In fact, it wasnt even halfway over. 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. Wisely, Smyth was careful not to overreact to the horrors he heard. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The video begins with. Comeau put up a fight, and was struck on the head several times with a flashlight. Perry said that's when Smyth takes control and repeatedly suggests that the evidence points to Williams as the killer. Smyths interrogation was the false claim that the crime had already been solved, that forensic evidence had identified the killer and that resistance was futile. Williams sighed. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Bergerac (TV Series 1981-1991) - IMDb But I do want to talk to you, Jim, the colonel said wistfully as the officer turned to leave the room. Smyth has also taught forensic interviewing and forensic behavioural science at Toronto's Seneca College. McClintic is already serving a life sentence after pleading guilty two years ago to first-degree murder. In that same year, the director received a $10,000 Toronto Arts Council grant as a writer for a book of poetry and his company, which was established in New York in 2002, received $11,000 for a different undertaking in 2015. OPP officer tells of how he discovered Tori Stafford's body On December 28, 2020, Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Jim Smith Killed In Grundy Center Standoff While metaphorical handcuffs had been slapped around the colonels wrists, the interview was still far from over. ", While Seelig said he and the theatre company have responded to concerns like this, Dafoe said it's a "stockreply. Colonel Williams sniffled. Smyth said the investigation was complete, solved by science. [He then stopped and scribbled through all the writing. I am sorry for having taken your daughter from youI know you wont be able to believe me, but it is the case. Cause Ive sat across from a lot of people in your position over the years.. I know you have already had a lot of pain in your life. As he had progressed through the stages, his restlessness and discomfort caused him to frequently shift position in his chair, squirming and shuffling around and rolling his shoulders. Michael Collins's Squad's first assassination in 1919 Dublin Williams leaned his head forward and furrowed his brows, paying close attention as the detective slowly revealed his hidden cards. Thats the early part of the highway and Im just heading out. . Sure, Williams said, his arms still folded tightly in front of his chest. Im just going to move your gloves, Smyth said, motioning to a tabletop recorder that they were blocking. . . I prefer Law & Order, but I do watch CSIoccasionally, Williams said. His success as a profiler and polygraph operator for the OPPs Behavioral Sciences and Analysis Services unit had been well documented. I am sorry to have caused you so much more. While police searched Comeaus house for clues following the discovery, Williams sent personal condolences to her father. [3] The Reid Technique model for police interviews was followed by Smyth throughout Williamss interview. Detective Inspector (formerly Detective Sergeant), "Top OPP interrogator credited with McClintic, Williams confessions | CBC News", "Famed detective Jim Smyth's interrogation techniques derail murder case", "Veteran detectives share stories of PTSD", "OPP officer tells of how he discovered Tori Stafford's body", "Christie Blatchford: A sketch and a hunch led Jim Smyth to find Tori Stafford's body", "James Smyth's Order of Merit of the Police Forces Citation", "Detectives in Russell Williams case honoured by Governor General", "James Smyth's Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Citation", "James Smyth's Police Exemplary Service Medal Citation", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Smyth&oldid=1147621219, This page was last edited on 1 April 2023, at 03:35. 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. Read more about cookies here. A forced frown displayed his apparent disbelief. In December 2011, it was announced that Smyth was assigned to the criminal behavioural analysis section of the Ontario Provincial Police and is the unit coordinator for the four-member polygraph unit. Butts, E. (2016). Smyth played a key role in the Stafford case even before the interrogation of Williams. "It was an excellent piece of police work on behalf of Jim Smyth who conducted this interview one of the best interviews I've ever seen," Det. If he was feeling at all stressed or concerned from having been called in to speak with the police, it wasnt showing. In the months that followed, Williams broke into other residences in Tweed and the. The attacks occurred in areas where Williams lived and frequented. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Catching a Killer: A deeper look into the police interrogation of Russel Williams. Russell, the officer prodded. Perhaps the most flabbergasting of those hints, investigators say, is the euthanizing of Curio, an 18-year-old indoor cat that had been with the officer and his wife, Mary-Elizabeth Harriman, since it was a kitten. Williams listened to the officer intently, with furrowed brows and a tightly clenched jaw. McClintic, 21, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in April 2011. Interview with Jim Smyth: Colonel Russell Williams Interview - YouTube The interrogatoralso cannot make it appear as if the person was forced to confess. He recorded it all on video and with photographs. David A. Gibb, Camouflaged Killer (2011). Simpson is in a . Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy | Accessibility, Published Friday, October 22, 2010 2:16PM EDT, Last Updated Saturday, May 19, 2012 3:00AM EDT, Taxpayers pick up cost of damage to Williams' home, Williams evidence should be destroyed, lawyer warns, After Williams trial, residents hold 'healing event', 'Sadosexual' killer Williams gets 2 life sentences, From the Archives: Fans celebrate Leafs 2004 playoff win, This globetrotter raises $300,000 for kids with disabilities, What you need to know about faded, peeling Ontario plates, CTV National News for Apr. Coincidentally, perhaps, Cary Road was often used by the colonels next-door neighbor to reach his secluded hunting camp. After being questioned for eight hours, the woman confessed. ), Monterey Park, CA Police Department FBINA 214th Session Member - International Association of Chiefs of Police, Police Investigative Operations Committee Email: Jim.Smith@ecoatm.com Jim Smyth joined York Regional Police in 1989. Smyth said in the interrogation. By day Williams commanded the largest military base in Canada; by night he stalked single women in their bedrooms. . Perhaps the most infamous interrogation in Canadian history was OPP Det. I know she loved you very much. does Toyo Open Country H/Ts. Jim Smith was a loving husband, father of two, and a pillar of the community. Ontario Provincial Police Det. . Brent Snook, a forensic psychologist and professor at Memorial University, said Smyth's interview was highly professional and non-confrontational in nature. Provincial Court Judge Mike Dinkel excluded the confession, concluding she told Calgary police what they wanted to hear. However, whether or not Williamss confession was actually required for conviction, considering the vast amount of physical evidence that was seized from his homes, will remain a matter of legal conjecture. . Three new, buzzed-about beauty products we tried this week. . This page is not available in other languages. Dim-witted, with an IQ of about 70 and intellectual functioning in the extremely low to borderline range, Mr. Armishaw started dating Kayla Lindeman in the summer of 2006, when she was 8-months pregnant with Jaydin, her second child, and by November he was living with her in the basement of her relatives home. . Whats the option? the colonel replied, anxious to develop his strategy. While the interview was in progress, officers with search warrants were going through the cottage in Tweed, and through Williamss Ottawa home in the presence of his shocked wife. And with that, Smyth had delivered what is known within policing circles as a soft rights caution. He captured it all on video. During this line of questioning, Williams folded his formerly relaxed arms in front of him, a pose that hed maintain for much of the rest of the interview. Russ, is there anything you want from me, is there anything you want me to explain. Can you tell me what the issue is youre struggling with?. His interest was working in the Violent Crimes Division. Media outlets praised Smyth for following his "hunch," though the detective shrugged it off, saying that the police had followed "hundreds of hunches" that hadn't yielded anything. It was behind that rock pile and underneath an evergreen tree that police would find Tori Stafford, she said. . Colonel Russell Williams Interview and Interrogation was performed by Jim Smyth. Smyth had chosen to use logic as his primary weapon of choice against the colonels cognitive military mind, but was now targeting something else he held in high regard: his personal and professional reputation. . What are we going to do?. He then explained to the officer that he had killed her on Friday night before flying some troops to California early the next morning. Intrigued by the accuracy of his measurement, the detective asked him how he had recalled such a specific distance. Major successes include his work on the interrogation of Michael Briere, who confessed to killing 10-year-old Holly Jones in Toronto in 2003, and his profiling in the case of Tori Stafford, 9, which led him to discover the girls remains by following a hunch to a rural field. Upon returning to the base later that night, he had driven straight back to his home in Ottawa to spend a couple of days with his wife. . .. Essentially [it] has become more and more precise to the point where, when you and I walked in this room earlier today, we couldve sat down, talked for thirty seconds, walked out. All right, this is the footwear impression of the person who approached the rear of Jessica Lloyds house on the evening of the twenty-eighth of January. His Nissan Pathfinder and his hoard of stolen garments were destroyed. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about He was read his formal rights to counsel and caution, and given a further opportunity to consult with a lawyer, which he declined. . "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. Because this is, this is getting out of control really fast, Russell. When that evidence comes in and that DNA matches, when that phone rings, and somebody knocks on this door. I might be wrong. The colonel studied the maps and plotted the specific spot where he had hidden Jessicas body. Jim Smyth, the widely celebrated OPP officer whose mastery in interrogation was credited for the confession, is the "Smyth" part of the transcript material. Williams was married to Mary Elizabeth Harriman. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. . Smyth drove to the top of the laneway, got out of his car and saw a rock pile to his left. James J. Smith - Wikipedia Williams leaned forward and ran his tongue along his teeth. Ever been interviewed by the police in a room like this before? Smyth asked. ., That sounds right, Williams reluctantly admitted, then struggled to make the revelation seem less damning. I thought she was a very nice girl, Williams said. There was a female police officer that actually drove by that location that evening and recalls seeing an SUV-type vehicle in the field. ?. Russell Williams is seen in this image taken from video of the OPP interview, released by the court in Belleville, Ont., Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Williams hid the body in his garage. Was she excited about leaving with you?. . Russell Williams is interrogated by OPP Det-Sgt. Other associates, such as Paul Ferguson, the program director at Belleville country music radio station Cool 100, recalled that at the annual wing commander's golf tournament in 2009, Col. Williams, an avid golfer, couldn't use a driver because he said it would ruin his back. He then asks him general questions before getting him to agree to submit a DNA sample and an imprint of his boots. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Okay, Ill read this off to you, see if it rings a bell. Weeks earlier, Smyth had interviewed Terri-Lynne McClintic, now 21, as she confessed to involvement in Tori's death. Im concerned that theyre tearing apart my wifes brand-new house, he told the officer begrudgingly. Recovering alcoholic and divorced father of a young daughter, DS Jim Bergerac is a true maverick who prefers doing things his own way, and consequently doesn't always carry out his investigations the way his boss would like. Yeah, no, I understand, Williams interrupted. Williams had pleaded guilty to all 88 charges against him. Smyth asked him if he was concerned about whether the Buccal (DNA) swab they had taken would match any samples taken from the four crime scenes. Chicago cops retire to dodge punishment, collect 6-figure pensions Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. When they returned to their seats following the break, Williams was no longer chewing on the wad of gum. It included personnel and a search-and-rescue aircraft from CFB Trenton, authorized by Colonel Williams. Video clips and nearly 3,000 photographs included depictions of the Tweed assaults and the murders of Comeau and Lloyd. 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. 2023 National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Of course, the person is under no obligation to answer the questions and still has the right to speak with counsel; however, anything said after such a consultation remains fully admissible in court. Well, you start by telling the truth, Smyth replied firmly. The detective broke the cold silence . Sergeant Smith and Iowa State Patrol Line-Of-Duty Deaths Sergeant Smith began his career as a member of the Department of Public Safety's 19th Basic Academy in 1993. . Retired OPP investigator Dave Perry said it is compelling to watch as Smyth calmly presses Williams on his links to the crimes. Years of Service: 13. Smyth gets down to business by slowly revealing to Williams what police have found out about the murders of Jessica Lloyd and Cpl. . The police had laid a carefully crafted plan to trap Williams. And they are absolutely not considering these whatsoever," Dafoe said. That's why investigators will typically study up on their subject before entering the interrogation room, carefully reviewing the items found in police searches. Smyth used the controversial 'Reid technique' with Williams,. He admitted to the detective that he had originally planned to drive back to Tweed that day, and had earlier gathered a bunch of the womens panties and bras to burn in a field upon his return. Jessica was a beautiful, gentle young woman. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday tapped Jack Smith, a longtime federal prosecutor and former head of the Justice Department's public integrity section, as special counsel to oversee the . . The Ontario Crown announced Monday it will not appeal the Sept. 26 decision of Mr. Justice Kenneth A. Langdon that Det.-Sgt. When he asked the colonel what he had done on Friday, January 29, 2010, the day following Jessica Lloyds disappearance, Williams explained that he had stayed home for most of the day. Well, I dont think you want the cold-blooded psychopath option. But one of the things that had been most distressing for him, he confided to his interrogator, Detective Sergeant Jim Smith, was the death of his old black and white cat, Curio. The detectives words fought gallantly for the women who no longer had a voice. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Thats a little microphone.. this is a photocopy of the boot that you took off your foot just a little while ago, Smyth said, his tone becoming uncharacteristically stronger. His body language had slowly shifted from a cocky confidence to distress, defeat, and, ultimately, resignation. . 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. Smyth talked briefly about the four crimes that had by now obviously been linked: the two sexual assaults in Tweed, the sex murder of Marie-France Comeau, and the suspicious disappearance of Jessica Lloyd. OPP Sergeant Jamie Gillespie Pleads Guilty to attempting to intercept What began as a fetish to steal womens undergarments grew into a compulsion to rape and murder. The video begins with Smyth telling Williams why he has been called in to speak with police. 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. Upon graduation, he was first stationed in Fairfield at District 13, and in 1996 relocated to District 10 located in Oelwein. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Williams contemplated in quiet for another twenty-two seconds before he suddenly surrendered and his clenched lips spoke. But sensing that relinquishing control would be a difficult step for the career military man who had been trained to remain tough and withstand intense interrogation tactics by enemy forces, he offered the colonel a concession. Williams showed no emotion as his inner debate continued. With three simple, yet ominous, words, the distinguished base commander, respected colonel, and trusted pilot for the prime minister and Queen Elizabeth II had sealed his fate and was set to shock an entire nation. Van Allen concluded that the prowler posed an increasing danger for a hands on sexual assault.. affairs, he said. A recurring theme in Det.-Sgt. After extending the colonel the opportunity to admit to any extramarital relationships, Smyth became blunt. Williams often spent time at a cottage he owned on Cosy Cove Lane in the village of Tweed, Ontario, 53 kilometers from Trenton. . They were settled with undisclosed financial payments in 2014. He is the detective who was tasked with confronting Williams about his crimes. . you ever heard of. Elliot Leyton, a Memorial University professor who has authored several studies on serial killers, said Williams "is intelligent enough to know that they had him.". In June 1997 he began working with the OPP, moving to the behavioural sciences section of the force in 2000. Sgt. Colonel David Russell Williams was a decoratedair forcepilot and commander at theCanadian Forces Base(CFB) atTrenton,Ontario, when he was arrested in 2010, and charged with the murders of two women, and numerous other sexually related crimes. 1) O.J. McClintic had also worked with a sketch artist to provide a composite sketch of the house. Lloyds ordeal continued until about 8:15 p.m., when Williams cracked her skull with a flashlight and strangled her with a piece of rope. Ed Johnson - Sergeant - Ontario Provincial Police | ZoomInfo Together they analyze the body language and behavior displayed in videos in the public interest. No, Williams said, still sitting with his arms folded in front. . Their goal was to cover all aspects of true crime: Read More, Contents Copyright 1998-2020 by Crime Magazine | J. Patrick O'Connor Editor | E-mail CrimeMagazine.com, Designed by Orman. But perhaps the most valuable aspect of the interview was not his confession, but rather his admission as to where he had secreted the large caches of evidence that may otherwise have gone undiscovered. Smyth's interrogation techniques have earned the attention of other police agencies, law school classrooms, and even the general public. . Then Williams took Lloyd to his silver-coloured 2001 Nissan Pathfinder, parked in a nearby field, and drove her to his cottage. Brenda McGillvray. We try not to divulge any information we may have until we feel it becomes necessary, until essentially the interview turns into more of an interrogation.". .. . Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. But his mind was clearly somewhere else. 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. Jim Smith Director of Law Enforcement Relations Chief of Police (Ret. I hope so, Williams mumbled, his face projecting an unspoken arrogance, as though he was trying to keep from smiling. . Now Im struggling with how upset my wife is right now.. 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. Just tell me what you saw.". Theyd find a mother lode of explicit images on the devices, featuring all four of his victims, he assured Smyth. Super Bowl-winning athlete talks football, his medical career and the importance of skin care.