# Col. Russell Williams **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 29, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806 "2010-04-29T23:45:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/1 "2010-04-29T23:45:59Z")
I don’t know how big this story is outside of Ontario but I am interested to hear what other Dopers have to say about the former commander of one of the largest bases in the Canadian military. For those who don’t know, Williams was charged recently with 2 counts of murder and a number of sexual assaults. Today Williams was charged with an additional [82 crimes](http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/04/29/ottawa-russell-williams-police-tweed.html), mainly of the breaking and entering type but that may have targeted his sex assault victims. Oh, and BTW it seems he was good buddies in college with another noted shit stain, [Paul Bernardo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bernardo). ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/2 "2010-04-29T23:47:45Z")
There are a bunch of posts, mostly of the “WTF?!” variety on a [thread that was started in MPSIMS](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=551357) on this waste of carbon atoms. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/3 "2010-04-29T23:52:36Z")
I did a search and couldn’t find anything… Thanks for pointing me to that thread. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/4 "2010-04-30T04:32:40Z")
I hate news like this. I don’t hold Canadians in high regard 😉 , but rather focus on the military aspect. It is the first duty of every officer to ensure the safety of those in their command. To use this position and advantage for depraved crap like this is totally contrary to his job and a total disrespect to those he victimized. I hope they rip his balls off. Sloooowwwlllllyyyy. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/5 "2010-04-30T05:54:17Z")
> [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > I hate news like this. > > I don’t hold Canadians in high regard 😉 , but rather focus on the military aspect. It is the first duty of every officer to ensure the safety of those in their command. To use this position and advantage for depraved crap like this is totally contrary to his job and a total disrespect to those he victimized. > > I hope they rip his balls off. Sloooowwwlllllyyyy. I would be interested to find out if Canadian prison is the same as American prison. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/6 "2010-04-30T07:08:36Z")
> [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](#): > > I don’t hold Canadians in high regard 😉 Really? Why? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/7 "2010-04-30T15:01:33Z")
> [@statsman1982](#): > > I would be interested to find out if Canadian prison is the same as American prison. Well, they’re big buildings with prisoners and fences, but that’s not important right now. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/8 "2010-04-30T15:08:10Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Oh, and BTW it seems he was good buddies in college with another noted shit stain, [Paul Bernardo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bernardo). It was my understanding that they just went to the same school, and possibly crossed paths via a friend-of-a-friend kid of thing, but that they didn’t actually know each other. The “friends with Bernardo” thing was invented by newspapers. Bernardo’s father has gone on record saying he asked his son if he knew the guy and the answer was basically “Who?” Or has there been updates that confirm they actually used to hang out? ETA: Looking at Google news, the headlines go from “they were pals/buddies” (Feb. 11) from an “unidentified police source”, to “they may have known each other, but police know of no connection” (Feb. 13). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/9 "2010-04-30T15:22:45Z")
Yes, that seems to be the latest; their paths may have crossed and it was merely coincidental that they attended the same school at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/10 "2010-04-30T19:17:40Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > Really? Why? Just curious. I was just kidding. It’s a joke in poor taste around here. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/11 "2010-04-30T20:03:01Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > Really? Why? Just curious. He’s allergic to flannel and good beer. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/12 "2010-04-30T21:18:54Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > Really? Why? Just curious. Perhaps he doesn’t like our serial killers. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/13 "2010-04-30T21:21:08Z")
Unstablest serial killers in the world! Wait… ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/14 "2010-05-01T02:03:51Z")
This man creeps me out. I’m not from a military family, but did live on a base in Europe as a kid. I know Williams didn’t target children, but I can’t help but think back about how _safe_ a base town felt (even during the Gulf War) … and then there’s this guy. It’s irrational, but it makes my skin crawl. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/15 "2010-05-01T02:16:04Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > … but I can’t help but think back about how _safe_ a base town felt (even during the Gulf War) … and then there’s this guy. It’s irrational, but it makes my skin crawl. Williams is not, so far, accused of committing any of his crimes on base. Even so, there were burglaries at Sigonella (Sicily) when my family lived there in the 70s. There’s no rule that members of the military can’t be criminals, even officers. I’ll admit that it’s a bit disconcerting that a serial sex offender like Williams could hide his personality so well that he could rise to the rank of Colonel. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/16 "2010-05-01T02:42:04Z")
It’s pretty shocking and upsetting. My father is ex-air force and he’s appalled and concerned about how this will reflect on the military in the minds of the public. Personally, I don’t share his concern. This is such a freakish abnormality that I think most people view it that way. What really bothers me is that there were outstanding criminal charges against him dating back to 2007, yet he wasn’t arrested until this year. I think this was a gross dereliction of duty on the part of the police. ---
**Author:** ![cgg419](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cgg419/32/2847_2.png) [@cgg419](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgg419)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/17 "2010-05-01T14:53:22Z")
[The frantic life of Col. David Russell Williams](http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/803220--the-frantic-life-of-col-david-russell-williams) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/18 "2010-05-01T17:05:01Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Williams is not, so far, accused of committing any of his crimes on base. Even so, there were burglaries at Sigonella (Sicily) when my family lived there in the 70s. > > There’s no rule that members of the military can’t be criminals, even officers. I’ll admit that it’s a bit disconcerting that a serial sex offender like Williams could hide his personality so well that he could rise to the rank of Colonel. Yes, I know all that. I’m sure there were all kinds of burglaries and other crimes happening either on base or in the PMQs (one of our neighbours was an MP, even, and I’m sure he had stuff to do!), but I was young and wasn’t aware of any of that, so for some reason this shakes up my memories in a way I don’t like. I remember going to the Officer’s Mess for BBQs (teachers - my mom - were given the rank of Captain when it came to access to these places) and the thought of any of those nice people in uniform doing such horrible things… makes those sunny days seem less sunny, you know? As I said, I know it’s irrational, and it’s not like Williams was even stationed where I was, but it still bothers me in weird way. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/19 "2010-05-02T00:32:45Z")
He is a lifer in the military, trained to use violence to solve problems. Is it any surprise that he would do the same in his sex life? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806/20 "2010-05-02T00:38:56Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > He is a lifer in the military, trained to use violence to solve problems. > > Is it any surprise that he would do the same in his sex life? I think if I were a member of any military, I would be insulted by this. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/col-russell-williams/537806.md?page=2)