The synopsis is brief as the content of this book is not much different from the basic content of Camouflaged Killer (my previous review) by David A. Gibb.

I chose to read about Russell Williams for two reasons:

• -His “story” is fascinating in that he is the first serial killer to meticulously document everything. I truly believe he is the beginning of a new era of serial killers. Modern technology is a wonderful thing and will aid law enforcement in capture and conviction of myriad criminals it’s also a hindrance. Unfortunately this also means we (society) will be exposed to gruesome crimes pictorially as opposed to via the written and spoken word.

• -I was so disturbed by the graphic content of Gibb’s novel that I felt obligated to read another book of the same subject matter. Much in the way that there are dozens of books about Charles Manson and the Family, I was hoping to find something – anything – new about Williams that I had not yet read.

Sadly, that has not been the case. What I seem to have found is that with meticulous documentation comes regurgitation of the same facts. Each author has their own distinctive style but the bottom line is, at least at this time, there is very little additional information. Perhaps the most interesting material is chapter fifteen, which breaks away from Russell Williams entirely and gives an historic account of criminals who have documented their crimes whether by video, photographs, audio tape, or diary.

I am hesitant to not recommend this book. It is not horribly written. Sure, it has flaws. The timeline, while date-driven, is hard to follow. It bounces back and forth to the point of confusion.  Instead of one chapter being dedicated to (for example) Laurie Massicotte, her story is partially written within several chapters. There are plenty of pictures and while they are not used to take up space for lack of content, their placement is distracting but is not as graphic as David A. Gibb’s account of Williams’ crimes.

I do not think I will be reading about Russell Williams again. I had really hoped I did not care for Williams based on Camouflaged Killer’s disturbingly graphic account; however, that was not the case. I found him to be one of the more boring serial killers; in fact, the only thing I find interesting about him is his technology savvy detailed documentation of his crimes.

Cal Millar is a former reporter for the Toronto Star and has been associated with Crime Stoppers since the 1980s. You can find more information about him at http://www.calmillar.com

Ian Robertson currently writes for the Toronto Sun. He has won myriad awards for his writing and photography.

Note: If you purchase “How a Colonel Became a Killer” from Amazon.com using this link, The Serial Killers Podcast receives a small percentage of the sale, which helps cover our hosting costs.

Nassau Homicide Squad Detective Lt. John Azzata said:

Obviously, we’re near the water, [Gilgo] bodies were found near the water — that’s a similarity but there are other dissimilarities so it’s much too early to say that we definitely have a connection.

Azzata said that the newly discovered victim died of trauma, but refused to give specifics. He also declined to say whether the remains were found in a plastic bag, as some of the Gilgo Beach victims were.

The new remains are of a woman between 20 and 30 years old. She was found wearing a gold chain with a gold pig. Investigators believe that the jewelry may indicate a connection to the Asian community.

More information will hopefully be made available after examination by a forensic anthropologist.

Judge Bonnie Wittner choked up as she read the sentence, describing the murders as “an inexplicably brutal, horrible act”.

Alcala will be transported back to death row in California, but should his convictions there be overturned, he would be returned to New York to serve his sentence.

While convicted of seven murders, estimates of the total number of his victims run from 50 to 130.

Linda’s mother, Jean Priest, has been fighting to have Percy testify for years. Today’s ruling will cause an inquiry into Linda’s death to be reconvened. Percy will likely be granted immunity for his testimony.

Percy murdered 12-year-old Yvonne Tuohy in July 1969, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1970. He has been indefinitely detained due to the high risk that he would kill again should he be released.

Ironically, had he been found guilty of the single murder, he might well have finished his prison sentence by now. All indications are that Percy will die in custody.

The appeals court also found that the coroner should take into account recent medical evidence regarding Percy’s short- and long-term memory. The ruling of not guilty by reason of insanity in 1970 turned on an alleged memory problem Percy had or has, which could also make any new testimony he gives unreliable.

It has previously been established that Percy was in the same area as Linda Stilwell on the day of her disappearance. Percy is also suspected in a number of other murders and disappearances, include those of the Beaumont children, the Wanda Beach murders, the murder of Simon Brook, and the murder of Alan Redston.

Investigators believe that Alcala was one of the most prolific serial killers of the 1970′s, and that he is likely guilty of dozens of murders.

Alcala has been behind bars since he was arrested for the 1979 killing of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe.

Keyes was highly organized, and generally planned his murders methodically and well ahead of time. When he entered Samantha’s coffee stand, he planned only to rob the place. But he was overcome with an urge to murder, which eventually led to his capture.

The police are still working to piece together the details of his life, which included a decade of traveling all over the country in search of victims. He also spent considerable time building murder kits, acquiring case, and buying tools to dispose of bodies.

He has slowly been revealing the details of his modus operandi since his capture in March, but the source of info ended with his suicide December 1st.

He was an avid student of serial killers, especially Ted Bundy, but insisted that he had not patterned his behavior after any particular serial killer. He wanted his actions and methods to be his own.

Most of his victims were drug dealers, and Pardo once claimed:

I’m not a criminal. I’m a soldier. As a soldier, I ask to be given the death penalty. I accomplished my mission.

In his one-page written final statement, Pardo said he was proud to see the New York Giants and the Yankees win so many championships, praised Spain’s winning of a World Cup title, and hoped that the country would keep its tradition of bullfighting.

Earlier this year, Abuelazam was convicted of the August 2, 2012 murder of Arnold Minor. He as been charged in two other murders and in six assault with intent to murder cases.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the cases were put on hold to save the case strapped county “hundreds of thousands of dollars”. They can be re-issued if needed. Said Leyton:

We decided it was the best possible solution. We reached out to all the victims and all those who responded to us thought this was the best way to go.

Abuelazam was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Arnold Minor. It that conviction and sentence stands, it’s unlikely that the other cases will ever be tried.

His most recent death sentence was handed down in 2006, has again been overturned. The Supreme Court found errors by trial judge Ronald D. Thom, saying that he didn’t establish:

…strong and particular grounds for believing that the jurors’ identities needed to be protected…

When the jury was empanelled. Additionally, the judge incorrectly allowed the introduction of evidence of Rogers’ homosexual experiences as a teenager.

Rogers will be resentenced in county court.

All this probably doesn’t matter. Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber has declared a moratorium on executions while he is in office. Oregon has not executed anyone since 1997, and has only executed two people since 1978.

Earlier this year, Moore and two other convicted murderers attempted to convince the European Court of Human Rights that their life sentences amounted to inhuman or degrading punishment. The court rejected the appeal, but the ruling is being reviewed by the court’s Grand Chamber in Strasbourg.

It is unknown what the basis for Moore’s London appeal will be.