Tragedy in Woodstock

[Catty1]

Tori Stafford went missing in early April. Two arrests were just made.

This beautiful young lady, 8 years old - she has such a light about her.

Wishing her soul and her loved ones peace.
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http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2009/04/22/tori-cp-6599526.jpg
Victoria Stafford's school photo, taken April 7, the day before she disappeared in Woodstock, Ont., with a woman in a light-coloured coat. (Tara McDonald and LifeTouch/Canadian Press)


http://www.citynews.ca/images/2009-04/apr0909-stafford.jpg


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/05/20/tori-stafford.html

Suspect in Tori Stafford killing knew girl's mother, police say
'I love her with all my heart and until I see her, I will not lay this to rest': father
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | 7:19 PM ET
CBC News

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2009/05/20/suspect-cp-CPT109_181431.jpg
Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, is shown in this photo taken from the social networking site Facebook. (Facebook/Handout/Canadian Press)

As police searched for Victoria Stafford's body near Guelph, Ont., they said a young woman accused of aiding in her killing was known to the girl's mother.

The quiet southwestern Ontario city of Woodstock was shocked Wednesday morning at the news that a local man and woman had been charged in the abduction and killing of eight-year-old Victoria, known as Tori, who was last seen leaving her school with a woman in early April.

On Wednesday morning, Michael Thomas C.S. Rafferty, 29, and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, made brief appearances in the Oxford County Court House, where they were formally charged.

Rafferty is charged with abduction and first-degree murder. McClintic is charged with abducting the child. She is also charged with assisting Rafferty in escaping the area and being an accessory to murder after the fact.

The two were taken into custody on Tuesday night.

At a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, OPP Det.-Insp. William Renton said he believed at least one of the accused knew Tara McDonald, Victoria's mother.

"I believe McClintic may be familiar with Tara McDonald," Renton said. "I believe they're familiar with one another."

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2009/05/20/rafferty-fb-090520.jpg
Michael Thomas C.S. Rafferty, 29, is shown in this photo from the social networking site Facebook. (Facebook/Handout/Canadian Press)

The news conference was stopped abruptly after Renton made the statement, leaving questions about the nature of the relationship unanswered.

Victoria's father, Rodney Stafford, speaking to reporters later Wednesday, said he thinks McClintic's mother was looking to breed her dog with Victoria's mother's dog. However, he said he could not be sure.

He said news of the arrests is overwhelming, and there are too many thoughts running through his head to express.

"I just don't know what to say," he said. "Right now, they're saying they have enough evidence to verify that Victoria has passed, but I myself, as Victoria's father, refuse to believe that until I actually see remains of my daughter, or my daughter's body.

"I love her with all my heart and until I see her, I will not lay this to rest," added Stafford, who was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Victoria that read "Daddy's Little Girl."

"I've been wearing her proudly on my chest and in my heart since the day she was born."

Tori's brother Daryn, 11, is devastated and bewildered, said Stafford.

"His first reaction was, 'So this means [I] can't hang out with my sister any more.' I told him these people will be punished. That's not enough. He wants to see them in the electric chair."

Abducted 6 weeks ago

News of Victoria's death came six weeks after the girl was abducted as she left Oliver Stephens Public School.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2009/04/14/tori-cp-6561209.jpg
Victoria Stafford, shown in a family photo from July 2008, has been missing since she left her school in Woodstock, Ont., on April 8. (Canadian Press)

Security camera images from April 8 show the Grade 3 student walking away from the school with an unknown woman, who had long black hair and was wearing a white jacket.

Documents filed in provincial court say police believe Victoria died that day, or shortly after.

Police were searching for her body Wednesday around Rockwood, about an hour west of Toronto.

Rafferty pulled his shirt over his head as he left the court to avoid having his image captured by news photographers.

McClintic walked into the court wearing a black top and with her dark hair set in tight braids.

Reporters in the courtroom said Rafferty broke down in tears while waiting for the judge to appear.

Both were remanded in custody until May 28.
'This is too close to home': neighbour

People in the community expressed their anger and outrage over the fate of the child.

"I live right around the corner. These people lived here for two months. This is too close to home. I have two children! There's a lot of people with children around here," said neighbour Jennifer Leyton.

"You don't think it's going to happen here. This is Woodstock," she said.

The family of the girl, who was known to her friends and family as Tori, has been in seclusion for most of the day.

Tara McDonald had made daily pleas through the media for the release of her daughter.

A message posted on the family's Facebook site on Wednesday said the comment section had been closed down.

"Out of respect for my family, I have closed down the wall temporarily," wrote Victoria's aunt, Rebecca Stafford.

"Thank you for understanding my desire to protect my family from further uncertainty."

Donna Williams, another Woodstock resident, said she was upset at the news, especially for the mother.

"The mom is a mom like I am, and I wish nobody would have to live with the loss of a child," she said.

[Catty1]

http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/2009/05/29/9619451-lfp.html

Tori's parents plan her memorial

By Randy Richmond, London Free Press

Last Updated: 29th May 2009, 4:56pm

WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Victoria (Tori) Stafford’s parents are planning a memorial service for her after police warned the family today their little girl’s remains may never be found.

Rodney Stafford and Tara McDonald had refused to plan a funeral or memorial service, hoping police combing Southwestern Ontario would find their eight-year-old daughter’s body.

They also held out the faint hope their daughter might still be alive.

But today afternoon, Stafford and McDonald met with a pastor to discuss a service, family members said.

“Police told us (Thursday) that they may never find her body,” said Tori’s grandmother, Doreen Graichen.

Police also told the family not to hold out hope for her safe return, even if her body is not recovered. “We told them we had a tiny little thread of hope. They pretty much said don’t hold out hope for that,” Graichen said.

The so-far futile search for Tori’s body has driven a family already stricken by grief over her disappearance even further into despair.

“Until I can lay her to rest, I can’t lay it to rest,” Rodney Stafford said today. “My mind is so confused right now. I don’t want to let her go. I don’t. I still haven’t seen any proof of her body or remains or anything like that.”

Stafford also made a direct appeal to accused Michael Thomas Rafferty, if he is involved, to co-operate with police at least enough to help bring Tori’s body back home.

“Can you finally be a man and let my daughter come home and . . . let my daughter be in peace?” he said.

Rafferty, 28, charged with of kidnapping and first-degree murder, has been advised by his lawyer to say nothing about the case to anyone.

Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, is also charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder.

She had been charged with accessory to murder after the fact but her charges were upgraded Thursday during a video appearance in court.

It was also disclosed McClintic and Rafferty will get separate trials, setting up the possibility one will testify against the other.

Forensic officers spent much of today sifting through material taken from McClintic’s Wilson street apartment in Woodstock.

A garbage truck and several police vans were parked outside her unit, with officers studying and occasionally taking photographs of items spread out in the back of the truck.

Tori was last seen April 8 after school, caught on a surveillance videotape walking with an unknown woman north on Fyfe Avenue in Woodstock.

For six weeks, her divorced parents and the rest of the family held out hope the girl would be found alive, holding vigils and passing out thousands of posters showing her smiling face.

Those hopes were dashed May 19 with the arrests of the two Woodstock residents for her capture and murder.

McClintic is co-operating with police and for several days after the arrests accompanied investigators on their search, but to no avail.

That search has bounced all over Southwestern Ontario, from garbage bins in rural and urban areas to farm fields, from lakes to alongside Highway 401, with special attention in the Guelph, Fergus and Woodstock areas.

Police are asking property owners within a 50-minute drive of Guelph to check their fields and report any suspicious or significant changes to landscape or familiar landmarks.

Investigators are also seeking anyone who spotted a car they say was involved in the abduction either in Woodstock or Guelph.

The vehicle is described as a 2003 Honda four-door, blue with black spray paint over portions of it. Police are trying to locate the vehicle’s missing back seat.

Stafford said today he was somewhat satisfied charges against McClintic were upgraded.

“But it is still not enough. Justice will never be served for the loss of Victoria,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what they receive. It will still not bring her back.”

Stafford didn’t attend Thursday’s court hearing, saying he didn’t want to see the accused by video. “I want to see them in person. I really don’t know why.”

His mother, Graichen, said she, too, was waiting until the accused showed up in person to attend court. “I want to force them to look into our faces, to get them to come face to face with what they’ve done.”

Rafferty is due back in court on June 12. McClintic is due back June 23.

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[Laura's Babies]

That is SO sad! WHY do these kind of things have to happen?!!!

[Alysser]

What a cute little girl! How tragic, I really don't understand what is wrong with people. :mad:

May Victoria, r.i.p

[steel]

This is the first i heard of this. I dont understand why they would kidnap & kill her. LOTS of nasty/mean/horrid people in this world.

[lvpets2002]

:( Yes this is so Tragic & Horrible & Sad.. It makes you sick to think of the bad people out in the world anymore.. RIP Precious Girl..