A neighbour of Col. Russ Williams says that he and his family have been "through hell" in the three months since he was initially a suspect in two home break-ins in their community.
Larry Jones, 65, was interrogated in late October and early November 2009 and underwent a polygraph test and DNA sampling after two sex assaults on women near Tweed, Ont. last September.
"It was devastating for me, my wife and my family, we've been through hell, the police have been here, badgering and bugging us for three months now," Jones told CTV.ca Tuesday afternoon.
After the polygraph finally cleared him In November, Jones said a police officer told him "well, you've been cleared 100 per cent, Mr. Jones, why don't you go home, put your feet up and have a cold beer."
But the past three months were anything but relaxing for the resident of Cozy Cove Lane, where he has lived for 43 years.
"After I was told they cleared me 100 per cent that didn't really mean much because . . . people still thought I was the guy because they had not heard that, there was nothing in the paper . . . no apology, no nothing from the police," Jones said. "Everyone in their own mind thought I was still the person.
"Now everyone's coming up to me saying, ‘Oh, Larry, we knew it wasn't you. I'm glad that you are cleared"
Jones came home on Oct. 29 to find "about 30" police officers waiting to execute a search warrant of his residence.
"I said, ‘What's going on? Did I get broken into,'" he recalled.
"No, it's more serious than that," was the reply.
Jones said he was arrested because one of the two women assaulted mistakenly thought she recognized his voice as the voice of her assailant.
The two assaults occurred in September, one of them on Cozy Cove Lane, where Jones lives next door to Williams' cottage. The second assault also occurred nearby.
In both cases, the women were stripped naked, bound to chairs and then photographed in the middle of the night. The assaults took place over several hours.
Williams' cottage on Cozy Cove Lane has been cordoned off by police since Monday.
Jones said he has been neighbours with Williams for about five years and said the military man "seemed like a pretty nice guy."
He added that he mostly had just engaged in small talk with his neighbour over the years.
Williams, the former commander of CFB Trenton is facing two first-degree murder charges and two sexual assault and forcible confinement charges.