From: jcs
Colonel Russell Williams, initially known as an “elite pilot” and “shining bright star” of the military, rapidly ascended the ranks, being promoted to Colonel in June 2004 and appointed commanding officer at CFB Trenton, Canada’s largest air force base [00:21:00]. This role afforded him command over 7,000 military personnel [00:32:00], contributing to an extensive amount of psychosocial equanimity and confidence [00:41:00]. His military standing was sanctified in every formal encounter [00:52:00], boosting his composure and self-assurance [01:05:00]. However, this elevated social standing would dramatically shift upon meeting Detective Sergeant Jim Smith [01:14:00].
The Investigation Begins
The investigation into Col. Russell Williams’s crimes began with the disappearance of 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd on January 28, 2010 [01:42:00]. Jessica failed to show up for work and wasn’t responding to calls or texts [01:50:00]. Her brother, Andy Lloyd, found her isolated home on Ontario’s Highway 37 empty, with no sign of a break-in, but all her personal items, including her phone, passport, and driver’s license, were still inside [02:01:00].
Despite Ottawa’s remarkably low crime rate, a missing person’s investigation was immediately launched, involving the Ottawa police force, over 2,000 members of the public, and a specialist search and rescue unit from the Canadian Air Force [02:17:00]. On the second day of her disappearance, an anonymous tip led police to an SUV parked unusually in a field near Jessica’s house at 3 AM [02:36:00]. Police canvassed the area and found tire tracks and boot prints leading to Jessica’s house [03:04:00].
Police set up six roadblocks, stopping over 200 SUVs in four days [03:17:00]. On February 4th, at roughly 7:30 PM, Colonel Russell Williams’s sports utility vehicle was stopped [03:37:00]. He was reportedly polite and nonchalant [03:46:00] but was immediately placed under surveillance as his tires were a complete match to the tracks found near Jessica Lloyd’s house [03:54:00].
Interrogation by Detective Jim Smith
On Sunday, February 7th, Col. Williams was called to police headquarters in Ottawa [04:04:00]. He arrived shortly before 3 PM and was greeted by Detective Sergeant Jim Smith, a trained polygraph technician and senior investigator of the Policing Behavioral Sciences Unit [04:26:00].
Detective Smith immediately set the stage for the interview by informally addressing Williams by his first name, a deliberate tactic to strip away his confidence and increase observable signs of body language and intonation [05:07:00]. This method, rooted in psychological principles, also decreases cognitive stamina, making it harder for an individual to maintain a facade [05:21:00].
During the interview, Col. Williams was informed he was not under arrest and was free to leave [07:02:00], although the detective strategically sat between Williams and the door [07:18:00], a common interrogation technique for subliminal control [07:22:00].
Connected Crimes
Detective Smith revealed that Jessica Lloyd’s disappearance was one of four cases being investigated [07:49:00]:
- September 2009 Incidents: Two occurrences in the Tweed area involved someone entering women’s houses and committing sexual acts [08:04:00].
- Orleans Break-ins: 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 [08:20:00]. All these occurred near Russell Williams’s home [08:33:00].
- Marie-France Comeau Murder: In November 2009, Corporal Marie-France Comeau, a 37-year-old military traffic technician based at CFB Trenton, was found murdered in her home [08:57:00]. She was raped and suffocated [09:02:00]. Williams was the prime suspect for this as well [09:09:00].
The detective outlined potential charges, ranging from first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, break and enter with intent to commit sexual assault, to forcible confinement [09:25:00].
Gathering Pretext and Eliciting Confession
The detective focused on gathering pretext, asking Williams about his movements over the past four days to establish an initial alibi [11:46:00]. Williams stated he was at his Tweed vacation home on Friday, recovering from a stomach flu [12:25:00]. He also recounted how he learned of Marie-France Comeau’s death via email [14:49:00] and his past brief encounter with her [15:31:00].
During this phase, Williams repeatedly stated he couldn’t remember his schedule [16:08:00], showing signs of discomposure, appearing nervous and unsure [10:45:00]. Detective Smith’s stoic gaze and lack of reassurance in response to Williams’s memory lapses were intentional to heighten the pressure [17:13:00].
The detective then asked Williams what he would be willing to provide to help “move past” him in the investigation, specifically mentioning fingerprints and blood samples [19:07:00]. The key evidence at this point was the tire tracks and boot prints found outside Jessica Lloyd’s residence [19:24:00]. The DNA found on Marie-France Comeau’s body was not admissible due to decomposition, and only one sexual assault victim had male DNA, from a less severe attack [19:32:00]. The tire tracks were a common brand and could be refuted [20:04:00]. The most significant piece of evidence were the footprints [20:17:00].
Detective Smith then presented a photocopy of the boot Williams had been wearing, falsely claiming that “footwear impressions are very much like fingerprint comparisons” [22:06:00] and that the impressions were “identical” to those found at the scene [22:23:00]. This was a fabricated claim to increase psychological pressure [21:43:00].
“Your vehicle drove up the side of Jessica Lloyd’s house. Your boots walked to the back of Jessica Lloyd’s house on the evening of the 28th and 29th of January. Okay? You want discretion, we need to have some honesty, okay? Because this is this is getting out of control really fast, Russell. Okay? Really, really fast.” [22:32:00]
The detective further amplified the pressure by stating that a search warrant was being executed at Williams’s Tweed residence, his wife now knew, and his vehicle had been seized [24:12:00]. He falsely claimed that DNA from Marie-France Comeau’s body would match Williams before the evening was over [24:37:00], emphasizing the “quickly expiring” opportunity for explanation [25:05:00].
Eventually, Williams, struggling with the impact on his life [30:05:00], agreed to reveal Jessica Lloyd’s location [31:16:00]. He confirmed she was close to where she lived [31:51:00], outside [32:18:00], and not buried, but easily visible [32:31:00]. He also stated she had been there for over a week [32:55:00] and had been alive for “almost 24 hours” after Friday night [33:21:00].
Williams then confessed to the crimes:
- Jessica Lloyd: He saw her on her treadmill Wednesday night [34:15:00]. He noticed she wasn’t there Thursday, entered her house, looked around, and left [34:23:00]. When she returned home, he went back in through the back patio door while she was sleeping [34:47:00].
- Marie-France Comeau: He entered her house through an open basement window a couple of nights before she came home [35:10:00]. When she was home, he went back in late at night. She was on the phone in her bedroom but discovered him in the basement when her cat, fixated on him, led her downstairs [35:29:00]. When she spotted him, he subdued and tied her up, taking her upstairs and strangling her [36:10:00].