Ripped from the headlines, the horrific and astonishing true story of the double life of Russell Williams, who was at once a respected figure in the Canadian military and a ruthless sado-sexual serial criminal and murderer.

In the annals of psycho-killers, Colonel Russell Williams may well be unique. A decorated air force colonel, Williams was, for years, living a double life as a sado-sexual home invader, burglar, pedophile and, ultimately, murderer. A model officer and elite pilot, he was trusted with flying international dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth, as well as commanding Canada's most important military airbase. Yet his dark and violent secret life included breaking into 82 homes of girls and women; thefts of vast amounts of lingerie (which he dressed in); two bizarre sexual assaults that left an uncomprehending Ontario village on a knife's-edge; and eventually, two rape-murders. When police raided Williams's home - a home he shared with his wife, a respected professional in her own right who was apparently completely unaware of her husband's unconscionable double life - they found hundreds of pairs of women's underwear, meticulously organized and catalogued. In this book, veteran Globe and Mail crime reporter Tim Appleby chronicles a true story that could have been lifted from the darkest pages of pulp fiction, one that offers fascinating - and troubling - insights on human psychopathology.

From the Hardcover edition.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER
 
“Carefully written with heart and respect.”
— The Canadian Journalism Project

“This book is a solid piece of journalism that meticulously records what is known about the murderous life of Russell Williams. . . . Its many insights into this rapist, fetishist and killer are frequently illuminating; and, given the unlikelihood that further information will become available, the book will probably remain the source on this bizarre case. . . . Appleby is an experienced and respected reporter. . . . Appleby provides us with a sound and reliable account of how Williams devastated so many lives.”
— The Globe and Mail

“Appleby marshals a convincing case––and the thesis certainly makes for a compelling book.”
— Christie Blatchford, The Globe and Mail

From the Hardcover edition.

Timothy Appleby is a longtime crime reporter and foreign correspondent for the Globe and Mail.

From the Hardcover edition.