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

[Northern Rose]

Whitewood

 Had a pretty tough day against the wind.  Figured the prairies would be a breeze, well, ya they are, just in the opposite direction.  :S   

Met up with some really cool people today, and would really like to say thank you to Darcy for his support.  Thank you!!   

Just sitting down with some new friends in the Miller family from Whitewood, Saskatchewan.  They are hosting a fundraising bbq in Whitewood tomorrow in efforts of raising some more awareness and donations for Childfind.  One more thanks goes out to the RCMP today for the photo op. 

Looking forward to a great day tomorrow, and carrying on to Regina on Monday.  Keep spreading the word everyone, and lets protect our future!!   

Love you Daryn, was great to talk to you, and see you soon Buddy!!

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/5_Entry_1.html

[Northern Rose]

Sunday in Whitewood
 Met up with the Miller family this morning, enjoyed a lovely breakfast cooked by Pam, then went out to the BBQ they had set up. Great turn-out, lots of support from a number of great people, especially from a small town in Saskatchewan!!

Zach is a mechanical kid, built a trevashay (backwards catapult) and decided he wanted to show me how it worked while we sat around the fire. Well no kidding, he lit a lil ball on fire and boy, did it fly! It was soo cool, but really scary cuz we were on a farm, with hay bails! But nothing bad happened, night was great!

Over to Regina in the AM.

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/6_Sunday_in_Whitewood.html

[Northern Rose]

Cornwall Center
 We spent the day at the Cornwall Center in Regina and met with a lot of media.  After a day of meeting and speaking with a number of people, including NDP leader Dwayne Lingenfelter, also a few members of the Sask Party, we left and went to Wal-Mart for a couple hours. 


Thank you to Victor from Child Find Saskatchewan who supplied us with a room at the Victoria Inn and Suites for a couple nights.

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/8_Entry_1.html

[Northern Rose]

Davidson

 Had a great day cycling,  actually hit 70 km/hr drafting behind the trailer. 

Stayed the night in Davidson, and met some really nice people. 

Short entry, had an early night.

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/9_Entry_1.html

[Northern Rose]

Arriving In Saskatoon

 Left Davidson and met up with the Saskatoon Police cycling team in Dundurn.  Rode to City limits where we were escorted to our hotel by city police.  Thank you goes out to the members of the team who joined me for the ride. 

Now, just sitting here at the laundrymat doing all my clothes, needed to be done.     

Tomorrow will be a day of rest where I will send a blog about the sights of Saskatoon.   

Take care all, be safe, and HI to Kayarrah.  Miss you my little friend.

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/10_Arriving_In_Saskatoon.html

[Northern Rose]

Saskatoon
 Spent the day roaming around Saskatoon and took a day to look around.  Spent the best part of the evening at the Aboriginal Music Festival (picture is from outside venue). 

What an amazing group of performers.  Sat at a table that was reserved for myself to set up a Child Find awareness table.  Had a great time!

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/11_Entry_1.html

[Northern Rose]

Farmer’s Market Safety Fair
 Sat with Child Find Saskatchewan at the farmers market, and became part of a scavenger hunt where children went through a safety fair to find answers, and question number 8 was asking what my final destination was in efforts of raising awareness for Child Find. 

Met a lot of amazing children and their parents. 

Thank you to all who attended and made the safety fair a success.

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/12_Entry_1.html

[Northern Rose]

North Battleford
 Parted ways from Saskatoon and biked to North Battleford.

OH MY HEAVENS!!  My first flat tire!!!  25 km from my destination for the day and down she goes.  Now realizing I mailed some stuff home, including my spare tubes!  Durrr!!!   Pulled the tube out and pulled a Red Green.  Threw some duct tape on, re inflated the tube and finished the ride. 

Got to North Battleford to a very warming reception of about thirty people all holding balloons and cheering me on.   Went into the hotel to find that during conversation in the lobby my sister, brother, and sister-in-law were all there to surprise me!!  IT WORKED!!  More tears. 

Had a brief shower and was off almost right away for an aboriginal feast.  Food all over, being served by the Air Cadets.  Amazing time with courage song upon entry.

Thank you to North Battleford for your amazing support.  Krista, Cherrish, and Raymond, you will all be sadly missed!!  Thank you

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/13_Entry_1.html

[Northern Rose]

Lloydminster
 Woke this morning to go to City Hall to meet the Mayor of North Battleford, only to find that because of a small storm rolling through we had to move it over to the public school, where there was a very large group, ok, the whole school sitting in the gym.  A few of us made little speeches to the children about safety, and the importance of what I am doing.  I shook the hand of every child who walked through the door on the way out, and gave them each a Child Find bracelet. 

Left North Battleford, and here I am, in Lloydminster  ALBERTA!!!!   Tears are rolling knowing that I am merely days away from accomplishing what I set out to do.  I'll be on the mountain with my baby in FIVE days!!! 

Love you Tori, and daddy will see you soon babygirl!!       Love you Daryn, was nice talking with you again today.  See you in EIGHT days buddy!  I miss you soooooooooooo much!!
 
Took a photo here today which really touched my heart.  I will send it as soon as possible and I want every parent out there to please look closely.  The whole monument made me remember what I felt when Victoria was gone.  I was not alone, and anyone out there who has a child missing, please know that you are not alone either.  God Bless you all, and never give up!!

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/14_Entry_1.html

[Northern Rose]

Special Monument
 This is the monument I was talking about in my last blog.

The whole monument made me remember what I felt when Victoria was gone.  I was not alone, and anyone out there who has a child missing, please know that you are not alone either.  God Bless you all, and never give up!!

http://www.eye-zon.com/EyezonBlack20090213/Kilometres_For_Kids/Entries/2009/9/15_Special_Monument.html

[Northern Rose]

Slain Ontario girl’s father bikes into Sherwood Park

EDMONTON — Before his daughter was abducted and killed this spring, the longest rides Rodney Stafford usually took on his bike were back and forth to his local Tim Hortons.

The father of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford has now cycled about 3,500 kilometres across Canada from his home in Woodstock, Ont., hoping to raise money and awareness for Child Find.

Like most parents, he once thought child abductions only happened to other people.

"You hear about it all the time and you think, you know, it's only in the movies, it's in big towns and other countries," Stafford said Thursday as he stepped off his bike after a 75-kilometre ride between Vegreville and Ardrossan and lit a cigarette.

"But no, it's everywhere... children go missing all the time and it's about time we all stood up and hopefully some people higher up can finally realize we've got to do something about our children's safety."

Stafford has raised about $22,000 so far for Child Find, and said he has spoken to countless people who have offered words of encouragement, sympathy and condolences.

At times, the trek has been gruelling, with wind and rain testing his strength, he said. Stafford blogged about patching up a blown tire on Sunday with duct tape, because he had sent all his spare tubes home.

"I fought with myself to get through each day. Some days were really easy but other days, where the wind is like today, I've gotta fight against the wind to get through it but I'm going to get through it."

Stafford will spend Friday in Sherwood Park before he bikes through Edmonton's river valley on Saturday to reach his final destination at West Edmonton Mall.

The finale will take place from 1 to 4p.m. at the mall's centre court.

Stafford will then head to Jasper, where Victoria spent a week on vacation last summer. He plans to climb a mountain and stand at the same spot where Victoria stood. There he will release a purple balloon.

"It's my way of saying goodbye to Victoria. I want to be as close to her as I can and get a picture taken of myself on the same mountain in the same spot my daughter was," he said.

Stafford plans to use photo editing software to put the two images together. "Then people can see their last image of Victoria was with me on top of the mountain and not walking away with some mysterious woman in a video," he said.

Victoria was last seen April 8 after video surveillance footage recorded her walking away af ter school hand-in-hand with a woman. In May, more than a month after she disappeared Michael Rafferty, 28, was charged with first-degree murder and abduction in her death. Ontario Provincial Police confirmed in late July that human remains found in a field about 150 kilometres northwest of Toronto belonged to Victoria.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/travel/Slain+Ontario+girl+father+bikes+into+Sherwood+Park/2004602/story.html

[Northern Rose]

Single balloon for Tori

After so much campaigning, it was a "personal day," said Rodney Stafford after releasing a balloon from a mountain in his daughter's honour.

He ended a 45-day tribute fundraising bicycle ride in Edmonton Saturday, then rode in a car with family to Jasper National Park yesterday. The family took a gondola to the top of Whistler Mountain, where Stafford released a single purple balloon in honour of Tori Stafford.

The eight-year-old was abducted and slain in Woodstock, Ont. She disappeared April 8.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/2009/09/21/11025416-sun.html

[Northern Rose]

Suspect in Stafford killing appears in court

WOODSTOCK, Ont. - One of the two people accused in the abduction and killing of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford appeared in court Friday.

Michael Thomas Rafferty, 28, appeared via video link in a Woodstock, Ont., courtroom. Rafferty's lawyer, Scott Reid said a judicial pretrial has been scheduled for Oct. 8.

Reid said the meeting will be to discuss issues involved in a preliminary hearing. Rafferty will return to court via video link Oct. 16.

Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, face kidnapping and first-degree murder charges. Both are to be tried separately.

McClintic will make another court appearance Oct. 1.
http://www.globaltoronto.com/Suspect+Stafford+killing+appears+court/2034116/story.html

[Northern Rose]

Accused in Stafford Murder makes Court Appearance
Fri, 2009-09-25 12:35.
Miranda Chant
The man charged with the kidnapping and murder of 8 year old Victoria stafford made a brief court appearence today.



Michael Rafferty appeared in a Woodstock court over a video hook up from the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre, where a judicial pre-trial meeting was set for Oct. 8.

One of his lawyers, Scott Reid, says that meeting will essentially lay the groundwork for an upcoming preliminary hearing.

Rafferty will then make another video court appearance on Oct. 16.



While co-accused, 19 year old Terri-Lynn McClintic, will be back in court next Thursday.

http://www.cjbk.com/news/565/998356

[Northern Rose]

Tori Stafford murder suspect Terri-Lynne McClintic appears in court via video

WOODSTOCK, Ont. – A woman charged in the slaying of an eight-year-old southern Ontario girl made her first court appearance in more than 1 1/2 months on Thursday.

Terri-Lynne McClintic, 19, appeared via video link before a judge and was remanded in custody until her next court date on Nov. 27.

She remains in custody at the London-Middlesex Detention Centre.

McClintic and Michael Rafferty, 28, are charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder in the death of Victoria Stafford, who was last seen leaving her school in Woodstock, Ont., in April.

The Crown says the disclosure of evidence to McClintic's lawyer is "an ongoing, extensive process".

Rafferty appeared in court Sept. 25, at which time a judicial pre-trial meeting was set for Oct. 8.
One of Rafferty's lawyers, Scott Reid, said that meeting will essentially lay the groundwork for an upcoming preliminary hearing.

Rafferty will then make another video court appearance on Oct. 16.

Tori's remains were found on July 19, north of Guelph, Ont.

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/704053

[Northern Rose]

McClintic makes video court appearance

A nineteen-year-old woman charged in the slaying of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford of Woodstock made her first court appearance in more than a month and a half on Thursday.

Terri-Lynne McClintic appeared via video link before a judge in Woodstock and was remanded in custody.

Her next court date is scheduled for November 27th.

McClintic is charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder. Victoria Stafford was last seen leaving her school in April. The little girl's remains were found on July 19th, north of Guelph.

http://southwesternontario.ctv.ca/news.php?id=5870

[Northern Rose]

McClintic appears via video
 

At the most recent court appearance by the woman accused of murdering eight-year-old Victoria "Tori" Stafford, it took less than two minutes to learn that she won't be back in court for two months.

Terri-Lynne McClintic, 19, was only briefly on the television screen yesterday while Crown attorney Geoff Beasley explained to the court the reason for requesting the two-month delay until her next video appearance. Because of the sheer amount of evidence in this high-profile case, the Crown's office is still in the midst of providing disclosure to McClintic's lawyer, Jeanine LeRoy.

"It's an ongoing and extensive process," Beasley said.

While LeRoy wasn't able to make the brief appearance, Woodstock lawyer Trudy Mauth talked with McClintic by telephone to inform the 19-year-old about the Nov. 27 date of her next appearance.

"This will allow disclosure to be released to your counsel in an ongoing manner," justice of the peace F. Michael McMahon told McClintic.

After McClintic's August court appearance. LeRoy told the Sentinel-Review the Crown had already provided her office with the equivalent of a computer hard drive in terms of evidence. With the continuing investigation into Tori's kidnapping and murder by police, there is the potential of substantial amount of forthcoming evidence in the case.

McClintic is alleged to be the young 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 Woodstock girl, were arrested on May 19, almost six weeks after Tori disappeared. An OPP officer eventually discovered the little girl's remains in a field in the Mount Forest area during a late July search.

http://woodstocksentinelreview.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1779683

[Northern Rose]

Tori's death gives dad purpose
Trying to live life daughter would have wanted

Tori would have been proud of the man her father has become.

"It's the thing that keeps me going ... that what I am doing would have made her happy," says Rodney Stafford. "Yes, I think she would have been proud."

Stafford is the father of 8-year-old Victoria, who went missing from Woodstock, Ont., on April 8. Her remains were discovered in Mount Forest in July. Two Woodstock residents, Michael Rafferty, 29, and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 19, face first-degree murder.

Despite Tori's death, her father has turned his life around.

Stafford, who admitted to doing drugs, was a drifter and often wasn't around for his children. Victoria, known as Tori, changed that. In February, he cleaned up, moved back home to Ingersoll, Ont., and returned to school.

In April, Tori went missing.

Stafford, who had started Grade 12 classes, was thrust into the limelight along with his ex-wife, Tori's mother Tara McDonald. In the next two months, as the search for Tori continued in the glare of the national media, Stafford was a voice of reason in the cacophony of allegations, counter-allegations and conspiracy theories.

When his daughter's remains were found in Mount Forest on July 20, he comforted his family, friends and strangers.

MORE...

http://www.thespec.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/652375

[Northern Rose]

Stafford murder co-accused makes court appearance

One of the two people accused in the death of Tori Stafford has made another court appearance in Woodstock, Ont., through a video link.

Unlike his previous video appearances from a jail in London, Ont., Michael Rafferty appeared Friday from Chatham, Ont.

Lawyer Laura Giordano did not explain why the move was made, saying only that it was a law firm decision.

Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic each face first-degree murder and kidnapping charges in the death of the eight-year-old Woodstock girl.

She was reported missing in April. Her remains were found in July near Mt. Forest, Ont.

Rafferty is scheduled to make another video court appearance on Nov. 12. McClintic's next appearance is on Nov. 27.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/windsor/story/2009/10/16/chatham-stafford-court-091016.html

[Northern Rose]

Man Accused Of Murdering Tori Stafford Appears In Court

The man accused of kidnapping and murdering an eight-year-old girl appeared in court on Friday.

Michael Rafferty is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Tori Stafford.

The Woodstock girl vanished after school on April 8. Her remains were found north of Guelph on July 19.

Rafferty, 28, spoke to a judge via video link from a London, Ont. detention centre.

Rafferty and his alleged accomplice, Terri-Lynn McClintic, 19, both face charges of kidnapping and first-degree murder.

McClintic appeared in court about two weeks ago and her next court date is set for November 27. 

http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/60711--man-accused-of-murdering-tori-stafford-appears-in-court