Canada - Marie-France Comeau, 37, & Jessica Lloyd, 27, slain, Ont, 2009 & 2010 - #1

Experts tell of rare 'Macho Man' Killers

A repeat killer in a decorated uniform? If Col. Russell Williams is guilty, he is an unusual specimen. According to an American criminal profiler, however, he is not entirely unique.

After interviewing 25 serial killers, Deborah Schurman-Kauflin identified a rare type of offender she dubbed the "Macho Man" in a 2005 book – the rarest type in fact, she said Tuesday.

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Brown noted that a job as a military officer allows for "a level of extreme power and control," the goal of many sex offenders. Zelig said many serial offenders possess low levels of anxiety; if this were true of Williams, it could partially explain his success as a military pilot. And Schurman-Kauflin said an offender may deliberately seek to attain an elite job because it would "help him in many ways," such as minimizing the possibility he would be suspected of an offence.

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http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/763103--experts-tell-of-rare-macho-man-killers

'I would suspect the Pope before I would suspect Russ'

“The cat was their baby,” White said.

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“We can’t believe this. It’s just not Russ,” White said.

“I would suspect the Pope before I would suspect Russ.”

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http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/would+suspect+Pope+before+would+suspect+Russ/2543650/story.html

Hello there. I'm new to this forum, but thought you'd be interested in this article i found on the G&M this morning.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...s-is-a-man-no-one-really-knew/article1463964/

pjgrrrl said:

Experts tell of rare 'Macho Man' Killers


http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/763103--experts-tell-of-rare-macho-man-killers

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From your link:

"Everything a serial offender does is to further his compulsion to fulfil his deviant desires."

Like the other profilers, Mark Safarik, a consultant who formerly worked for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, said it is likely the offender in the latest crimes has been active for far longer.

Typically, he said, an offender progresses from relatively minor transgressions like prowling or peeping to "fantasy fulfilment," perhaps with willing partners. When "that isn't enough of a thrill," Safarik said, "he crosses over into non-compliant victims."

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The police have stated they don't believe he just started raping and killing out of the blue. I pray they look far back into any unsolved cases.

I thought it interesting that his confession was described as devoid of emotion and seemingly out of a sense of duty. Perhaps if investigators appeal to that sense of duty they'll be able to get more from him regarding crimes in the past.

lenscloth said:

Hello there. I'm new to this forum, but thought you'd be interested in this article i found on the G&M this morning.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...s-is-a-man-no-one-really-knew/article1463964/

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Welcome to Websleuths, Lenscloth! Thank you for the link to that article.

How creepy that Williams led the air search for Jessica....unreal

I agree with all of you, the print media, so called "journalists" have been getting worse and worse..pretty soon poor birdies won't have anything to line their cages to poo poo on, that is all newspapers seem to be worth today, the amount of misinformation in newspapers is unbelievable, in so many cases

I read that they had ruled out McVickers but I am glad to see that they are taking a deeper look...that is scary to read of rapes on campus when he was a student

I also think about him in places like Afganistan, and now Haiti....the power he had, the lack of structure there..anything is possible

reading that account from his rape victim was really horrifying, and to think that he was a neighbor..."waved" to each other?? unreal

I think the "macho man" information was very interesting. This guy seems so arrogant...to do the home invasions right in his own neighborhood....to target a military member under his own command....very scary

while I am aware of escalating...I have to wonder if he has done things in the past that were less bold...ie, maybe gone further from his home, or done things while overseas,
maybe this recent spate of activity was him feeling more bold? I also read that he was alone a lot this past fall as his wife was overseeing the new home they were building..

so ...was he "active" when his wife was not there?? Very scary..
and yeah, I do hope they hire someone to proof read at the newspapers...maybe a high school kid?? geeze...so ridiculous to keep getting the name of poor Jessica wrong, really disrepectful IMHO

Colonel’s stepfather ‘can’t figure out’ murder charges

2010/02/11 10:26:00

As a youngster, accused killer Col. Russell Williams moved all over the world as he followed his stepfather, one of Canada’s leading nuclear engineers.

Dr. Jerry Sovka, an Alberta farm kid who married Williams’ mother when the boy was 7, took his family from Toronto to Montreal to South Korea to Hawaii as an engineer with Atomic Energy Canada Ltd.
.................
Williams used the name Sovka while a student at Upper Canada College and reverted to his birth father’s name at some point before starting a sterling military career that saw him promoted to colonel last year at age 45 and given command of CFB Trenton. He turns 47 in three weeks, on March 7.

more here

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...-s-stepfather-can-t-figure-out-murder-charges

lenscloth said:

Hello there. I'm new to this forum, but thought you'd be interested in this article i found on the G&M this morning.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...s-is-a-man-no-one-really-knew/article1463964/

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Finally! This seems to be the first article where the reporter actually did his homework and was able to get some background with pertinent, useful facts - thus, an account that I can almost trust to be accurate. Thanks to PJ and lenscloth for the link.

So, it seems that RW lived not that far from Bernardo at around the same time the Scarborough rapes occurred. (For those unfamiliar, the Scarborough Bluffs area encompasses a 14 km. stretch of eastern Toronto lakeshore that includes the Guildwood neighbourhood where PB lived.) U of T's Scarborough campus is also close to that area and linked to the unsolved Elizabeth Bain murder in 1990. However, if previous articles are to be believed, that was the year that RW was supposed to be in Manitoba. Could he have been visiting back home at that time?

LE certainly has their work cut out for them when they try to link this man to previous similar crimes. It's unfortunate that DNA profiling wasn't done until the late '80's, but perhaps they will have other evidence that can prove useful.

JMO

antiquegirl said:

Finally! This seems to be the first article where the reporter actually did his homework and was able to get some background with pertinent, useful facts - thus, an account that I can almost trust to be accurate. Thanks to PJ and lenscloth for the link.

So, it seems that RW lived not that far from Bernardo at around the same time the Scarborough rapes occurred. (For those unfamiliar, the Scarborough Bluffs area encompasses a 14 km. stretch of eastern Toronto lakeshore that includes the Guildwood neighbourhood where PB lived.) U of T's Scarborough campus is also close to that area and linked to the unsolved Elizabeth Bain murder in 1990. However, if previous articles are to be believed, that was the year that RW was supposed to be in Manitoba. Could he have been visiting back home at that time?

LE certainly has their work cut out for them when they try to link this man to previous similar crimes. It's unfortunate that DNA profiling wasn't done until the late '80's, but perhaps they will have other evidence that can prove useful.

JMO

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Another scary thought is that he seemed to go to great lengths to try and not leave evidence. The one article said he laid sheets on the floor underneath the chair he tied his victims too, then took those sheets with him when he left. He likely would have used a condom during the rapes as well if he took the trouble to do that. I will have to find the link for this one again. Anyone know if we are allowed to create a thread for media links?

Natal said:

The crimes rapidly intensified over that period, which suggests that anything prior to that was either minor or just things he had fantasies about. Serial criminals generally don't downgrade after they have taken another step up the crime ladder. There probably are not going to be any other homicides linked to this guy. If that profiler was any good he would know that.

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I agree that the typical, serial sex crimes offender tends to escalate in the severity of his crimes rather than de-escalate. But profiles like these are general (as you say) and don't necessarily apply to every single case. There are always exceptions to every rule.

From what we have heard so far about RW, he doesn't seem to fit into any mould we normally associate with a serial offender of this type. While he shares many characteristics of the "typical" sociopath, there are also some where he doesn't. One reason why this story is so huge and newsworthy: RW's high-ranking, respected military status. And now a privileged, peripatetic childhood. He is not your stereotypical sociopathic loser - the unmarried loner, living in his mother's dank basement watching internet *advertiser censored*.

I have a feeling that when the results of further research are revealed, we will see a new and unique profile of a serial rapist/killer - one that may have experts redefining the old stereotype.

JMO

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/762934--warn-women-about-predators

Those two Tweed women were attacked in their homes, when a man broke in at night, covered their faces, bound them to chairs and took photographs.

In the first case, on Sept. 17, the victim was a young single mother with an infant. Dead of night. All alone. Her newborn a few feet away. She was terrorized for hours.

When he finally left, the attacker made off with her underwear and, inexplicably, a baby blanket.

According to Tweed resident Larry Jones, 62, who lives next door to Col. Russell Williams, 46, now charged with two murders and the two sexual assaults, the police did not believe that first victim when she reported the attack.

Not until the second victim was attacked two weeks later.

"They said her boyfriend had broken into her house, to try to get back at her for leaving him or something,'' he told me Tuesday. "So two weeks went by. Not a word was said. Nothing in the media. Nothing in the news. And we had an animal running around.

Texas Mist said:

Colonel’s stepfather ‘can’t figure out’ murder charges

2010/02/11 10:26:00

As a youngster, accused killer Col. Russell Williams moved all over the world as he followed his stepfather, one of Canada’s leading nuclear engineers.

Dr. Jerry Sovka, an Alberta farm kid who married Williams’ mother when the boy was 7, took his family from Toronto to Montreal to South Korea to Hawaii as an engineer with Atomic Energy Canada Ltd.
.................
Williams used the name Sovka while a student at Upper Canada College and reverted to his birth father’s name at some point before starting a sterling military career that saw him promoted to colonel last year at age 45 and given command of CFB Trenton. He turns 47 in three weeks, on March 7.

more here

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...-s-stepfather-can-t-figure-out-murder-charges

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IS anyone else finding it odd that a scientist is also missing from Ottawa, Lachlan Cranswick,
who also worked for the Atomic Energy Laboratories? His front door was open and his wallet, GPS etc were still inside the house. There is a thread for him here at WS. I just found it odd.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...that-broke-the-case-wide-open/article1462401/

The attacker took elaborate precautions. In each case, a source said, he laid bed sheets on the floor, or possibly blankets, and positioned the women and the chairs on the sheets.

When he was done, he took the sheets away with him, clearing the crime scenes of possible evidence, such as DNA traces.

The blindfolds - neither woman glimpsed their attacker's face - were crucial.

"It's best you don't recognize me," he told one.

This just gives me chills, IMO he is very practiced at this. He is thinking ahead, thinking he is so smart. I know he is going to pay for what he has done to the victims we know of, I just hope they catch him on everything else he has ever done so the families of other victims will get the justice and closure they deserve. I don't see a common thread with the victims (one 20, another 40), i think it is all about the power and control with him and I believe he has killed before Corporal Marie-France Comeau.

dar107 said:

Another scary thought is that he seemed to go to great lengths to try and not leave evidence. The one article said he laid sheets on the floor underneath the chair he tied his victims too, then took those sheets with him when he left. He likely would have used a condom during the rapes as well if he took the trouble to do that. I will have to find the link for this one again. Anyone know if we are allowed to create a thread for media links?

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I agree to an extent, but yet he failed to see the evidentiary clues left behind by his tire tracks. If he used a condom during his attacks, he must have left other DNA behind somehow. LE has included DNA in their searches for matching purposes

"DNA evidence revealed that both women had been killed by the same man."

http://www.chbcnews.ca/world/Cold+case+files+ruled+Williams+probe+Police/2545271/story.html

Also, he took trophies of underwear, photographs and videos. He would not have done that if he didn't intend to keep them.

"... he photographed the murders and sexual assaults."

" ... detectives also had descriptions of lingerie and other intimate souvenirs reported missing by the two women on Cosey Cove Lane, who were assaulted last September"

http://www.mix97.com/news/2010/02/more-information-about-colonel-russ-williams/

This was not covering his tracks very well, IMO. And while his choice of victims (so far) being located close to his home fits a typical serial rapist/killer profile, I have to wonder if consciously or subconsciously this man was deliberately planning to get caught.

"... who target strangers near their homes or places of work."

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...ile&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a

JMO

Dee10 said:

Paris forgive me, but if you read just page back (possibly 2) you would be up-to-date & understand the response, no offense...just check please...no rumors required or needed please.

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I did read everything. You insinuated that she meant Williams, and I told you (and others told you) that you were reading it wrong. Then you got clarification from the reporter, and you still put it out there in red type. And then 2 people misread what you wrote and thought it was Williams.

paris_paris said:

I did read everything. You insinuated that she meant Williams, and I told you (and others told you) that you were reading it wrong. Then you got clarification from the reporter, and you still put it out there in red type. And then 2 people misread what you wrote and thought it was Williams.

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Paris you apparently missed post #444 & #469. I simply copied the quote to Christie & copied her response, please don't shoot the messenger.

Dee10

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,104


Quote:
Originally Posted by Summersolstice
The MOs in those cases were similar to what we know about the September attacks in Tweed. The Tweed-area attacks will probably be mysteriously missing on weekends, except if someone didn't go away/have company.

Moving forward a few years from 1983, I would hope the police will investigate any of the unsolved cases previously attributed to the Scarborough rapist. DNA technology has come a long way in the interim. Paul Bernardo may not have been the only one out there.

It would be prudent to investigate any unsolved missing persons cases/murders involving similar circumstances to Jessica's, too. You know, keys and wallet left on the table, a responsible person missing, male or female.

Why on earth did Blatchford expressly mention Tori Stafford in her article?

I believe that someone, somewhere did have a clue about what was going on. What about military intelligence?

I am still thinking of that female military intelligence officer found dead of "suicide" at Camp Mirage. And the mysterious death of the young student at RMC in Kingston.

This was my response:

"The key officer in the room was Detective-Sergeant Jim Smith, who last year had obtained a statement in the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Tori Stafford of Woodstock, Ont., last summer."

I believe she was just pointing out he has experience in interrogating a potential murder suspect & got results. I don't believe it was any more than that.
__________________

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and



POST #469

Quote:
Originally Posted by Summersolstice
Or, a person can read between the lines:


"The key officer in the room was Detective-Sergeant Jim Smith, who last year had obtained a statement (from Williams) in the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Tori Stafford of Woodstock, Ont., last summer."

Surely this detective-sergeant was not brought into the Tori Stafford case to collect just one statement.

This was my response:

Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth, Criminal Behaviour and Analysis Section, Ontario Provincial Police - I take it she meant he did the interview & got a statement in the Stafford case, nothing at all to do with Williams except because of he's experience that is why he is interviewing Williams. I now understand how you can infer it otherwise & I sent an email to Christie asking for clarification. It certainly is important to know which way she meant this statement. I'll let you know if I hear from her.
__________________ [/quote]

antiquegirl said:

I agree to an extent, but yet he failed to see the evidentiary clues left behind by his tire tracks. If he used a condom during his attacks, he must have left other DNA behind somehow. LE has included DNA in their searches for matching purposes

"DNA evidence revealed that both women had been killed by the same man."

http://www.chbcnews.ca/world/Cold+case+files+ruled+Williams+probe+Police/2545271/story.html

Also, he took trophies of underwear, photographs and videos. He would not have done that if he didn't intend to keep them.

"... he photographed the murders and sexual assaults."

" ... detectives also had descriptions of lingerie and other intimate souvenirs reported missing by the two women on Cosey Cove Lane, who were assaulted last September"

http://www.mix97.com/news/2010/02/more-information-about-colonel-russ-williams/

This was not covering his tracks very well, IMO. And while his choice of victims (so far) being located close to his home fits a typical serial rapist/killer profile, I have to wonder if consciously or subconsciously this man was deliberately planning to get caught.

"... who target strangers near their homes or places of work."

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...ile&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a

JMO

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b/bbm ITA! This was a man that was very careless. In my opinion his power in the military perhaps lulled him into a false sense of security in his criminal endeavors. While we do not yet know of any other crimes he may be linked to previous to September, it certainly seems like an "escalated" pattern. In other words there almost has to be other victims of this man out there. I hope he was equally sloppy in the past if he did partake in other crimes.

Being marrried to a LTC in the army myself I am appalled by his crimes and his abuse of the power entrusted to him. He was projecting all of that power onto innocent women instead of using it to lead the troops he was given command of. What a sorry excuse for a human being.

I wanted to extend a sincere welcome to all members of the military who are now reading here. What you will find is information already in the public domain, which you could find yourself through diligent internet searches, reading many newspapers and following radio and TV reports. What makes this site special is the pooled information gathered by Joe Citizens from across the country and the world.

Read, contribute, and remember that freedom -- and freedom of information and expression in particular here -- are the reason you work to defend our nation.

Welcome!

Cocky or careless....I'm still debating in my mind, and I think I need to send emails to ALL of the papers out there.

People keep saying that we weren't informed. We were. The first two attacks, once linked, were reported on by the local radio stations and in the local paper. No, the first attack was not covered initially, but they felt that it was the work of an ex-boyfriend. Here is a link to the radio station news blog.
http://www.mix97.com/news/2009/09/

The headline reads "Disturbed, Dangerous Man in Tweed".

Incredibly tacky considering the end out-come, but hindsight is always 20/20. No further attacks reported in the (Tweed) area following the release of the information to the public. So he thought he was in the clear after the first attack and went on to do it a second time, but careless (or) cocky, used the same MO, to a woman on the same road. DUH.

He was quiet for a while, but something spurred him on. The assault and subsequent murder of Marie-France Comeau followed almost 2 months later. In Brighton, which is located almost a good hour by major highway from Tweed. Close to Trenton (about 10 minutes, possibly 15) As we all know, the MO changed for this one. But this one was different from the start in that there was a HUGE possibility that she would know her attacker. IMO it could have been the thing that changed the assault to murder. The public received some information in this case, the OPP announced that her death was the result of murder. No, no details, but I think that is understandable since it was under investigation. His MO changed, and the other unsolved attacks being a good hour away it may not seem like too much of a stretch in hindsight but lots of things are fuzzy until you find all of the puzzle pieces. From the same blog archive here is a link to the local radio.

http://www.mix97.com/news/2009/11/

This was reported on the 28th of November, 3 days after her death. Cocky (or) careless he attacked and killed a woman that had a link to him.

Time passes. No one questions. Almost 2 months to the day, his final victim. Not sure if he tried to change his MO here, but Marie was found in her home, and Jessica was obviously not. The week passes, and during this time police find the pieces and start warning the public. I don't know what happened, so I will refrain from adding any details that I have read. Almost and hour away from his last victim, so is he thinking he's safe, or is he thinking he's invincible, or is he looking to get caught.

I am getting really irritated reading all of the newspaper accounts that suggest we weren't told. We were informed of all of these crimes as they happened- but until they were able to link them we didn't get MAJOR warning. I don't think that anyone saw this coming! This area is made up of many small towns placed 20 minutes apart. And with as much similarities that lie within these crimes there are still differences. All part of the psychopathic mind I suppose.

I am a big girl, and I don't need a police warning to suggest I need to be safe. And please don't get me wrong, I don't think that the victims were any less safe than they could have been under the circumstances. But I do think that the police deserve some credit for taking him down. I can't imagine it was all that easy to get all of the ducks in a row to be able to build a case against someone that high up in the military.

I would like to say, that Col Williams wouldn't have "led" the search. He would have given the authorization for 424 Sqn (our Search and Rescue Sqn) to do the search when it was requested by outside agencies. He pretty much wouldn't have been able to say no.

There are 3 unsolved murders in Shearwater that took place during the 2 years he was posted there.

My god