Do You Really Know Who Your Neighbours Are?

By: Sabina Wex

He was a respected commander of the Canadian forces. His wife was in charge of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. He was a brutal rapist. He was a serial killer. He is Colonel Russell Williams.

No one would have ever suspected Russell Williams. He was a well-respected military commander. His victims were shocked when they found out that he was the rapist-they barely even knew him!

Laurie Massicotte is the only victim who has openly told her horror story to the public. She had fallen asleep on the couch on September 30th 2009 around eleven o’clock. Around midnight, Williams smothered her with a blanket as he repeatedly punched her in the face. Massicotte thought that she was suffering from smoke inhalation, but she realised what was happening when he told her to be quiet. Williams scared Ms. Massicotte by telling her that there were others with him, and interrogated her about other inhabitants of the house. He squeezed her neck so hard during the interrogation that she urinated herself. When he finally let her neck go, he tied her up and took pictures of her topless. He started fondling her breasts, but stopped when she asked him to. Then he held a knife to her throat and one to her pants, and forced her to strip so that he could take more pictures.

Williams was very calm throughout the whole crime, affirming the belief that he is a psychopath. He told his victim that she was a “very nice lady,” and always said “please” when he wanted her to do something. He even got her an aspirin to ease the pain.

Williams sexually assaulted many other women, and stole underwear from even more. In 2009, he committed his first murder.

Corporal Marie-France Comeau was his first victim. A few days after her killed her, Williams wrote her family a letter of condolence. As you can see, he was very good at hiding his alter ego.

The next person he killed was Jessica Lloyd. She happened to be driving on the same highway that he took home from work.

William only targeted women. He had an obsession with women, which came to control his life. His wife, Mary-Elizabeth Harriman, is absolutely devastated and considers herself a victim.

It is shocking to hear that someone as well respected as Williams is doing something like this. The Russell Williams case has reminded all Canadians that you never know who anyone really is, not even people in positions of power.