It was tire tracks in the snow at the scene of Jessica Lloyd’s disappearance which led police to Colonel Russell Williams.
According to Globe and Mail sources, the distinctive tracks soon had detectives identifying the type of vehicle used in what appears to have been an abduction.
Last Thursday, on a stretch of rural highway, they set up the equivalent of a RIDE-program spot check, only this time they were looking not for drinking drivers, but certain vehicles.
Luck was on their side, because Col. Williams happened to be caught in the roadside check.
Larry Jones, a neighbour of Colonel Williams who was initially deemed a suspect in a pair of home invasions on their lakeside road, said it was the colonel’s unique snow tires that caught the attention of police.
“Russ is pretty meticulous. When he buys a set of tires, he buys the best that’s on the market. I guess they were a particular brand… they had a particular design on the tread,” said Mr. Jones, who explained that he was told by police about the tire track link after he was cleared as a suspect.
“They looked at the tires on his truck, and took pictures of his tires … took it back to the crime scene and matched the two.”
The roadside discovery prompted police to sweep out across the province.
[More]
Related:
‘In the company of the devil’: Victim
Police eye military man in unsolved murder
Col. Russell Williams’ double life?
Updates:
4:01 pm EST, February 9th, 2010 — Police search base commander’s Ottawa home after murder charges laid
4:15 pm EST, February 9th, 2010 — ‘He didn’t get that job for nothing’
Serving CF members in some comments I have read today feel this situation reflects on them. I do not agree.
This man slipped through the cracks in our security apparatus just like this one and the problem will be fixed.
You can take that to the bank.
Reminds me of that sad case in the U.S. where an ‘ Army officer slipped through the cracks’ and shot/ killed some of his fellow soldiers on a military base..
I dont think that Canadians will feel any less admiration towards our military because of this isolated tragedy.
Innocent until proved guilty, Jack…
That being said, the CF folks I’ve spoken to all said they feel like they’ve been kicked hard.
Why does one remind you of the other UV? Other than the fact that the alleged perpetrator in each incident served in his country’s military, that’s where any similarity ends. One situation involved an act of war by an enemy combatant the other involves multiple civilian criminal offences of murder, rape etc. One situation required gross negligence by numerous intelligent people who ignored blantant evidence that should have and could have prevented it from ever happening, the other didn’t. One could have definately been prevented, the other unless more information is revealed to the contrary, could not. No slipping through the cracks in either situation whatsoever.
Doint agree been, someone should have picked up on something in both cases. And dont think that Senior Officers in both countries will be going through their files for future screening changes.
To steal an expression from our friend Cynapse, I would say both incidents are “black swans events” and screening would likely have been ineffective.