Latest news with #RussellWilliams
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
By Day, He Was a Decorated Commander. But Double-Life Started with Underwear Fetish — and Spiraled into Heinous Crimes
Russell Williams once led Canada's largest air base and flew world leaders. But behind closed doors, he prowled neighborhoods, stole women's underwear, and killed two women NEED TO KNOW Col. Russell Williams, trusted to fly prime ministers and Queen Elizabeth II, secretly prowled neighborhoods and broke into homes 82 times to steal women's underwear Investigators linked him to two murders and multiple sexual assaults, crimes he admitted to in a disturbing taped confession Williams was sentenced to life in prison in 2010 with no parole eligibility for 25 years, ensuring decades behind bars He was one of Canada's most trusted military commanders — but behind closed doors, Colonel Russell Williams was living a secret life of fetish, sexual violence and murder. Williams' ascent in the Canadian Armed Forces seemed impeccable. He rose to command CFB Trenton — Canada's largest military air base — piloting dignitaries, including the prime minister and Queen Elizabeth II, according to NBC News. But what no one suspected was that during that time, and over the course of several years, he was secretly breaking into women's homes, driven by a disturbing compulsion. Investigators eventually linked Williams to 82 break-ins across Ontario, where he stole lingerie, underwear, bathing suits and shoes — often photographing himself wearing the items while masturbating — and, in some cases, targeting girls as young as nine, CityNews Vancouver reported. He meticulously catalogued his crimes and even returned to many of the same homes. In November 2009, Williams attacked Corporal Marie-France Comeau, raped and murdered her in her home, and later sent a condolence letter to her family as though he had no connection to the crime, CityNews reported. Police would later learn that Williams exploited his access to Comeau's flight schedule to know when she'd be alone, per the Durham Region. Just two months later, 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd vanished. Investigators found distinctive tire tracks in the snow outside her house and began checking vehicles in the area. The treads matched those on Williams' Nissan Pathfinder, prompting police to bring him in for a ten-hour-long interrogation on February 7, 2010. At first, Ontario Provincial Police Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth pressed Williams on forensic evidence tying him to the crimes. Eventually, Williams shifted, showing more concern for how his actions would appear to others than for his victims. 'When you talk about perception, my only two immediate concerns from a perception perspective are what my wife must be going through right now, and the impact this is going to have on the Canadian Forces,' Williams said in the videotaped confession, according to a transcript reviewed by PEOPLE. As the interview went on, Williams began to describe the killings in startlingly matter-of-fact terms. About Comeau, he admitted to beating her with a flashlight and then strangling her. "Her skull gave way... she was immediately unconscious," he said. "Then, I strangled her." Before killing her, he had raped Comeau repeatedly, per testimony later given in court. During the assault, she begged for her life, telling Williams "have a heart please... I've been really good... I want to live," per CityNews. He told investigators that he placed her body in the garage afterward. When asked why he returned to the base so soon after the murder, Williams said it was because of his duties: 'I was flying early the next morning.' On Lloyd, Williams recounted how he tied her up, held her captive for hours, forced her to wear lingerie he had stolen, assaulted her and took hundreds of photos before killing her with duct tape. He also confessed to two violent assaults — two months before killing Comeau, Williams attacked Laurie Massicotte in her home, where he tied her up, blindfolded her and forced her to pose for photos. He targeted another woman, whose name has not been made public, in a similar assault that same month. After his arrest, police uncovered a trove of trophies from his years of break-ins and assaults — thousands of stolen undergarments catalogued and photographed in neat order. The shocking revelations rocked the Canadian public and devastated the military, with then-Chief of Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk calling Williams' actions ' a fundamental breach of trust, duty and valour' in a statement. Williams pleaded guilty to 88 charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, and in 2010 was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Stripped of his rank and military honors, his uniform was burned and his medals destroyed. Williams reached out-of-court settlements with the family of murder victim Jessica Lloyd and Massicotte — the latter for $7 million — in 2014 and 2016, respectively per CBC News. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
By Day, He Was a Decorated Commander. But Double-Life Started with Underwear Fetish — and Spiraled into Heinous Crimes
Russell Williams once led Canada's largest air base and flew world leaders. But behind closed doors, he prowled neighborhoods, stole women's underwear, and killed two women NEED TO KNOW Col. Russell Williams, trusted to fly prime ministers and Queen Elizabeth II, secretly prowled neighborhoods and broke into homes 82 times to steal women's underwear Investigators linked him to two murders and multiple sexual assaults, crimes he admitted to in a disturbing taped confession Williams was sentenced to life in prison in 2010 with no parole eligibility for 25 years, ensuring decades behind bars He was one of Canada's most trusted military commanders — but behind closed doors, Colonel Russell Williams was living a secret life of fetish, sexual violence and murder. Williams' ascent in the Canadian Armed Forces seemed impeccable. He rose to command CFB Trenton — Canada's largest military air base — piloting dignitaries, including the prime minister and Queen Elizabeth II, according to NBC News. But what no one suspected was that during that time, and over the course of several years, he was secretly breaking into women's homes, driven by a disturbing compulsion. Investigators eventually linked Williams to 82 break-ins across Ontario, where he stole lingerie, underwear, bathing suits and shoes — often photographing himself wearing the items while masturbating — and, in some cases, targeting girls as young as nine, CityNews Vancouver reported. He meticulously catalogued his crimes and even returned to many of the same homes. In November 2009, Williams attacked Corporal Marie-France Comeau, raped and murdered her in her home, and later sent a condolence letter to her family as though he had no connection to the crime, CityNews reported. Police would later learn that Williams exploited his access to Comeau's flight schedule to know when she'd be alone, per the Durham Region. Just two months later, 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd vanished. Investigators found distinctive tire tracks in the snow outside her house and began checking vehicles in the area. The treads matched those on Williams' Nissan Pathfinder, prompting police to bring him in for a ten-hour-long interrogation on February 7, 2010. At first, Ontario Provincial Police Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth pressed Williams on forensic evidence tying him to the crimes. Eventually, Williams shifted, showing more concern for how his actions would appear to others than for his victims. 'When you talk about perception, my only two immediate concerns from a perception perspective are what my wife must be going through right now, and the impact this is going to have on the Canadian Forces,' Williams said in the videotaped confession, according to a transcript reviewed by PEOPLE. As the interview went on, Williams began to describe the killings in startlingly matter-of-fact terms. About Comeau, he admitted to beating her with a flashlight and then strangling her. "Her skull gave way... she was immediately unconscious," he said. "Then, I strangled her." Before killing her, he had raped Comeau repeatedly, per testimony later given in court. During the assault, she begged for her life, telling Williams "have a heart please... I've been really good... I want to live," per CityNews. He told investigators that he placed her body in the garage afterward. When asked why he returned to the base so soon after the murder, Williams said it was because of his duties: 'I was flying early the next morning.' On Lloyd, Williams recounted how he tied her up, held her captive for hours, forced her to wear lingerie he had stolen, assaulted her and took hundreds of photos before killing her with duct tape. He also confessed to two violent assaults — two months before killing Comeau, Williams attacked Laurie Massicotte in her home, where he tied her up, blindfolded her and forced her to pose for photos. He targeted another woman, whose name has not been made public, in a similar assault that same month. After his arrest, police uncovered a trove of trophies from his years of break-ins and assaults — thousands of stolen undergarments catalogued and photographed in neat order. The shocking revelations rocked the Canadian public and devastated the military, with then-Chief of Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk calling Williams' actions ' a fundamental breach of trust, duty and valour' in a statement. Williams pleaded guilty to 88 charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, and in 2010 was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Stripped of his rank and military honors, his uniform was burned and his medals destroyed. Williams reached out-of-court settlements with the family of murder victim Jessica Lloyd and Massicotte — the latter for $7 million — in 2014 and 2016, respectively per CBC News. Read the original article on People
CBC
12-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Some N.L. hydrogen companies behind in bills as industry hype 'boils off'
Newfoundland and Labrador is owed millions of dollars in fees from green energy companies, underlining growing doubts about whether promises of major projects and multi-billion dollar investments will pan out. Six companies are vying to create new operations in the province that would use wind energy to produce hydrogen for exports overseas. Figures obtained by The Canadian Press reveal some owe a collective total of $13.7-million in fees due in 2024 for the use of Crown land. Russell Williams, an associate political science professor at Memorial University in St. John's, said he's not surprised. "I think it highlights the extent to which the public should be skeptical about megaprojects, and about governments getting very carried away, very early, with the idea that there are huge benefits from these kinds of natural resource developments," said Williams. However, the province insists the money will be collected. "The provincial government has not written off any outstanding Crown land reserve fees and expects to collect all revenue owing for these fees," said an emailed statement from Steve Crocker, minister of industry, energy and technology. The industry began paying the fees after the provincial government invited companies to bid on Crown land to use for wind energy projects in December 2022. By paying the fees, the companies have the option to lease the land if they choose to move forward with projects. But it's not clear which developments will proceed, even though the companies have now reserved roughly 3,944 square kilometres of Crown land. Executives from the six companies told an energy conference in St. John's last week that it's been tough to find buyers on the overseas market to make their projects viable. Some companies said they were considering other options in the meantime, including an anticipated call for renewable energy for the local grid in Newfoundland and Labrador. "In 2021, 2022 the world thought everything was going to be running on hydrogen," Karlis Povisils, with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, told reporters during the conference. "I think the hype has boiled off, and that's a healthy thing. The players that are left are the ones that are serious and committed." The companies owed a collective total of about $22.1-million in Crown land reserve fees for 2024, Crocker said. The province collected just $8.4 million, according to figures obtained through access to information legislation. In 2023, the province received $5,491,316 in Crown land reserve fees — exactly the amount it was owed, the department confirmed. Only three of the six companies confirmed to the Canadian Press their fees were up to date: North Atlantic, Pattern Energy, and the Exploits Valley Renewable Energy Corporation, or EVREC. Other companies weren't as clear. A spokesperson for World Energy GH2, which proposed a $16-billion wind-powered hydrogen operation in western Newfoundland, said the company has paid "millions" in Crown land reserve fees. She did not confirm if it had paid all of its fees for 2024. "We continue to reserve Crown lands, and incur fees related to our reservation, and will continue to service our obligations," Laura Barron said in an email. A spokesperson for EverWind, which has proposed wind-to-hydrogen projects in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, said the company has paid $5.6-million in reserve fees, "but we cannot comment further as we are in ongoing land reservation discussions with the province." EverWind Fuels is one of two companies that have asked the province to reduce the amount of land held in reserve for its proposed development. Using the reduced land reserve, the company would have owed more than $8-million in 2024. ABO Energy, which is working with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners on a project in eastern Newfoundland, has also reduced its Crown land reserve. The company said it is working with the government "to ensure compliance" with reserve fee conditions. "And indeed, we are working to create the ecosystem that this nascent industry demands," said spokesperson Heidi Kirby in an email. Tom Cooper, a business professor at Memorial University, said forgoing the land fees could be a way for the province to fund the developments, "without handing over hard cash." Williams added that the fees are quite small compared to the cost of some of the projects. He worries the provincial government undervalued its resources and got swept up in "pie-in-the-sky" promises of megaprojects that would produce jobs. "One of the things that always gets lost in those calculations is the public interest," Williams said. "The public interest here is what kind of royalties and revenues was the province going to get ... and it looks like, unless something changes, the benefits are tiny and in arrears."
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Some Newfoundland hydrogen companies behind in bills as industry hype ‘boils off'
Hydrogen storage tanks are visible at the Iberdrola green hydrogen plant in Puertollano, Spain, on March 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Bernat Armangue ST. JOHN'S — Newfoundland and Labrador is owed millions of dollars in fees from green energy companies, underlining growing doubts about whether promises of major projects and multi-billion dollar investments will pan out. Six companies are vying to create new operations in the province that would use wind energy to produce hydrogen for exports overseas. Figures obtained by The Canadian Press reveal some owe a collective total of $13.7 million in fees due in 2024 for the use of Crown land. Russell Williams, an associate political science professor at Memorial University in St. John's, N.L., said he's not surprised the companies have land fees outstanding. 'I think it highlights the extent to which the public should be skeptical about megaprojects, and about governments getting very carried away, very early, with the idea that there are huge benefits from these kinds of natural resource developments,' Williams said in a recent interview. However, the province insists the money will be collected. 'The provincial government has not written off any outstanding Crown land reserve fees and expects to collect all revenue owing for these fees,' said an emailed statement from Steve Crocker, minister of industry, energy and technology. The industry began paying the fees after the provincial government invited companies to bid on Crown land to use for wind energy projects in December 2022. By paying the fees, the companies have the option to lease the land if they choose to move forward with projects. But it's not clear which developments will proceed even though the companies have now reserved roughly 3,944 square kilometres of Crown land. Executives from the six companies told an energy conference in St. John's, N.L., last week that it's been tough to find buyers on the overseas market to make their projects viable. Some companies said they were considering other options in the meantime, including an anticipated call for renewable energy for the local grid in Newfoundland and Labrador. 'In 2021, 2022 the world thought everything was going to be running on hydrogen,' Karlis Povisils, with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, told reporters during the conference. 'I think the hype has boiled off, and that's a healthy thing. The players that are left are the ones that are serious and committed.' The companies owed a collective total of about $22.1 million in Crown land reserve fees for 2024, Crocker said. The province collected just $8.4 million, according to figures obtained through access to information legislation. In 2023, the province received $5,491,316 in Crown land reserve fees — exactly the amount it was owed, the department confirmed. Only three of the six companies confirmed to the Canadian Press their fees were up to date: North Atlantic, Pattern Energy, and the Exploits Valley Renewable Energy Corporation, or EVREC. Other companies weren't as clear. A spokesperson for World Energy GH2, which proposed a $16-billion wind-powered hydrogen operation in western Newfoundland, said the company has paid 'millions' in Crown land reserve fees. She did not confirm if it had paid all of its fees for 2024. 'We continue to reserve Crown lands, and incur fees related to our reservation, and will continue to service our obligations,' Laura Barron said in an email. A spokesperson for EverWind, which has proposed wind-to-hydrogen projects in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, said the company has paid $5.6 million in reserve fees, 'but we cannot comment further as we are in ongoing land reservation discussions with the province.' EverWind Fuels is one of two companies that have asked the province to reduce the amount of land held in reserve for its proposed development. Using the reduced land reserve, the company would have owed more than $8 million in 2024. ABO Energy, which is working with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners on a project in eastern Newfoundland, has also reduced its Crown land reserve. The company said it is working with the government 'to ensure compliance' with reserve fee conditions. 'And indeed, we are working to create the ecosystem that this nascent industry demands,' said spokesperson Heidi Kirby in an email. Tom Cooper, a business professor at Memorial University, said forgoing the land fees could be a way for the province to fund the developments, 'without handing over hard cash.' Williams added that the fees are quite small compared to the cost of some of the projects. He worries the provincial government undervalued its resources and got swept up in 'pie-in-the-sky' promises of megaprojects that would produce jobs. 'One of the things that always gets lost in those calculations is the public interest,' Williams said. 'The public interest here is what kind of royalties and revenues was the province going to get ... and it looks like, unless something changes, the benefits are tiny and in arrears.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025. Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press
BBC News
04-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
ODEON Bracknell closes after three decades
A Bracknell cinema has closed its doors after 30 Bracknell on Skimped Hill Lane closed at the end of May following a "mutual agreement" with the premise landlord, a spokesperson remains a Cineworld in Bracknell whilst the nearest ODEON is now in Maidenhead."We would like to reiterate our thanks to [the landlord], our wonderful colleagues and our guests for all their support over the years," the ODEON spokesperson said. "After years of making magical memories for generations of cinemagoers, we're sorry to announce that our cinema is now closed. We've been truly proud to serve our guests at ODEON Bracknell and bring years of movie magic to the community." Russell Williams, who lives in nearby Ascot says he hasn't been to the ODEON in more than a decade "It's run down, nobody goes."Local resident Shikha Solamki said "There's been so many Hindi movies that don't go everywhere but you can find them in the ODEON, it was a nice experience in that way. But it needs a lot of improvements like the environment and the seating.""The theatre experience you can't get at can have a mini theatre and something like that at home but when you come here, and multiplexes, it's a whole different experience." Caroline Deacon, who lives near the cinema, said she "thought it was going to close for ages, it's been going down hill a long time.""Stuff comes out so quickly now, it used to be you'd wait two years to see something, now you wait two weeks and it's on Netflix." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
