Col. Russell Williams, once a rising star in the Canadian military, will plead guilty to two murders, two sex assaults and dozens of break and enters, an Ontario court heard Thursday morning.
The plea will be officially entered on Oct. 18. A sentencing hearing that will include victim impact statements will begin immediately afterwards. The process is expected to last about a week.
When Williams arrived in Belleville, Ont. for his court appearance on Thursday morning, he was greeted by hordes of media, a security fence and a large police presence -- an unnerving scene in the usual sleepy town of Belleville.
He was wearing a black blazer and a white open-collar shirt -- a stark contrast to the orange jumpsuit he has worn at past court proceedings.
The public gallery was completely full, according to a CTV reporter at the scene.
The former CFB Trenton commander was charged in February with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Jessica Lloyd, 27, and Cpl. Marie France Comeau, 37.
Murder victims
Lloyd's body was found in Tweed, Ont. in February two weeks after she went missing while Comeau's body was found in her Brighton, Ont. home last November.
Comeau, a CFB Trenton flight attendant, was a colleague of Williams and police say the two often flew together on the same military flights.
Williams, a pilot, ferried many VIP flights in the 1990s that included the prime minister, the governor general and other diplomats as passengers.
Lloyd's brother Andy told reporters outside the courthouse on Thursday that news of the forthcoming guilty plea has not necessarily brought closure to his family.
"I don't know if closure is the right word but can move forward," he said.
Lloyd said he misses his sister's smile and will always remember her as being a happy, outgoing woman who was deeply loved.
Allegations
Williams is accused of sexually assaulting two women last September in the Tweed area in two separate incidents.
He is accused of breaking into the home of a sexual assault victim twice after the alleged attack took place on Sept. 17. He is also accused of breaking into the home of a second sexual assault victim twice before she was attacked on Sept. 30.
One of the victims has launched a $2.45-million lawsuit against the former commander and his wife.
The suspect is also charged in connection with a series of break and enters that were reported around his Ottawa-area home.
One man told police that he came home to see the underwear drawers of his wife and daughters left open.
