Colonel pleads guilty to murders

A RISING star in Canada's military pleaded guilty yesterday to the murders of two women, the sexual assaults of two others and dozens of breaking and entering charges in which he stole panties from the bedrooms of girls as young as 11.

Colonel Russell Williams, who once flew prime ministers and served as a pilot to the Queen during a 2005 visit, was the commander of Canada's largest Air Force base until he was charged earlier this year.

He pleaded guilty to two first-degree murder charges, two sexual assaults and 82 breaking-and-entering charges in a Belleville, Ontario court. The 47-year-old faces an automatic sentence of life in prison with no possibility for parole for at least 25 years.

The list of charges was so long that it took nearly 40 minutes to read it into the record.

"Guilty, your honour," he said after the charges were entered.

Prosecutors said Williams targeted girls and women in their teens and 20s and often photographed himself in their underwear.

Williams pleaded guilty to the murder of Jessica Lloyd, 27, whose body was found in February, and Marie Comeau, a 38-year-old corporal under his command who was found dead in her home last November. Both women were asphyxiated.

Williams also pleaded guilty to forcible confinement, breaking and entering and sexual assault after two other women were attacked during separate home invasions in the Tweed, Ontario area in September 2009.

Williams, a 23-year military veteran, has never been in combat but was stationed across Canada and internationally, including a stint in 2006 as commanding officer for Camp Mirage, Canada's base near Dubai.