Colonel Russell Williams, the former commander of CFB Trenton accused of murdering two women and sexually assaulting two others, will keep his military rank and continue to collect pay until a verdict is determined in his case. Lieutenant Colonel Tony O’Keefe, a close friend of the accused murderer and the man overseeing his case for the military, spoke after Williams briefly appeared in a Belville Ontario Court of Justice by video, saying he would personally deliver the news to the colonel at the Quinte Detention Centre. Unshaven and dressed in an orange jumpsuit, Williams spoke his name when asked and said thank you after as his legal representative asked that his next court appearance be on March 25. Williams will be represented by Ottawa criminal defence lawyer Michael Edelson, who is known for representing high-profile clients such as Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien and Nova Scotia Bishop Raymond Lahey.