Whats the option? the colonel replied, anxious to develop his strategy. Police found tire tracks whose distinctive tread narrowed the range of potential suspect vehicles to a few, including the Nissan Pathfinder. you ever heard of. Frustrated by their inability to find Jessicas body, they recruited the help of Williams himself. The trial into the death of Victoria Stafford has revealed disturbing details about the final hours of the Woodstock, Ont., girl, but it has also shed light on a highly skilled police interrogator. Suddenly the unshakable colonel looked very uncomfortable. Rafferty has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, sexual assault causing bodily harm and kidnapping. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Cal Miller and Ian Robertson, How a Colonel Became a Killer (2011). Hidden behind the scenes, four officers were discreetly observing the video feed from an adjacent room. Okay, Russ, youre doing the right thing here, the detective assured him as he offered his open hand to the confessed killer. Jim Smyth, the star Ontario Provincial Police interrogator who famously pried a confession from sex killer Russell Williams, has a reputation that demands a screenplay. Sgt. Williams didnt want the level of comfort that had been established with Smyth to be disturbed by any unfamiliar faces. [3] The Reid Technique model for police interviews was followed by Smyth throughout Williamss interview. I only met her once; she was on a crew I was on just after I got to the base, he said. Smyth advised him that the police had a list of attorneys that could be made available to him to provide free advice over the phone, and asked whether hed like to call one now. At six feet two, Williamss tall and lean build dominated the smaller-framed officer. "I got the impression that some of it was painkillers, but there were many different labels. Smyth, who had started his policing career in 1988, was one of only a half-dozen certified criminal profilers in Canada. Carolyn Kendrick and Alicia Lampert. Smyth's interrogation techniques have earned the attention of other police agencies, law school classrooms, and even the general public. But loved ones of the victims see the production of Smyth/Williamsat Theatre Passe Muraille differently. Jim Smyth, M.O.M. I am a Staff Sergeant for General Patrol Training at the OPP, Provincial Police Academy. Corporal James Smith. As McClintic described it, the laneway crossed a small creek, went up on an incline, and then at the peak a large rock pile sat to the left. His relaxed demeanor was reflected in his casual dress: blue jeans and a short-sleeved, blue-and-white-striped polo shirt. .. Loran Chaptis attended a house on Concession 13, Snowdon Township, Haliburton County. . These steps lessen the chances of defense counsel later suggesting that their client had given a false confession. Top OPP interrogator credited with McClintic, Williams confessions | CBC News Loaded. Police had just received information that directed them farther north than they had been searching, and on July 19, 2009, OPP Detective Staff Sergeant Jim Smyth decided to drive around the. He smiled and chuckled as he told the officer how he then drove back home, vacuumed his carpets, and wiped the tiled floors clean. At the heart of the case is the brutal death of the dear little girl a whole country came to know in the spring and summer of 2009, Victoria (Tori) Stafford, The wife of serial sex killer Russell Williams has decided not to seek a stay of a recent court decision rejecting her legal appeal to prevent media coverage of her intended divorce proceedings. Williams had thought that he could outsmart us all. . He stood staring at the floor as the detective asked two questions that would soon be on the minds of many people. A broad grin stretched across Williamss face as he leaned forward, unfolded his arms, and put his hands on his knees. When Detective-Sergeant Smyth returned to the interrogation room, Williams was sitting with his arms folded and his legs leisurely stretched out and crossed at the ankles. . But after several days of driving her around in police cars and helicopters, they came up empty-handed. A condensed video of the 10-hour interrogation that pried loose a confession from the former CFB Trenton commander was shown in a Belleville, Ont., court this week. He concealed his true feelings by relaxing the pitch and tone of his voice while maintaining his calm and easygoing demeanor. Video clips and nearly 3,000 photographs included depictions of the Tweed assaults and the murders of Comeau and Lloyd. Leaning forward into Mr. Armishaws space, speaking calmly in a tone the judge described as quietly relentless, Det.-Sgt. As a pilot of VIP transport planes, he had passengers such as Prime Minister Jean Chrtien, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Seelig said, "I'm not staging a conflict," the production was not meant as a provocation. The video begins with. He shook his head. Williams leaned forward and ran his tongue along his teeth. With true military precision, Colonel Russell Williams arrived at the Ottawa police headquarters at 3 p.m. and reported for his scheduled interview. Later they moved to a home they had built in the capitals Westboro neighbourhood. . "Its a science and an art," he said. . A much more formal letter of condolence had been sent to Mr. Comeau on official Office of the Wing Commander military stationery on December 1, 2009, written and signed in the capacity of Marie-Frances commanding officer. Neighbours at his former home in the Ottawa suburb of Orleans, as well as neighbours at the couple's cottage in the village of Tweed, recalled the decorated officer being near tears when he told them about Curio's passing. During the brief roadside interrogation, officers saw that the tread of Williamss tires matched those found in the field. Used primarily by hunters, there were no homes or other buildings anywhere along the road. Investigators from the OPP and the Belleville Police Department suspected that the sexual assaults in Tweed, the Comeau murder and Lloyds disappearance were connected. "When the first piece of evidence was presented, (Williams) started to say: I don't understand' and all that," said Perry. To make sure his find wasn't just an empty garbage bag caught up in some rocks, Smyth touched the bag with his finger, he said. I thought she was a very nice girl, Williams said. One does not escalate to such a level and then suddenly stop. Six years later he was credited with following a hunch and finding the body of eight-year-old murder victim Tori Stafford in a remote country field. These are identical, okay? Let me ask you this, Smyth continued. Comeau was also a member of the Canadian Forces who worked on the same base as Williams. Williams pulled his chair closer to the desk and stared down at the photos that the detective had earlier laid out. click here. but I appreciate that. Williams sat quietly as he looked to the floor. Asked in court on March 30 about the details of his session with McClintic, Smyth replied, "It was an interview. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. Right now. I do hope that you find a way to succeed. Marie-France was a professional, caring and compassionate woman who earned the respect of all with whom she came into contact. I dont know what else to do to make you understand the impact of whats happening here, Smyth said as he tried to coax some dialogue from his steely-eyed suspect. Involved in countless murder and. Ontario Provincial Police. She did not know what was coming. I know she loved you very muchshe told me so, again and again. Smyth used the controversial 'Reid technique' with Williams, getting the former CFB Trenton commander to confess to brutally raping and killing Jessica Lloyd and Cpl. "It was like you had walked into somebody's museum. When Detective-Sergeant Smyth returned to the interrogation room, Williams was sitting with his arms folded and his legs leisurely stretched out and crossed at the ankles. In 2006, Jim completed the Canadian Police College Polygraph Examiner's course resulting in his certification as a forensic polygraph examiner and forensic interviewer.Smyth's interrogation techniques have earned the attention of other police agencies, law school classrooms, and even the general public.Many people, such as journalist Michelle Lund, have commented that Smyth's soft-spoken interrogations (before he goes for the throat, trampling the criminal's arrogant certainty that Smyth can be fooled) are now literally textbook examples. Eight months after the crime, with the investigation effectively stalled, Mr. Armishaw was arrested out of the blue and charged jointly with a sexual assault that the judge described as minor, and which was not ultimately prosecuted, but which likely added to the sense that police were overwhelming him, the judge wrote. . We just moved in, so theres boxes everywhere, he told the officer before describing the boxs exact location. . Intrigued by the accuracy of his measurement, the detective asked him how he had recalled such a specific distance. if, for whatever reason, you didnt end up on our radar so to speak, do you think it would have happened again?. "Let's be clear, this play has not been'written.' but another thing that can often happen in cases like this is that people become concerned about. Smyth had not only managed to establish a rapport with the commander of the countrys largest military base, but in a very short time had also earned his respect and admiration. The video begins with Smyth telling Williams why he has been called in to speak with police. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. The conversation soon took another dramatic shift. 3 February, he dumped Lloyds body in the woods near Tweed. LONDON, ONT. along the north tree line. In 2012, Smyth was promoted as detective inspector to the OPP's major criminal investigations branch as a major case manager. Doug Bradley. "If there's anything we should be giving attention to is to the life of Jess and the life of Marie Comeau or all the other women who were affected by him," Dafoe said. Theres no issue about what happened. Do you remember what you wouldve done that evening to go to Ottawa for that meeting? Russ, is there anything you want from me, is there anything you want me to explain. there is a warrant being executed at your residence in Ottawa, okay? He accounted for every penny he spent by writing it down on a clipboard he kept in his room, and assigned cleaning tasks for everyone in his four-bedroom residence. This law enforcement biography article is a stub. But I also know your minds racing right now, okay? Contact Stephanie: [email protected] and @CBCsteph on Twitter. Marie-France Comeau, along with . He then stumbled over the pronunciation of their names and forgot the order in which the crimes occurred. Roberts said he once "cracked a guy from the Hells Angels because in his wallet were pictures of his dog and his dog was the most important thing in his life.". Ottawa Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. To order Thats fine, now lets go back to the issue. Warning: This article contains sensitive material that may not be suitable for all audiences. The couple, who were childless, lived for 13 years in a house on Wilkie Drive in the. Jim Tomsavic and his department issued grenades. Col. Williams also revealed to police in the interrogation that he suffered from chronic pain, a condition that his co-workers and old friends have returned to time and time again when they've been asked by reporters about any changes they observed. He was educated at Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto. Im just trying to understand, like, why her versus, you know, the dozens of other women youve probably come across on a daily basis?. . Smyth gets down to business by slowly revealing to Williams what police have found out about the murders of Jessica Lloyd and Cpl. The searches of Williamss properties turned up his camera, a duffel bag containing a black skull cap, a manual for lock picking, and boxes and pillowcases stuffed with underwear and lingerie. She's a pathological truthteller and storytelling junkie whose work appears on CBC Toronto, The National and Marketplace. . The most effective seems to have been his use of false evidence to convince Mr. Armishaw that he was guilty.. In 2003, Smyth completed the International Criminal Investigative Analysis Fellowship Understudy Program, resulting in certification as a criminal profiler. Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account. I along with the entire state of Iowa grieve for his family and friends as they try to cope with this devastating loss. McClintic, 21, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in April 2011. . Smyth later made attempts to gain an understanding of the psychology behind his quickly escalating attacks. I want you to rack your brain here, this is important. In the Williams interview, it became clear that his relationship with his wife was very important, which Smyth keyed into when he offered him the chance to minimize the impact on his spouse. This is one for the history books, in terms of a police interrogation.". I had sort of a stomach flu, he said. I want you to see what I mean.. Williamss next victim was Jessica Lloyd. does Toyo Open Country H/Ts. [8] His efforts to keep the conversation alive sometimes seemed strained and contrived. [He then stopped writing and scribbled out the lines he had written.]. As in his workAntigone Insurgency, which the playbill described as "aradical post-9/11 reworking of an ancient masterpiece," Seelig wanted to start a conversation about a real life incident. I had a realty lawyer, Williams chuckled, but, no, I dont have a lawyer.. He said Smyth/Williamslacks sensationalism and is an "empathetic exploration that comes with a tremendous amount of sensitivity and humanity and compassion.". Age: 43. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you and I both know you were at Jessica Lloyds house, and I need to know why.. Smyth showed no sweat, no anxiety; but within an hour, Williams was telling lies every which way but loose, while his body language confessed that he was lying; and halfway through the afternoon, Williams cracked and confessed to all his crimes.In 2007 Smyth began working with the Ontario Provincial Police force's Polygraph Unit, Behavioral Sciences and Analysis Services. Marie-France Comeau opens tonight in Toronto, those close to the victims are outraged and plan to do something about it. His interest was working in the violent crimes division. Dafoe, who has a photo of Lloyd in her bedroom, said Smyth reached out to her after he saw her online petition and until then she hadn't thought about the investigator.