BELLEVILLE, Ont. — In a shocking turn, the commander of a Canadian Forces Base Trenton has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two women whose disappearances in the fall and winter struck fear into local residents. Col. Russell Williams, 46, commander of 8 Wing Trenton, was arrested Sunday in connection with the deaths of Jessica Lloyd, 27, and Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 37. Police detectives working the file are now reviewing all cold cases of missing and slain women at every military posting — including Canada’s secret base in the Middle East — at which Williams has served during his 23-year career, the Ottawa Citizen has learned. Williams, who lives in Tweed, northeast of Brighton and Belleville, appeared in court Monday afternoon in Belleville. He was also charged with two counts of forcible confinement and two counts of break and enter and sexual assault relating to two home invasions. Shackled and clad in a blue jumpsuit, he looked down for the most part, but when prompted, glanced up at the judge and said his name. His face, according to people in the courtroom, was expressionless. Lloyd, of Belleville, Ont., worked at Tri-Board Student Transportation Services in Napanee, Ont. She was reported missing Jan. 29 after she didn’t show up for work. She last communicated with a family friend on Jan. 28 at 10:36 p.m. through text messaging. Her body was found Monday in a secluded area near Tweed, Ont. Comeau, 38, was found dead in her home, in nearby Brighton, Ont., on Wednesday, Nov. 25. She was a military flight attendant based in Trenton. Police aren’t saying much about what led them to Williams, except that there was a canvass of an area highway to check vehicle tracks and that pointed them to the officer. And according to Global News, the investigation is widening to include every community where Williams has ever lived. One of those cases is the unsolved 2001 murder of Kathleen MacVicar, 19, which happened at CFB Trenton. From Glace Bay, N.S., MacVicar was staying with relatives on the base and working at a call centre in Belleville when she was found murdered on the base in June, 2001. She had been sexually assaulted and stabbed. Her mother, Colleen MacVicar, said Monday night that she had been phoned by OPP officer earlier in the day and told that they were examining the case in light of the charges against Williams. While they told her there were no obvious similarities between the the cases he has been charged with and Kathleen’s murder, more work would be done on the case. “They are still looking for Kathleen’s killer and they are keeping her in mind,” MacVicar said, adding the call made her feel sick to her stomach and “anxious to know if we can find a face to put to Kathleen’s killer or not.” "It really has hit us hard . . . particularly the young women of the area,” said Wendell White, a Tweed resident. “It’s been devastating in a lot of ways"

At Williams’s Tweed home, yellow police tape was strung through a part of the mailbox bearing the names Williams and Harriman. An OPP cruiser and an unmarked police car were parked in front of the home, where red pylons marked a path to the front door. The area is bordered by tall pine trees with cottage-like houses overlooking an ice-covered lake dotted with fishing huts. Neighbours Larry and Bonnie Jones said Williams and his wife had lived there about five years. He said the couple have a place in Trenton and a new house in Ottawa where his wife, Mary Elizabeth Harriman, works for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. The two have no children, he said, adding Williams kept to himself and did not seem to have many friends. He said in all the time they were neighbours, they had probably spoken only 20 times. Bonnie Jones said she sometimes took them cucumbers from her garden but they didn’t interact much. “They were city folks who kept to themselves,” she said. According to Larry Jones, police at one point considered him a suspect in the home invasions, which he said occurred at two nearby homes. “(You) wouldn’t believe the rumours around town . . . Wife getting calls, ‘How does it feel to live with a murderer?’” he said. He said he was detained for questioning and believes he was under police surveillance for weeks. “I told them they were barking up the wrong tree,” he said. “They wasted weeks . . . never questioned (Williams) . . . because he’s untouchable.” The Rivers family, which lives nearby, said Monday’s arrest has quelled some of the anxiety that had been prevalent over the last few months. “There was fear all over this neighbourhood.” said Clifford Rivers, 84. “It was a very quiet neighbourhood. I’ve had a cottage here for 50 years and nothing had ever happened.” “I think everybody is relieved,” said his wife Muriel. “They (residents of this community) just found out today. Some people are more fearful of the situation than we were but who knows,” added Clifford Rivers. Harriman is taking an extended leave from her position in Ottawa as associate executive director at the Heart and Stroke Foundation to deal with the situation. “She is one of our most beloved staff,” said spokeswoman Eileen Melnick-McCarthy. “She is taking an extended leave to focus on family matters and we continue to support her.” Williams, who assumed command of 8 Wing Trenton last July, joined the military in 1987. Among previous postings, he was formerly a member of 412 (Transport) Squadron in Ottawa, a position that involved flying VIPs on a government Challenger jet. Neighbours in Tweed said they heard he had flown prime ministers including Jean Chretien. A spokesman for Defence Minister Peter MacKay had little to say Monday. “These are serious charges and a minister of the Crown would never comment on a criminal matter,” he said. Williams was at CFB Shearwater, near Halifax, in the early 1990s but local police said they had not, as of yet, been contacted by authorities in Ontario to assist in the Williams investigation.

Capt. Paul Finnemore, media relations officer at the Shearwater airbase, said the news of Williams’ arrest "was news to us today as well." He said "there’s nothing out of the ordinary going on here today related to his arrest. It was a long time ago that he was here." CFB Trenton is the main hub of military air transport in Canada, with operations that include the response to the Haiti earthquake, resupply of the Afghan mission and support of RCMP security operations at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Chief of Air Staff Lt.-Gen. Andre Deschamps said that, in light of the seriousness of the charges and the high-level responsibilities that go with to the position of wing commander, an interim commander will be appointed. “As chief of the air staff, I take very seriously all allegations of service or criminal offences against one of our members,” Deschamps said in a statement. He said a review will be initiated by 1 Canadian Air Division, in Winnipeg, to determine the appropriate action to take regarding Williams, pending the outcome of his civilian court proceedings. “The air force is fully supporting civilian authorities in the conduct of the current matter,” he added. Maj.-Gen. Yvan Blondin, the Winnipeg-based commander of 1 Canadian Air Division who commands the operational arms of all 12 Air Force wings, addressed personnel Monday afternoon. “Today we’re shocked by the connection made to a leader in our air force,” said Blondin. “I cannot speak to any aspect of the investigative process or the charges.” Blondin, who said he met with as many members of the wing as he could on short notice, called Trenton the busiest wing in Canada, pivotal in co-ordinating domestic search-and-rescue operations and foreign missions. “My priority is our people, the men and women of 8 Wing Trenton, and to enable them to carry on with critical missions at home,” he said. “These operations must and will continue, and they will continue safely. “It is untenable for (Williams) to act as commander 8 Wing at this time,” he added. Deschamps, meanwhile, said he is confident that “air force personnel at 8 Wing will carry on with their duties, displaying the usual level of professionalism and sense of duty that they have always shown in the past. We will ensure that the wing leadership and personnel are supported throughout this difficult period. This situation affects us all and I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those affected by these tragic events.” Retired colonel Alain Pellerin is the executive director of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute and served in the army for 36 years. He said he had never heard of such a “strange” case. He compared notes with fellow long-serving military friends Monday. “If you look at his (record) and his career, he had good prospects for the future,” he said. As the base commander at Trenton, the only air transport base that we have in Canada, one would think he would have a good future. So it’s difficult to explain what happened.”