8 Year Old Victoria “Tori” Stafford Missing Since 4/8/09 in Ontario, Canada

[Tracygirl]

My goodness that was a long time  ago. The poor family, if this is not tori, let it be this little girl.

I feel badly for the person who found the bones. the article said a skull fell to the ground? How awful!

[Northern Rose]

Nicole Moran: wasn't she the little girl missing from Mississauga, she left the
apartment to meet her friend and go swimming. There was a massive search for
her and they never ever even got any sightings or anything of her. I saw a show
on her a few months back. I hope this is her, the family needs some closure.

Nicole Louise Morin went missing in 1985.  She was from Toronto according to http://ca.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=intlMapSearch&missCountry=CA&searchLang=en_CA

When I looked her up I was shocked at the amount of children missing.  It could be one of many and for that family at least they have closure.

[Tracygirl]

There really are a lot of missing people listed. Many for years and years! These poor families, how can they go on day to day  not knowing.

[Northern Rose]

Link to memorial for Tori that is still working.  Bottom right of screen click on view video

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/tears-flow-at-memorial-for-tori-stafford/article1172290/

[canadianmonkey]

Search at landfill for clues in Tori Stafford case is over

Thu, June 11, 2009
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By RANDY RICHMOND, LONDON FREE PRESS
 



 
Victoria (Tori) Stafford 
 
Police looking for evidence or the remains of Victoria (Tori) Stafford have finished searching the Oxford County landfill in Salford.

Oxford Community police spokesperson Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland would not say Thursday if the search gave up any clues to the disappearance of the eight-year-old girl.

Police are still looking in the Wellington County area, she added.

The Woodstock girl went missing April 8 after school.

Investigators began sifting through garbage at the landfill April 20 and stayed until May 9.


 

After the arrests of two people for kidnapping and murder May 19, police returned to the landfill.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/06/11/9766006.html

[canadianmonkey]

Michael Rafferty, accused of killing Tori Stafford, to make court appearance
By THE CANADIAN PRESS – 1 hour ago

WOODSTOCK, Ont. — One of the people charged in the death of Victoria Stafford is due to make an appearance in a Woodstock, Ont., court today.

Twenty-eight-year-old Michael Rafferty is to make an appearance via video link.

He and 19-year-old Terri-Lynne McClintic are charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder.

The appearance comes as authorities finished up scouring the Oxford County landfill for clues and evidence in their search for Victoria's body.

Oxford Community Police Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland says for now, the search continues in rural areas of Wellington County.

Police are being tight-lipped about whether they have found anything that points to the murdered eight-year-old.

[canadianmonkey]

Defence in Victoria Stafford case says more time needed to examine evidence
Last Updated: Friday, June 12, 2009 | 2:06 PM ET

One of the accused in the killing of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford made an appearance via video link in a Woodstock, Ont., court on Friday.

Michael Thomas C.S. Rafferty, who is being held at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre, made no comment. But his lawyer, Hal Mattson, said he would need more time to review all the evidence he has received from the Crown.

Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic were charged with first-degree murder after the Grade 3 student was abducted outside her school on April 8. The girl's body has yet to be found.

According to the CBC's Stephanie Matteis, who was in court Friday, the defence lawyer said the prosecution has given him computer files with more than 300 gigabytes of information.

Mattson said it will take some time to review that amount of evidence — and he expects to get more.

Rafferty's lawyer said his client is no longer on suicide watch.

His next court appearance is scheduled for July 17.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/06/12/victoria-stafford.html

[Northern Rose]

Trial for man accused of killing Tori Stafford may not start till 2010: lawyer
By THE CANADIAN PRESS – 2 hours ago

WOODSTOCK, Ont. — The man accused of kidnapping and killing eight-year-old Victoria Stafford is getting a first look at the evidence against him.

Wearing a orange jump suit, Michael Rafferty, 28, appeared in a Woodstock, Ont., court Friday via videolink from the London-Middlesex Detention Centre.

After the brief process, his lawyer Hal Mattson said the Crown provided significant disclosure - some 300 gigabytes of electronic material.

Mattson asked that the case be put over until July 17 so his office has time to review the files.

He also wants to allow the Crown more time to provide full disclosure.

"We can't move the file forward until there's all the disclosure," he said.

"Because it's being done in an electronic format, the technical people have to make it all available, the client will have to review all the material at the jail and that may take a long time too."

Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 19, are both charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the case of the little girl who vanished April 8 outside her school. They are to be tried separately.

Mattson said he doesn't expect the case to get rolling until early 2010, though he noted the wait is having an effect on his client.

"At this point, like anybody, I think he's anxious to know what the case is against him," he said.

For the time being, Mattson said he has no plans to try to get the charges against Rafferty reduced.

Victoria's parents, Tara McDonald and Rodney Stafford, were both absent from the court room, although McDonald's brother attended.

McClintic's next video appearance is set for June 23.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5h5vMnSkMYEeUO-df_82o8woZd9fA

[Northern Rose]

Police vow to never give up the search for ‘Tori’
Linda Nguyen, Canwest News Service 
Published: Friday, June 12, 2009

To the family of eight-year-old Tori Stafford, it's been a lifetime.

A lifetime since the parents of the Woodstock, Ont., girl last heard the third-grader giggle, held her hand, kissed her good night.

This past week marked two months since the little girl was seen alive.

Tori was abducted on April 8. A grainy surveillance video showed the blond-haired girl walking away willingly with an unknown woman after school.

Two people, Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, and Michael Rafferty, 28, both from Woodstock, have each been charged with first-degree murder and abduction.

Yet, despite extensive efforts by hundreds of police officers, volunteers and family, the young girl's body has not been found.

"We will continue the investigation for as long as it takes," said Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland of the Oxford Community Police, one of the lead police forces heading the search. "If it takes months, then so be it. We have thousands and thousands of tips and leads and we have to follow up on each and every one of them."

Const. Maitland said in "no way" have efforts to locate the eight-year-old girl's body slowed down.

Nearly 100 investigators from four separate police forces across Ontario are still involved in scouring vast rural areas in and around Wellington County, near Guelph, Ont. Const. Maitland said police finished looking through tens of thousands of tonnes of garbage at the Woodstock landfill Friday for the girl's body or a car seat, believed to have transported Stafford that was discarded.

Last week, the search concluded along 200 kilometres of Highway 401 from Woodstock to Guelph.

Const. Maitland would not confirm if any evidence has been seized, but said to-date, police have received approximately 5,000 tips from across North America. The high-profile case was featured on the U.S. TV show America's Most Wanted.

"Ever since the get-go, we have wanted to reunite Tori with her loved ones.It's what anyone would hope for. We're going to continue to follow the evidence," Const. Maitland said. "It's a long process, a meticulous process. It would be beyond difficult for the family to feel any type of closure without a body."

Marilyne Allhus, a spokesperson for Missing Children Society of Canada, said without a body, Tara McDonald and Rodney Stafford may never finish grieving.

"Quite often, seeing the remains... of their child helps," she said from Calgary. "There is never 100% closure in a missing child file unless you know for a fact that child is deceased. Until they know for certain, they will always search for their child."

The non-profit organization uses a team of half a dozen retired city and provincial police detectives to investigate missing children cases across the country, usually when months and years have passed and the leads turn cold.

Ms. Allhus said the Stafford family have asked that their daughter be featured on the group's website.

The organization works with 300 families a year, with each one as heartbreaking as the last.

Like the story of a young teenager who vanished one evening. Several years later, his father still spends his weekends scouring the woods for his son's remains.

Or the woman in Cape Breton, N.S., who hasn't seen her three sons for 12 years when her husband fled with them. She built a house last year, complete with three rooms -- one for each of her boys.

"Everyone copes differently. We can only encourage the parents to let go but we have never experienced a loss of a child like them," Ms. Allhus said. "Rarely do we have families who ask us to stop searching."

As time progresses and seasons change, the chances of finding Tori's remains grow more and more slim, said Matt Evison, the director of the forensic science program at the University of Toronto.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," he said. "This isn't like CSI. It's not an exact science."

Mr. Evison said bodies are usually left in areas that will not see heavy traffic, or in locations that are familiar with the perpetrators.

Years can go by before remains are found, sometimes by chance, such as a person walking their dog.

Toronto criminal lawyer David Bayliss said the trials of the two accused in abducting and killing Tori does not heavily rely on police ever recovering the girl's body.

"Cases are prosecuted all the time without a body," said Mr. Bayliss.

However, Mr. Bayliss said the prosecution in this case will not only have to prove that Tori is dead, but that she was killed intentionally.

Ms.McClintic, has a court appearance June 23. Mr. Rafferty is to appear in court on July 17.

Tori's paternal grandmother, Doreen Graichen, said the memorial held in Woodstock last Saturday to celebrate Tori's life was organized for the community.

"We were hoping that it was going to do that for a lot of people, help provide some closure," she said this week. "We still don't know what really happened to her because we have no physical proof. It's going to be a long time before we [the family] can accept that Tori's gone."


http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1690243

[Northern Rose]

Police Finish Scouring Landfill for Evidence in Tori Stafford Case
Friday June 12, 2009

After months of combing through the rubbish in the Oxford County landfill, investigators assigned to the Victoria Stafford murder case have completed their search.

 

Police started looking in the garbage dump for clues and evidence soon after the eight-year-old Woodstock girl went missing in early April. They haven't revealed whether or not they've found anything of significance.

 

And although the search continues in rural areas of Wellington County, police have warned Victoria's parents that her remains may never be found.

 

This comes as one of the people accused in Victoria's death, 28-year-old Michael Rafferty, was set to appear in a Woodstock court on Friday via video link. His 19-year-old girlfriend, Terri-Lynne McClintic, has also been charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder.

 

Just last weekend, Tara McDonald and Rodney Stafford held an emotional memorial to pay tribute to their daughter and thank the community for its support during the ordeal.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_35280.aspx

[Northern Rose]

Oxford County : Rafferty Back In Court In July

The man accused of first degree murder and kidnapping of Victoria Stafford will return to court in July. Michael Rafferty made a brief video appearance in a Woodstock court this morning. His lawyer, Hal Mattson has received significant disclosure from the Crown and asked the case to be put over until July 17 so he had time to review the files, but says he doesn't expect a trial to get underway until early 2010. Police finished scouring the Oxford County landfill yesterday but would not say if they found anything.

http://cd989.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=16666

[MuffyBee]

http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_cariboo/100milefreepress/opinion/48203132.html
Amber Alert: when to issue

Published: June 16, 2009 7:00 PM


This is a controversy in Ontario after the loss of Victoria Stafford. Oxford Community Police Service are being criticized for their decision not to issue an Amber Alert for Victoria (Tori) immediately upon verification of her missing status. The Ontario Amber Alert System is being reviewed by the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police).

Tori Stafford left school around 3:30 p.m. on April 8 and was reported missing to police around 6 p.m. Recent information indicates Tori may have died the same day she was abducted. Critics want to know why an alert wasn’t issued immediately.

RCW contacted the Oxford Police Service early in the investigation. They confirmed that no Amber Alert had been issued but they were receptive to us listing her information on our web page under Bulletins.

In 1996, the brutal kidnapping and murder of Arlington, Texas, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman resulted in the Amber Alert program. Amber Alert first came to British Columbia on National Missing Children’s Day, May 25, 2004, and has proven to be a successful law enforcement tool.

British Columbia’s Amber Alerts are issued by the RCMP or local police in certain child abduction situations.

Radio/TV stations and highway message boards are provided details of the alert and the Amber system automatically issues it to BC Rural Crime Watch on our website as a ticker tape across the bottom of the home page.

An alert is issued for the most serious, time-critical child abduction cases. It is not intended for cases involving parental abductions, except in life-threatening situations — a law enforcement decision. The RCMP state

that the following conditions must be met for an Amber Alert to be issued:

• victim is under the age of 18.

• reasonable grounds to believe that the victim has been abducted.

• reasonable grounds to believe the victim is in imminent danger.

• sufficient descriptive information about the victim, abductor and/or the vehicle involved.

The alert can be issued in a time frame that will provide a reasonable expectation that the child can be returned or the abductor apprehended.

The RCMP encourages the public’s participation in an Amber Alert situation. “The early stage of the investigation into an abducted child is critical. Every minute counts. The cooperation of the media and the public is crucial to the police.

The determination of police investigators alone is not enough to

guarantee the safe recovery of a child. Help from the community is essential.

Information obtained quickly through an Amber Alert can assist in

the safe and swift return of abducted children. If you see or hear an Amber Alert, watch for the child, suspect and/or vehicle described in the alert immediately reporting any sightings by calling 9-1-1 or your local law enforcement.”

The BC Amber Alert program recently celebrated its five-year anniversary. There were 12,045 children reported missing in British Columbia last year.

RCMP Cpl. Annie Linteau stated there have been eight Amber Alerts activations in BC since 2004, involving 11 children. All were recovered safely and several within minutes.

Of the eight, six were a parental situation involving imminent danger to the child; one involved a stranger; and one a violent relationship. Seven were located in British Columbia.


 

   

[Northern Rose]

Change of venue may be sought after case's media attention
TORI STAFFORD CASE
Posted By BRUCE URQUHART, SUN MEDIA

The extraordinary amount of media attention paid to the Tori Stafford case will bolster any motions made by defence lawyers to change trial locations, legal experts say.

Toronto lawyer James Morton said the "continual barrage of information" from news media about the little girl's abduction and the arrests for her murder would make it "very, very difficult" to find local jurors who hadn't some opinion on the case.

"Even though courts are disinclined to grant them, this would be a particularly strong case (for a change of venue motion)," said Morton, a past president of the Ontario Bar Association.

Hal Mattson, defence lawyer for Michael Rafferty, the 28-year-old man accused of Tori's kidnap and murder, suggested in late May he may seek a change of venue, saying the city's small size would make it difficult to find 12 jurors "who didn't have an opinion before they went in."

"That's probably the underlying reason" for a change of venue motion, said Syd Usprich, a University of Western Ontario law professor. "When you get a case that has had so much publicity -- like the Tori Stafford case -- (the defence lawyer) will argue there's no way (the accused) can get a fair and unbiased jury in Woodstock.

"And he may be right."

Jeanine LeRoy, lawyer for 18-year-old Terri-Lynne McClintic, simply said it was "too early" to make a decision on a change of venue.

Usprich suggested Woodstock's relatively small city population would also bolster a change of venue motion. While it may be possible to find potential jurors in larger cities who are largely unfamiliar with a high-profile crime, that is much more unlikely in smaller centres, Usprich said.

Changes of venue motions, Morton said, are intended for higher-profile cases where the attendant notoriety makes it difficult to obtain a "free and unbiased jury." After filing the motion itself in Superior Court, the lawyer must provide evidence that a change of venue is necessary to find an unprejudiced jury through media reprints or public surveys. "(Change of venue motions) are not granted very freely," Morton said.

"Courts don't like to move trials. It's better for the trial to be held in the place where (the crime) happened so the community can be there."

If a change of motion venue is granted, Morton said the trial -- because of the associated costs and potential inconvenience to witnesses -- would likely be as close to Woodstock as possible while ensuring unbiased proceedings. Because of the case's media profile in London, Morton guessed that any potential motion would look to some other jurisdiction.

"If I was the lawyer, I'd be trying to move the trial to Windsor, Kitchener- Waterloo or Hamilton," he said. "They're far enough away that you can almost certainly find a jury panel that doesn't have strong preconceptions."

But Morton suggested defence lawyers might forgo change of venue motions and take their chances with local jurors if the Crown's cases are unconvincing. If the case against Rafferty is largely based on statements made by McClintic that aren't corroborated by physical evidence, Morton suggested Mattson might choose a Woodstock trial for his client. Because McClintic is also accused of Tori's kidnap and murder, Morton characterized her as an "unsavoury witness" whose testimony would be suspect without "evidence that points to her being truthful."

"Maybe a local jury is the right jury (in Rafferty's case)," Morton said. "They might be angry at this terrible crime ... (but) let them look at the evidence."

Any contemplated change of venue motion would not be filed until after the preliminary hearings, which determines if the Crown has enough evidence to go to trial. Last week, Mattson indicated that his client's preliminary hearing likely wouldn't be scheduled until early 2010. McClintic is next scheduled in court on June 23 while Rafferty is expected to appear by video on July 17.

Tori Stafford, 8, disappeared April 8. Her body has not been found.

http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1616473

[Northern Rose]

Rafferty is scheduled to be in court today again.  I will post once news comes out.

[no rose colored glasses]

Rafferty is scheduled to be in court today again.  I will post once news comes out.

Thanks. I believe a trial should never be moved. I firmly believe where the crime is commited is where the jury of your peers, should hear the case. Obviously it doesn't matter what I think, but I think it is outrageous, and catering way to much to the defendent to move a trial.

[Northern Rose]

Rafferty is scheduled to be in court today again.  I will post once news comes out.

Thanks. I believe a trial should never be moved. I firmly believe where the crime is commited is where the jury of your peers, should hear the case. Obviously it doesn't matter what I think, but I think it is outrageous, and catering way to much to the defendent to move a trial.

I agree.  The update on the trial is not coming.  There is breaking news of a stabbing at a high school west of Toronto (Mississauga) where 5 people are injured.  High school is in the middle of exams right now so they would have been sitting ducks.  One teacher, minor cuts to the hands, 4 students.  If the news does updates on Tori I will post.

[no rose colored glasses]

Rafferty is scheduled to be in court today again.  I will post once news comes out.

Thanks. I believe a trial should never be moved. I firmly believe where the crime is commited is where the jury of your peers, should hear the case. Obviously it doesn't matter what I think, but I think it is outrageous, and catering way to much to the defendent to move a trial.

I agree.  The update on the trial is not coming.  There is breaking news of a stabbing at a high school west of Toronto (Mississauga) where 5 people are injured.  High school is in the middle of exams right now so they would have been sitting ducks.  One teacher, minor cuts to the hands, 4 students.  If the news does updates on Tori I will post.

Thanks, everyday there is somekind of violence now a stabbing at a high school 

[canadianmonkey]

Stafford suspect makes court appearance
Posted By BRUCE URQUHART, SUN MEDIA
Posted 35 mins ago
 

WOODSTOCK — The lawyer for the young woman accused of killing Victoria “Tori” Stafford doesn’t expect to set a trial date any time in the near future.


Since Terri-Lynne McClintic’s May court appearance, lawyer Jeanine LeRoy has received roughly 300 gigabytes of disclosed evidence — the equivalent of 300 hours of raw video footage — but she expects much more in the coming weeks.


“I’m expecting upwards of 700 gigabytes,” she said following McClintic’s Tuesday court appearance. “I’ve got a lot of reading to do.”


McClintic, appearing in court by video from the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre, said nothing as LeRoy and Crown Attorney Geoff Beasley discussed an appropriate date for her next appearance. Beasley, a London-based Crown attorney and the general director for the area, suggested an Aug. 12 date to give LeRoy ample opportunity to review the forthcoming evidence.


“The reason for the lengthy adjournment is for (LeRoy) to come to grips with the substantial amount of information she is about to receive,” Beasley said.


While LeRoy declined to comment on her client’s state of mind, she did say McClintic still had “frequent contact” with officers involved in the ongoing search for Tori’s remains.


“But there hasn’t been another judge’s order (allowing McClintic to be present to assist in the search),” LeRoy said.


While originally charged with abduction and being an accessory after the fact, McClintic’s charges were upgraded to kidnapping and first-degree murder at her May 28 court appearance. McClintic, 18, is alleged to be the woman shown walking with Tori in the grainy video footage that became a critical piece of evidence in the OPP-Oxford Community Police Service investigation. McClintic and 28-year-old Michael Rafferty, the man also accused of kidnapping and murdering the little Woodstock girl, were arrested on May 19, almost six weeks after Tori disappeared.

Article ID# 1625958


http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1625958

[canadianmonkey]

Tori case changing London

Sat, June 20, 2009

City camps may require ID from adults picking up campers
By RANDY RICHMOND
 
The fallout of the abduction of a Woodstock girl in April is settling in London, with tighter restrictions proposed for parents and caregivers picking up kids from summer camps.

The city's parks and recreation department is recommending several changes to how kids leave both the more formally run day camps and the free, drop-in playground programs.

The department had already planned a review of its policies, but the after-school disappearance of Victoria Stafford, 8, in Woodstock -- now presumed dead, with two people charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder -- prompted an even closer look at its summer programs, staff said.

"It is because of the recent events that happened. We felt that we needed to take an extra look at our procedures," Lynne Livingstone, the City of London's director of neighbourhood and children's services, said yesterday.

"It was a sad and unfortunate incident that a lot of us paid attention to. It just really (prompted us to) make sure we have the best practices and policies."
 

Parents already fill out a form that identifies who can pick up their children at both the camps and drop-in programs.

The day camps have regular drop-off and pick-up times, and over the course of a summer, supervisors come to recognize parents and caregivers, Livingstone said.

But this year, parents or caregivers may be asked to show photo ID when they pick up their children, she said. "This will happen more at the beginning of the program."

Supervisors can also ask for photo ID if someone else -- on an emergency contact list, but not known by sight -- shows up to pick up the children.

"We are going to say to folks they should be prepared to show a photograph to make sure the child is with the person they should be," Livingstone said.

There'd also be changes to the 39 supervised, drop-in playground programs, which offer kids activities for free.

In the past children have been allowed to arrive at any point in the program, and leave when they wanted.

This summer, the children can still drop in when they want.

But they will have to stay for the entire day's program, unless the parent gives specific permission, Livingstone said.

"It just increases a comfort level. Everyone knows where their child is," she said.

The department's report on the changes is headed to city council's community and protective services committee Monday.

A review of policies for other programs operated the rest of the year is due this fall.

Stafford, a Grade 3 pupil, vanished April 8 after leaving Oliver Stephens public school. She was last seen walking with an unidentified woman in images captured on a security camera from a nearby high school.

At least one other area city, Sarnia, is also reviewing its release policies. Staff plan to review those next week, said Shelley Erwin of the community services department.

The review had been planned earlier and isn't related to the abduction, she said.

Officials from Woodstock and Chatham-Kent couldn't be reached for comment. St. Thomas does not operate day camps for children, a parks employee said

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/06/20/9868761-sun.html

[canadianmonkey]

Stafford Search Just As Strong

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:56:33 EDT
 
Although the search for Victoria Stafford has ended in Wellington County, Oxford Community Police say they are not scaling back their search efforts for missing eight year-old. Upto 100 officers remain searching for evidence and the girl's remains. Tips are still coming into police about the case with over 5,000 tips last counted a week ago. The Grade 3 student at Oliver Stephens public school in Woodstock was last seen after dismissal April 8.

http://www.myfmradio.ca/1057/wire/news/5280068_Stafford_Search_Just_As_Strong_115607.php