams was called to Ottawa police headquarters for questioning regarding an ongoing investigative matter [00:04:04]. He told his wife he would be back for dinner [00:04:19]. At the station, he was greeted by Detective Sergeant Jim Smith, a polygraph technician and senior investigator from the policing behavioral sciences unit [00:04:26].
During the interrogation, Smith strategically addressed Williams by his first name, “Russell,” to strip away his confidence and undermine his elevated military platform [00:05:07]. This tactic was aimed at increasing telling signs in body language and intonation, and decreasing cognitive stamina [00:05:15]. Smith informed Williams that the interview was part of an “emergent situation” to find Jessica Lloyd [00:05:46].
Smith then revealed that Jessica Lloyd’s disappearance was one of four cases they were investigating [00:07:49].
Prior Criminal Occurrences
- September 2009 Break-ins: Two incidents occurred in the Tweed area, involving someone entering women’s houses in the evening and committing sexual acts [00:08:04].
- Orleans, Ottawa Burglaries: In 2009, there were 34 break-ins and attempted break-ins in Orleans, Ottawa, resulting in the theft of hundreds of intimate female garments, one incident of rape, and one of forcible confinement [00:08:20]. All these occurred not far from Russell Williams’ home [00:08:33].
- Murder of Marie-France Comeau: In November 2009, Corporal Marie-France Comeau, a 37-year-old military traffic technician based at CFB Trenton, was found murdered in her home in Brighton [00:08:44]. Police believed there was a sexual component to her death; she was raped and suffocated [00:08:53].
Williams was now the prime suspect for all these infractions [00:08:35]. The potential charges ranged from first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault, to break and enter with intent and forcible confinement [00:09:25].
Pressure and Confession
Smith employed psychological tactics during the interrogation, such as maintaining a stoic gaze and silence when Williams struggled to recall details, denying him the reassurance typical in legitimate witness statements [00:17:13]. Williams’s vocal intonation came across as nervous and unsure, indicative of discomposure [00:10:41].
Smith then presented a fabricated claim about the strength of the evidence. While police had tire tracks and footprints, the DNA found on Marie-France Comeau was not admissible due to decomposition, and the only other male DNA was from a minor sexual assault [00:19:32]. The tire tracks were from a common brand, easily refutable in court [00:20:04]. The only significant evidence linking Williams to Jessica Lloyd was the footprint [00:20:17].
Smith showed Williams a photocopy of a boot print found at Jessica Lloyd’s house, claiming it was identical to the boot Williams had just taken off his foot [00:21:54]. He falsely asserted that footwear impressions were “pretty much in the area of a fingerprints” and “identical” [00:21:38]. Smith informed Williams that his vehicle drove up to Jessica Lloyd’s house and his boots walked to the back of her house on January 28-29 [00:22:32].
Smith further increased pressure by stating that a search warrant was being executed at Williams’s residence in Tweed and his vehicle had been seized, meaning his wife now knew what was happening [00:24:12]. He also falsely claimed that DNA from the “unknown offender” on Marie-France Comeau’s body would “quite possibly” be matched to Williams before the evening was over [00:24:38].
Faced with overwhelming (though partially fabricated) evidence and the threat of being labeled a “cold-blooded psychopath,” Williams began to confess [00:26:27]. He initially struggled with the belief that his life was “upset” [00:29:27]. Smith emphasized the immense resources committed to the investigation, stating it would cost no less than 10 million dollars [00:30:12]. Williams stated he wanted to “minimize the impact on my life” [00:31:09].
Williams eventually confessed to the location of Jessica Lloyd’s body [00:31:51]. He also admitted that Jessica was alive for almost 24 hours in Tweed after being abducted on Friday night [00:33:11].
Confession to Crimes
Williams detailed his actions:
- Jessica Lloyd: He saw her on her treadmill on Wednesday night. Noticing she wasn’t there Thursday, he entered her house and left. He returned when she came home, entering through the back patio door while she was sleeping [00:34:13].
- Marie-France Comeau: He entered her house through an open basement window when she was away, a couple of nights before she came home [00:35:10]. He returned late at night when she was home. She discovered him in the basement when her cat, which was staring at him, wouldn’t come upstairs [00:35:26]. He subdued, tied her up, and strangled her upstairs [00:36:13].
Despite confessing, Williams stated he didn’t know why these things happened [00:36:40].