ISSUES: Queen's Pilot Confesses to Sex Murders

A Canadian Air Force commander who piloted planes for many heads of state, including Queen Elizabeth II, has pleaded guilty to a series of sex crimes that culminated in the murder of two women. Col. Russell Williams, who commanded Canada's largest air base, stole hundreds of pairs of underwear in dozens of break-ins, and often photographed himself masturbating while wearing lingerie in women's bedrooms the New York Times reports. One of his murder victims died after he beat her and sealed her mouth and nose with tape.

Williams, 47, looked pale as he pleaded guilty to two murders, two sexual assaults, and 82 break-ins. He now faces an automatic sentence of life in prison with no possibility for parole for at least 25 years. The commander, who was highly decorated during his 23-year military career, was arrested after police at a roadblock noticed that the tread patterns on his SUV matched those found near a murder scene. A search of his home uncovered a huge stash of stolen underwear, along with thousands of photographs he had taken of himself in the bedrooms of girls as young as 8