BELLEVILLE, Ont. - CFB Trenton staff have burned every piece of former colonel Russell Williams' military clothing, documentation and equipment they could find in his Tweed, Ont., home.
Such items are Crown property and must be returned to the military upon a person's departure from the military service, said Canadian Forces spokesman Cmdr. Hubert Genest.
But since Williams is now in the Kingston Penitentiary, he couldn't return them personally.
Williams was in command of Canadian Forces Base Trenton when he was arrested on Feb. 7.
On Oct. 18, Williams pleaded guilty in Belleville, Ont., court to 88 charges, including the murders of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, 37, of Brighton, Ont., and Jessica Lloyd, 27, of Belleville; sex attacks on two Tweed, Ont., women; and break-ins and thefts in the Ottawa, Tweed and Belleville areas dating back to 2007.
He was sentenced Oct. 21 to serve concurrent life sentences in prison.
Two CFB Trenton personnel and two military police officers removed the items from Williams' home on Wednesday. They made a careful inventory and locked the goods in a secure place on the base for the night.
Those same staffers were present when the inventory was burned privately Thursday, said Genest.
"There was no ceremony but it was formal. We're not going to celebrate, but we're going to do it right. Everything's accounted for," he said.
Genest said only a few small items were missing and the military has removed a "small amount" of money from Williams' account as reimbursement. That's in accordance with military procedure, he said.
Officials have also arranged to retrieve Williams' medals and his commission scroll. The medals will be destroyed but details on the scroll's fate weren't immediately available.
Genest also said Williams' official, final ejection from the Canadian Forces will occur within days.
Though the military revoked the convicted killer's rank last month, Genest said Friday the military is very nearly finished with the former colonel.
"We're really in the final lines of the final chapter," Genest said.
Genest said only a few more steps must be taken before Williams is officially out of the service, including a short medical exam.
"We are arranging with the prison facility to make that happen over the next few days," said Genest. "We just need a general status of your health to close your medical file."
Genest added a standard process is now underway that requires Williams to repay his military salary received after the date of his arrest. But his military pension continues.
"No change there," Genest said. "According to current rules he's entitled to his pension."
Why is he getting his pension? The guy is a murderer. This just doesn't seem right.
That money should go to victims' families.