Murder of Victoria Stafford
Encyclopedia
Victoria Elizabeth "Tori" Stafford was an eight year old Canadian
girl abducted from Woodstock, Ontario
on April 8, 2009, and murdered. She was last seen on security camera footage walking with Terri-Lynne McClintic.
Her disappearance and the subsequent investigation and search were the subject of massive media coverage across Canada. The search for her body ended on July 19, 2009, when a child's remains were found in a wooded area in rural Ontario and were immediately believed to be those of Tori Stafford. This was confirmed in a news conference held July 21, 2009. The police response to the situation as it developed and their lack of calling an Amber Alert
has been criticized by the public, and has recently been the focus of a review of the Amber Alert system in Canada. The circumstances of her death were a mystery until a publication ban was lifted in December 2010.
jacket with a white fur-lined hood, a green shirt, denim skirt, black and white shoes and a purple and pink Bratz
bag.
A security video taken from the high school shows her walking with a person of interest
. The person of interest is described as a white female aged between 19-25 - 5'1 to 5'2 tall and weighing approximately 120-125 lbs with straight long black hair worn in a pony tail. She was wearing tight black jeans and a white puffy jacket. The case was later featured on America's Most Wanted
.
The initial investigation was led by Oxford Community Police Service, but then turned into a joint operation with the Ontario Provincial Police
.
On Tuesday, July 21, 2009, at 9:00 am police confirmed the remains found near Mount Forest, Ontario
, approximately 500 meters from Concession Road 6, were that of Tori. Video and photographs of the scene where the remains were discovered match satellite imagery for the co-ordinates 43.961577, -80.660334
(in addition to lesser charges) in the abduction and suspected murder of Tori. Ontario Provincial Police indicated that Tori's mother, Tara McDonald, was familiar with McClintic. McClintic assisted the police search for the remains of Tori Stafford after her arrest and her lawyer stated that her client "wants Tori's family to know she is trying hard to find her body."
On May 28, 2009, McClintic's accessory charge was altered to a murder charge. Abduction charges against McClintic and Rafferty were altered to unlawful confinement charges. The co-accused will be tried separately on charges of 1st-degree murder and unlawful confinement.
McClintic will go directly to trial. She was scheduled to make an appearance in court on April 30, 2010 but a publication ban was imposed by the judge on the events of the day. The publication ban was lifted on December 9, 2010 revealing that Terri-Lynne McClintic pleaded guilty to first degree murder.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
girl abducted from Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
on April 8, 2009, and murdered. She was last seen on security camera footage walking with Terri-Lynne McClintic.
Her disappearance and the subsequent investigation and search were the subject of massive media coverage across Canada. The search for her body ended on July 19, 2009, when a child's remains were found in a wooded area in rural Ontario and were immediately believed to be those of Tori Stafford. This was confirmed in a news conference held July 21, 2009. The police response to the situation as it developed and their lack of calling an Amber Alert
AMBER Alert
An AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996...
has been criticized by the public, and has recently been the focus of a review of the Amber Alert system in Canada. The circumstances of her death were a mystery until a publication ban was lifted in December 2010.
Disappearance
She was seen for the last time at about 3:32 pm Wednesday April 8, 2009 on Fyfe Avenue, walking past a high school up the street from Oliver Stephens Public School. She was wearing a black Hannah MontanaHannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
jacket with a white fur-lined hood, a green shirt, denim skirt, black and white shoes and a purple and pink Bratz
Bratz
Bratz is an American line of fashion dolls and merchandise manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Four original 10" dolls were released in 2001 - Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin...
bag.
A security video taken from the high school shows her walking with a person of interest
Person of interest
"Person of interest" is a phrase used by law enforcement when announcing the name of someone involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. The phrase was adopted by the media and widely disseminated, thus most law enforcement agencies have picked up...
. The person of interest is described as a white female aged between 19-25 - 5'1 to 5'2 tall and weighing approximately 120-125 lbs with straight long black hair worn in a pony tail. She was wearing tight black jeans and a white puffy jacket. The case was later featured on America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
.
The initial investigation was led by Oxford Community Police Service, but then turned into a joint operation with the Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
.
On Tuesday, July 21, 2009, at 9:00 am police confirmed the remains found near Mount Forest, Ontario
Mount Forest, Ontario
Mount Forest is an unincorporated community located on the junction of the 6 and the 89 in the township of Wellington North, Ontario. The town's motto is "High, Happy, Healthy", which can be seen on the water tower when approaching the town from the south....
, approximately 500 meters from Concession Road 6, were that of Tori. Video and photographs of the scene where the remains were discovered match satellite imagery for the co-ordinates 43.961577, -80.660334
Charges
On May 20, 2009, police charged Michael Thomas Rafferty, 28, with first degree murder and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, with being an accessory to murderAccessory (legal term)
An accessory is a person who assists in the commission of a crime, but who does not actually participate in the commission of the crime as a joint principal...
(in addition to lesser charges) in the abduction and suspected murder of Tori. Ontario Provincial Police indicated that Tori's mother, Tara McDonald, was familiar with McClintic. McClintic assisted the police search for the remains of Tori Stafford after her arrest and her lawyer stated that her client "wants Tori's family to know she is trying hard to find her body."
On May 28, 2009, McClintic's accessory charge was altered to a murder charge. Abduction charges against McClintic and Rafferty were altered to unlawful confinement charges. The co-accused will be tried separately on charges of 1st-degree murder and unlawful confinement.
McClintic will go directly to trial. She was scheduled to make an appearance in court on April 30, 2010 but a publication ban was imposed by the judge on the events of the day. The publication ban was lifted on December 9, 2010 revealing that Terri-Lynne McClintic pleaded guilty to first degree murder.