One of the surviving victims of sex killer Russell Williams said that she is saddened and sickened to learn that a play is being developed based on the intense police interrogation that led to the confession of his vicious crimes.
On Monday, the Canadian Press reported The One Little Goat Theatre Company in Toronto plans to premier “Smyth/Williams” on March 3, with an all female cast that will alternate the roles of the interrogating officer and Williams through the cast.
Williams, a former colonel at 8-Wing CFB Trenton is currently serving two life sentences after he was convicted in October 2010 of first degree-murder in the sex slayings of 37-year-old Marie France Comeau of Brighton and 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd of Belleville. Williams also pleaded guilty to 82 fetish break and enters and thefts as well as two sexual assaults.
Sexual assault victim Laurie Massicotte said Williams and his wife Mary Elizabeth Harriman ‘were the only ones protected within the criminal justice system due to that 10-and-a-half hour infamous interrogation in which a plea deal was signed, sealed and delivered to the court.’
“The victims nor the families of the deceased had any say regarding the decisions made resulting from that interrogation,” said Massicotte who settled a multi-million dollar civil lawsuit against Williams, Harriman and the province. “We had to learn about what happened during that interrogation only a few hours out of over 10 when it was released to everyone at the hearing. Whether more of that interrogation has been leaked to this theatre company or not, it will be produced and published.”
In the report by the Canadian Press, the company’s artistic director, Adam Seelig, said he got the idea for the play in 2010, when Williams’ case and his confession to Ontario Police Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth was making headlines. Seeling said he was amazed at the time by Smyth’s ingenuity and chilled by Williams’ matter-of-fact confessions to heinous crimes – all strong material for a theatrical performance. The article goes on to say Seelig said he only felt moved to make the play a reality after noticing what he called a recent urgency around the issue of violence against women particularly against women in the military.
Seelig told the Canadian Press the majority of the lines in the play will be taken directly from a transcript of Smyth’s interrogation of Williams. Seelig explained the play will also incorporate dialogue that comes from Williams’ victims, which was played at Williams’ trial and is found in a book on the killer.
“It is up to each individual, victim, family member whether to watch it or not,” said Massicotte. “I myself won’t be. Once again the victims will be re-victimized just knowing this is taking place in another form. It makes me sad and sick once again.”
