Col. Williams to plead guilty

Kubo · Oct 8, 2010

BELLEVILLE, Ont. - The lawyer for former top military officer Col. Russell Williams says his client intends to plead guilty to charges of first-degree murder, sexual assault, and break and enter.

His lawyer is telling a Belleville, Ont., courtroom that Williams will plead guilty at his next court appearance on Oct. 18.

Williams was a rising star in the military before being charged in February with first-degree murder in the deaths of Jessica Lloyd, 27, and Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 37.

Comeau was found dead in her home in Brighton, Ont., last November while Lloyd was found in nearby Tweed.

In addition to the two murder charges, Williams, 47, faces two counts of sexual assault, two of forcible confinement, and 82 counts of break and enter.

His lawyer told the judge today that Williams will plead guilty to all counts.

Comeau was found dead in her home in Brighton, Ont., last November.

She was a flight attendant at CFB Trenton and served aboard the same military VIP flights Williams piloted for much of the 1990s, ferrying the Governor General, the prime minister and other dignitaries on domestic and overseas trips.

Related:
Background: Russell Williams timeline
Bing map: See where the story unfolded

Court documents show Williams is alleged to have burglarized Comeau's home some 10 days before she was found dead on Nov. 25. The information does not specify what was allegedly stolen.

Lloyd was found dumped on a dirt road in nearby Tweed, where Williams also lived. She worked in Napanee, Ont., co-ordinating school-bus schedules.

Colleagues of the 23-year officer with an otherwise flawless record repeatedly described him as a wonderful person and stellar performer.

Before his arrest, police had been looking for a suspect in two home invasions near Williams' house in eastern Ontario in which women were tied up and sexually assaulted. Police initially focused on one neighbourhood resident.

Some of the break-and-enter charges centre around the Ottawa neighbourhood where Williams once lived.

A man whose house was among those burglarized said he and his wife came home one day to find family pictures on their bed and underwear drawers of his wife and daughters left open.

One of Williams' alleged sex assault victims has also launched a $2.45-million lawsuit against Williams and his wife, Mary-Elizabeth Harriman.

The 21-year-old woman, identified only as Jane Doe, claims the "horrific and reprehensible'' alleged sexual attack has left her fearful and suicidal.

Those allegations have not been proven in court and Williams has not yet filed a statement of defence.
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The lawyer for Col. Russell Williams said Thursday his client intends to plead guilty to the murder, sexual assault and break-and-enter charges against him at a later date.

In a courtroom in Belleville, Ont., lawyer Michael Edelson gave the notification during what was Williams's first in-person appearance in front of a judge. No plea was actually entered Thursday.

Edelson said the decision was reached after reviewing thousands of pages of documents disclosed by the Crown and numerous meetings.

The hearing has now been adjourned. Williams's next court appearance is set for Oct. 18.

Williams, 47, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of air force flight attendant Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 37, who worked at CFB Trenton, and Jessica Lloyd, 27, of Belleville.

He has also been charged with home-invasion sex attacks on two women in September 2009 in eastern Ontario and with 82 breaking and entering charges.

Until Thursday, Williams had appeared only via video link from jail in Napanee, Ont.

Amid a heavy police presence, he arrived at the back of the Belleville courthouse in a grey van shortly before 8 a.m. ET. He was ushered into the building through a fenced-in area leading to a doorway.

Inside the courthouse, two metal detectors had been set up for the appearance and an overflow room was open with a video feed for the large crowds that were expected.

CBC News reporter Melanie Nagy said she had to take off her shoes, which were put through a metal detector. Once inside the courtroom, journalists had to turn off their cellphones and BlackBerry devices. They were given a four-page list of court rules.

Jessica Lloyd's mother entered the court carrying a framed picture of her daughter.

Williams wore a dark navy suit, and a collared white shirt with no tie. Silence fell as he entered the courtroom. He sat with his back to the gallery, a glass barrier between him and the public. As he waited for court to start, he sat head bowed, leaning forward.

Sentencing hearings in the case are expected to take four to five days, after which the judge will hand down the sentence.
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Col. Williams to plead guilty

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