Offender Record · OFF-2026-184
David Russell Williams (photo from the Radford University biography)
David Russell Williams
Also known as Russ Sovka, Russell Williams, The Tweed Creeper
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
6'2"
Born
1963
Custody
Incarcerated
States
CA, KR
Distinguishing featuresPer military and media records: Colonel in Royal Canadian Air Force, pilot who flew Queen Elizabeth II and Canadian Prime Ministers.
Custody
Incarcerated at Port-Cartier Institution (also reported as Millhaven Institution)
Custody record at the facility
Sentenced October 21, 2010, to two concurrent life sentences, no parole eligibility until 2035. Initially incarcerated at Kingston Penitentiary; transferred to Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec. Multiple sources report his current facility as either Port-Cartier Institution or Millhaven Institution.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
David Russell Williams, born March 7, 1963, in Bromsgrove, England, is a former Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force and commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of forcible confinement, and 82 counts of breaking and entering. Between September 2007 and January 2010, Williams committed approximately 82 break-ins targeting the homes of women and girls in Ontario, stealing undergarments and photographing himself in the stolen items. On November 23, 2009, he murdered Corporal Marie-France Comeau, 38, of Brighton, Ontario, by asphyxiation; on January 28–29, 2010, he murdered Jessica Lloyd, 27, of Belleville, Ontario, by striking her with a flashlight and strangling her with rope. He pleaded guilty to all 88 charges on October 18, 2010, and was sentenced on October 21, 2010, to two concurrent life sentences with no parole eligibility for 25 years, plus concurrent sentences for sexual assault, forcible confinement, and breaking and entering. He is currently incarcerated.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Sep 2007, Ottawa, Belleville, Tweed, Brighton, Ontario
Breaking and entering and theft (82 counts)
Ontario Provincial Police · Ontario Superior Court, Belleville · Criminal Code of Canada · Arrested Feb 07, 2010 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 1 year imprisonment for each count (82 counts concurrent)
Between September 2007 and November 2009, Williams committed 82 documented break-ins targeting approximately 48 homes. Charges comprised 61 counts of breaking and entering and theft, 11 counts of attempted breaking and entering, and 10 counts of breaking and entering with intent to commit an indictable offense. Incidents occurred in Ottawa (34 break-ins in Fallingbrook area in east end and Westboro neighborhood), Belleville (2 break-ins), and Tweed area (46 break-ins). Victims included girls as young as 11 and women of all ages. Williams stole approximately 1,400 pieces of clothing, mostly underwear and lingerie. He photographed himself wearing stolen undergarments, sometimes in the victims' homes. Only 17 of 82 break-ins were reported to police.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Williams, David Russell; Col. Russell Williams pleads guilty to all 88 charges; Russell Williams Case
Offense date Sep 17, 2009, Tweed, Ontario
Sexual assault
Ontario Provincial Police · Ontario Superior Court, Belleville · Criminal Code of Canada · Arrested Feb 07, 2010 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 10 years imprisonment (concurrent)
On September 17, 2009, Williams attacked a woman (Jane Doe) in Tweed while she was in her home. He blindfolded her, bound her with wire, and sexually assaulted her. She could not identify him at the time. Between September 18–22, 2009, Williams made multiple return visits to her home, stealing lingerie and taking photographs of himself wearing her underwear. On September 22, Williams took nude photographs of himself in her clothing while she was away.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Williams, David Russell; Col. Russell Williams pleads guilty to all 88 charges; Russell Williams Case
Offense date Sep 17, 2009, Tweed, Ontario
Forcible confinement
Ontario Provincial Police · Ontario Superior Court, Belleville · Criminal Code of Canada · Arrested Feb 07, 2010 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 10 years imprisonment (concurrent)
On September 17, 2009, Williams forcibly confined Jane Doe by binding her and blindfolding her while sexually assaulting her in Tweed, Ontario.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Williams, David Russell; Col. Russell Williams pleads guilty to all 88 charges
Offense date Nov 23, 2009, Brighton, Ontario
First-degree murder
Ontario Provincial Police · Ontario Superior Court, Belleville · Criminal Code of Canada · Arrested Feb 07, 2010 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment, no parole eligibility for 25 years (concurrent)
On November 16, 2009, Williams broke into the home of Corporal Marie-France Comeau, 38, a military flight attendant under his command at CFB Trenton, located in Brighton, Ontario. On November 23, 2009, he returned and found her in her basement looking for her cats. Williams, masked and armed with zip ties, duct tape, camera, and flashlight, attacked her, bound her to a steel post, wrapped duct tape around her face, and photographed her. He recorded a two-hour video documenting the rape and torture of Comeau. He murdered her by asphyxiation using duct tape to cut off her air supply. Her body was discovered on November 25, 2009, covered in her bloody duvet in her home.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Williams, David Russell; Biography: Russell Williams; Col. Russell Williams pleads guilty to all 88 charges; Williams admitted to killing Comeau, Lloyd; Russell Williams Case
Offense date Jan 28, 2010, Belleville, Ontario
First-degree murder
Ontario Provincial Police · Ontario Superior Court, Belleville · Criminal Code of Canada · Arrested Feb 07, 2010 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment, no parole eligibility for 25 years (concurrent)
On January 28–29, 2010, Williams invaded the home of Jessica Lloyd, 27, on Highway 37 near Belleville, Ontario, at approximately 1:00 a.m. while she was asleep. He bound her hands and duct-taped her mouth. He transported her to his cottage in Tweed, where he took photographs for three hours and recorded most of the event. He raped her and forced her to perform oral sex. After several hours of sexual assault and psychological torture, he struck her head with a flashlight, cracking her skull. He strangled her with rope. He dumped her body in a shallow grave within 15 minutes drive from the cottage. Her body was discovered on February 8, 2010, after Williams told police where to find it.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Williams, David Russell; Biography: Russell Williams; Col. Russell Williams pleads guilty to all 88 charges; Williams admitted to killing Comeau, Lloyd; Russell Williams Case
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
2
Victims convicted
2
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
2007–2010
Victim profile
Young women, Children, Strangers
Stated motive
Sexual, Power or control
Range from home
regional
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
graduate
Marital history
Married, Divorced
Children
0
Military discharge
dishonorable
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
Ottawa Police Service · ON
Aware of investigation; involved with break-ins in Ottawa area and interrogation location
Millhaven Institution · ON
Maximum-security federal prison where Williams is currently serving life sentence
Belleville Police Service · ON
Joint investigation with OPP on the murders and sexual assaults
Canadian Forces National Investigation Service · ON
Military police agency; working with provincial police since Comeau murder investigation
Ontario Superior Court · ON
Court of jurisdiction in Belleville; Justice Robert F. Scott presided over sentencing
Ontario Provincial Police · ON
Primary investigating agency; arrested Williams on Feb 8, 2010; led interrogation; reviewed cold cases including Kathleen MacVicar case
Quinte Detention Centre · ON
Held Williams for eight months from Feb 8, 2010 pending sentencing; located in Napanee
Crown Attorney (Ontario) · ON
Crown attorneys Lee Burgess and Robert Morrison prosecuted all 88 charges; case proceeded via guilty plea
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CA
Chalk River, Ontario, Canada
approx. 1968 – 1975 · Moved to Canada; father worked as scientist at nuclear research facility
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
approx. 1975 – 1979 · Scarborough Bluffs area; mother remarried to Jerry Sovka; family moved to Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1978 – 1979 · Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute; went by name Russ Sovka
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
approx. 1980 – 1982 · Upper Canada College (UCC) boarding school; returned to using surname Williams
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
approx. 1982 – 1986 · University of Toronto; degree in Economics and Political Science; 1983 campus newspaper reported rape incident of unknown connection to Williams
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
approx. 1987 – 1989 · CFB Chilliwack (Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack); first base assignment · air force
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
approx. 1987 – 1987 · Basic training at Canadian Forces facility · air force
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada
approx. 1990 – 1992 · 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (CFB Portage La Prairie); earned flying wings 1990; served as instructor · air force
Shearwater, Nova Scotia, Canada
approx. 1992 – 1994 · CFB Shearwater (Canadian Forces Base Shearwater); combat support squadron; electronic warfare and coastal patrol; pilot of CC-144 Challenger Jet; promoted to Captain July 1992; flew VIP dignitaries · air force
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
approx. 1994 – 1999 · Posted to Ottawa; VIP Squadron flying prominent political figures
Orléans, Ontario, Canada
approx. 1995 – 2009 · Purchased home with wife Mary-Elizabeth Harriman in Orleans, suburb of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
approx. 1999 – 2004 · Director General Military Careers as multi-engine pilot career manager; promoted to Major November 1999; earned military graduate degree and Master's degree; wrote thesis on Iraq War · air force
Tweed, Ontario, Canada
approx. 2004 – 2010 · Purchased cottage on Cosy Cove Lane near Tweed with wife; lakeside cottage used during week
Trenton, Ontario, Canada
approx. 2004 – 2006 · CFB Trenton (Canadian Forces Base Trenton); promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel; commanded 437 (Husky) Transport Squadron · air force
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
approx. 2009 – 2009 · Posted to Canadian Forces Language School for six months of French-language training; promoted to Colonel · air force
Trenton, Ontario, Canada
Jul 2009 – Feb 2010 · CFB Trenton (Canadian Forces Base Trenton); Wing Commander (8 Wing Commander) of Canada's largest military airbase; in charge of VIP transport operations and air logistics hub; commanded until arrested February 8, 2010 · air force
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
approx. Dec 2009 – Feb 2010 · Moved out of Orleans home December 17, 2009; moved to new home in Ottawa, Westboro neighborhood
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
approx. Feb 2010 – Oct 2010 · Held in custody in Belleville during legal proceedings; court appearances via video link and in person
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Feb 07, 2010 – Feb 08, 2010 · Arrested by Ontario Provincial Police on February 7, 2010; charged with two counts first-degree murder, sexual assault, and forcible confinement
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
approx. Oct 21, 2010 – Sep 2013 · Kingston Penitentiary; maximum-security facility; held in segregated wing; suicide attempt in April 2010 (Easter weekend) prevented by guards; shoved cardboard toilet-paper tube down throat
Port-Cartier, Quebec, Canada
approx. 2013 – present · Port-Cartier Institution (maximum-security federal prison); transferred from Kingston Penitentiary after closure in September 2013; highest-security classification
KR
Busan, South Korea
approx. 1979 – 1980 · Stepfather Jerry Sovka moved for work; family moved with him
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
BMW – Another vehicle used during break-in period
approx. 2007 – 2010
Referenced as vehicle Williams sometimes used; police reported he was driving Pathfinder rather than BMW when stopped
Nissan Pathfinder – SUV used at time of arrest; tire treads matched tracks at Jessica Lloyd's home; stopped at roadblock February 4, 2010
approx. 2000 – 2010
Police stopped Williams at Highway 37 roadblock; tire track match led to arrest; destroyed after conviction
Timeline
Mar 07, 1963
David Russell Williams born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England.
1968
Family moved to Canada; father worked as scientist at nuclear research facility in Chalk River, Ontario.
Oct 1969
Williams's mother Christine divorced his father; mother remarried Jerry Sovka and family moved to Toronto.
1978
Williams attended Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute high school, going by the name Russ Sovka.
1986
Williams graduated from University of Toronto with degree in Economics and Political Science.
1987
Williams joined the Canadian Air Force after returning to use surname Williams; completed basic training at CFB Moose Jaw and first posted to CFB Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Aug 1987
Margaret McWilliam, 21, found raped and strangled at Warden Woods Park in Scarborough, Toronto on August 27, 1987; still considered cold case; family later asked police to investigate possible Williams connection.
1990
Williams earned flying wings and posted to 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School at CFB Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, where he served as instructor.
Jun 01, 1991
Williams married Mary-Elizabeth Harriman at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba in Winnipeg Art Gallery.
1992
Williams assigned to combat support squadron in Nova Scotia; worked in electronic warfare and coastal patrol; piloted CC-144 Challenger Jet.
Jul 1992
Williams promoted to Captain; began flying VIPs including Prime Minister and Queen of England; moved to CFB Shearwater, Nova Scotia.
1995
Williams purchased home in Orleans, suburb of Ottawa, with wife Mary-Elizabeth Harriman.
Nov 1999
Williams promoted to Major; assigned to Ottawa as Director General Military Careers as multi-engine pilot career manager.
Jun 2004
Williams promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and took command of 437 (Husky) Transport Squadron at CFB Trenton.
Aug 2004
Williams and wife purchased cottage on Cosy Cove Lane near Tweed, Ontario.
2005
Williams flew Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and Duke of Edinburgh to and from Canada and throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan; Queen sent autographed photograph.
Sep 2007
Williams began first documented break-in on night of September 8–9, 2007, at neighbor's cottage near Tweed; stole girl's underwear and photographed himself in them; escalation of 79 break-ins that month.
Nov 01, 2007
Williams committed one additional break-in, then break-ins temporarily stopped.
Mar 15, 2008
Break-ins resumed with same pattern of stolen undergarments.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Williams, David Russell“Information researched and summarized by Taryn Yezek & Derek Wiseley; timeline and biographical data on David Russell Williams.”
News report · Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ·
Biography: Russell Williams“The decorated former commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton pleaded guilty to all charges in October 2010 and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.”
News report · NPR ·
Canadian Military Officer Sentenced To Life For Murders And Rape“Williams, a decorated pilot, pleaded guilty Monday to murdering Jessica Lloyd, 27, and Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 38.”
News report · Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ·
Col. Russell Williams timeline“Col. Russell Williams, former base commander of CFB Trenton, has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the deaths of Jessica Lloyd, 27, and Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 38, and 86 other charges.”
News report · CNN ·
Canadian military commander gets life for killing two women“Col. Russell Williams will serve at least 25 years before being eligible for parole; Justice Robert Scott called the crimes 'depraved'.”
Other · Wikipedia ·
Russell Williams (criminal)“David Russell Williams (born March 7, 1963) is a convicted murderer who was sentenced to two terms of life in prison for the first-degree murders of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd.”
News report · Fox News ·
Canadian commander sentenced to life for murders“Col. Russell Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two sexual assaults and 82 counts of breaking-and-entering.”
Other government record · The Canadian Encyclopedia ·
Russell Williams Case“Williams is now incarcerated in the maximum-security prison at Port-Cartier, Québec.”
News report · Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ·
Williams's murder victims pleaded for their lives“Both of Col. Russell Williams's murder victims — Jessica Lloyd and Cpl. Marie-France Comeau — desperately pleaded for their lives before he killed them.”
Law enforcement release · Canadian Department of National Defence ·
Chief Defence Staff Statement on Colonel Williams Guilty Plea“The tragic events surrounding Colonel Russell Williams stunned all Canadians and none more so than the members of the Canadian Forces.”
News report · Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ·
Col. Russell Williams pleads guilty to all 88 charges“The decorated former commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, in eastern Ontario, pleaded guilty to all 88 charges against him — including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts each of sexual assault and forcible confinement and 82 break-ins and attempted break-ins.”
News report · Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ·
Trenton colonel's charges spur cold case review“Police looking at unsolved cases after the charges against Williams will examine homicides and sex crimes but also precursor-type crimes such as burglaries.”
News report · Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ·
Slain woman's family asks about Williams link“Margaret McWilliam was found raped and killed at Warden Woods Park in Toronto's Scarborough region on Aug. 27, 1987.”
News report · Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ·
Williams admitted to killing Comeau, Lloyd“Russell Williams admitted to raping and strangling Jessica Lloyd and raping and suffocating Cpl. Marie-France Comeau in a videotaped statement to police.”
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