Mother hopes for clues in 2001 slaying

Col. Russ Williams, shown here at the Battle of Britain parade in Trenton, Ont., on Sept. 20, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two eastern Ontario women.Col. Russ Williams, shown here at the Battle of Britain parade in Trenton, Ont., on Sept. 20, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two eastern Ontario women. (Department of National Defence)

Trenton colonel's charges spur cold case review

By CBC News

The 2001 slaying of a Nova Scotia woman at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario is among the cases being re-examined after murder charges were laid against Col. Russell Williams.

The 2001 slaying of a Nova Scotia woman at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario is among the cases being re-examined after murder charges were laid against Col. Russell Williams.

The body of Kathleen MacVicar, 19, of Glace Bay was found at the military base on June 2001. She had been sexually assaulted and stabbed.

Trenton isn't far from Tweed, where the body of Jessica Lloyd, 27, was found Monday, and from Brighton, where Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 38, was found. Williams has been charged with first-degree murder in both women's deaths.

"We're looking at where Kathleen was killed," said Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kristine Rae Tuesday.

"We need to see if there is anything else that is similar to the crimes that we are presently investigating."

Williams, 46, of Tweed, remained in custody Tuesday after a brief court appearance Monday afternoon.

The commander of 8 Wing at CFB Trenton was also charged with breaking and entering, sexual assault and forcible confinement in connection with two home invasions in Tweed, about 30 kilometres north of Belleville.

During the home invasions on Sept. 17 and Sept. 30, 2009, a man entered the victims' homes while they were sleeping. In each case, he struck the victim, tied her up and took photos of her, Ontario Provincial Police reported in a news release.

Rae said police are still investigating and have not ruled out further charges against Williams.

"We will follow the evidence," she said. "If further charges are required, they will be laid."

She added that police are following up on leads from other police services and the public.

Police officers entered Williams's new home in Westboro Tuesday and came out with two bags.

Police officers entered Williams's new home in Westboro Tuesday and came out with two bags. (CBC)

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/02/09/belleville-williams-murder-charges.html#ixzz0f5Oxqb4R

Map of eastern Ontario, showing the location of CFB Trenton, the base that Col. Russell Williams commanded.Map of eastern Ontario, showing the location of CFB Trenton, the base that Col. Russell Williams commanded. (CBC)

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/02/09/belleville-williams-murder-charges.html#ixzz0f5PE9eUq

MacVicor's case examined

Williams's rise through the military ranks: [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/02/08/f-williams-biography.html]

1987: Williams joins the Canadian Forces after earning a degree in economics and political science at the University of Toronto.

1992: Posted to Shearwater, N.S., where he flew the CC144 Challenger and patrolled the coast.

1996: Posted to Ottawa where he flew the Challenger jets that ferried around dignitaries like the prime minister and Governor General.

2004: Receives master's degree in defence studies at Royal Military College.

2009: Becomes wing commander at CFB Trenton.

*Read [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/02/08/f-williams-biography.html] William's full biography.

Colleen MacVicar, Kathleen's mother, told CBC News on Tuesday she hoped William's arrest would provide some answers in her daughter's death.

"It's important to put a name and a face to what created such a horror in this family," MacVicar said. "We need to, I guess, have somebody to blame ? to be angry at somebody. Right now we don't even know who to be angry at."

MacVicar said her daughter was a "bright and vivacious" girl when she moved to live with relatives at the Trenton base.

New developments in the cold case would be welcome, MacVicar said.

"I'd just like to get some answers. I don't think peace is something I'm going to get."

Rae said a $50,000 reward is still being offered for new information about MacVicar's killing.

Previous postings probed

Williams has been based in other cities, including Shearwater, N.S., and Ottawa, during his military career.

"As we go through the investigation, we will be looking at where he has been posted before to see if there is any other occurrences that have any kind of similarity to what we've arrested him for," Rae said.

Williams and his wife have a home in Ottawa and a cottage in Tweed.

On Tuesday, Ontario Provincial Police entered the couple's home on Edison Avenue in Ottawa's Westboro neighbourhood shortly before 2 p.m. They came out 15 minutes later carrying two bags, threw them into a police car and drove away.

A few days prior to Williams's arrest on Sunday, police had pulled over vehicles along a highway close to where Lloyd went missing and took photographs of the vehicles' tires.

Two sources, including Williams's neighbour, Larry Jones, told CBC News that police investigated Williams after his tire treads matched the tracks at Lloyd's.

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