Air colonel Russell Williams was a decorated military pilot who had flown VIPs including the Queen and Prince Philip.
The English-born pilot was a commander of Canada’s largest airbase, described as a “shining bright star”, but Williams had a bizarre and dark double life.
His downfall will be examined by Scottish criminologist David Wilson, Emeritus Professor of Criminology at Birmingham City University in a CBS special documentary Voice of a Killer – The Colonel this week.
In 2007 Williams, now 55, began to break into the homes of women and girls near his home in Ottawa and cottage in Tweed, Ontario. He would steal their underwear and photograph himself wearing them.
After dozens of break-ins, in 2009 his fetish escalated and he committed two sexual assaults.
Then, in November 2009, he broke into the home of a female corporal who was under his command at Canadian Forces Base Trenton.
He brutally murdered her and recorded his actions on video and with photographs.
Just two months later he struck again, killing another woman in a similarly gruesome fashion.
Following the murder of his second victim Jessica Lloyd, local police set up a roadblock to check cars which passed by her home.
The tyre tracks of Williams’ car matched those found at Lloyd’s home and ultimately lead to his arrest.
When brought in for questioning, Williams initially appeared confident. He denied any wrongdoing, but as the gruelling 10-hour interview went on he realised there was not getting away with it.
