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

[pink angel]

Police make two arrests in case of missing girl

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CHRISTIE BLATCHFORD

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May 20, 2009 at 8:10 AM EDT

WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Ontario Provincial Police have two people in custody in the abduction of Tori Stafford.

The couple are believed to be acquaintances of Tara McDonald and Rodney Stafford, the little girl's parents.

Tori disappeared April 8 on her way home from school, where she is in Grade 3.

She was last seen walking with a woman wearing a white puffy coat, an image captured on a surveillance camera located at an adjacent high school. That grainy video is believed to be the key to the case, with OPP and Oxford Community Police going over the image.

Police are expected to hold a news conference here today, with investigators now reportedly combing an area about an hour from Woodstock.

There's still no word on where the little girl might be or how she might be doing.

MORE TO COME
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090520.warrests0520/BNStory/National/home

[can]

Dear God in heaven!  CP24 just reported they are searching for Tori's body now, with the assistance of the woman who has been arrested.

God bless little Tori.

Reporter Sue Scambati said Tori was abducted for sexual purposes. 
Though it turns out she knew Tori's family - did not realize the child she abducted belonged to them.

They were trolling for a child - the bast*rds and reporter likened it to the case of Homolka/Bernardo.

[pink angel]

Police make arrests in Tori Stafford case

Updated: Wed May. 20 2009 8:34:39 AM

ctvtoronto.ca

Two people have been arrested in connection with the case of missing 8-year-old Victoria "Tori" Stafford, according to reports.

The Woodstock, Ont., girl went missing on April 8 and was last seen walking away from her school with an unidentified woman.

Police sources close to the case confirmed a man and woman were arrested last night but released few details about the charges they are facing -- or the identities of the suspects.

Authorities are expected to release details of the arrest at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Sources say the suspects in custody are not the girl's parents, according to crime reporter Sue Sgambati. However, police say they are known to Victoria's family.

Police believe Victoria was abducted for "sexual purposes" and investigators are now looking for the child's body near Guelph, Ont., Sgambati told CTV's Canada AM in an interview from Woodstock.

"This was an opportunistic crime, described to me by sources as a worst-case scenario," she said. "Police are looking for Tori's body as we speak outside of this jurisdiction."

Although the suspects know Victoria's parents, police don't believe they knew who their daughter was at the time she was kidnapped, Sgambati said.

"I think there's a lot of shock, even among law enforcement," said Sgambati.

A call to the Oxford Community Police in Woodstock by ctvtoronto.ca went unanswered by press time.

Investigators have previously released a composite sketch of a suspect but despite a number of tips from the public, have failed to locate
any trace of the child.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090520/stafford_arrest_090520/20090520?hub=Toronto

[pink angel]

So sad. And so many people vilified this poor child's mum.

Saying a prayer for little Tori and her family.

[cookie]

this is awful news if it is true that they are looking for Tori's body!! heartbreaking .....

good news that the perps are arrested!

wonder if this woman is the woman who matched the sketch who was also at the vigil for Tori?

[can]

PINK ANGEL - Thank you so much for posting those links.

[can]

this is awful news if it is true that they are looking for Tori's body!! heartbreaking .....

good news that the perps are arrested!

wonder if this woman is the woman who matched the sketch who was also at the vigil for Tori?

I wonder also cookie. 
There is not enough justice in the world imo for ones that would hurt a child.  May they all rot in hell!

[cookie]

this is awful news if it is true that they are looking for Tori's body!! heartbreaking .....

good news that the perps are arrested!

wonder if this woman is the woman who matched the sketch who was also at the vigil for Tori?

I wonder also cookie. 
There is not enough justice in the world imo for ones that would hurt a child.  May they all rot in hell!

who could do such a thing???
it is shocking to me still when I hear of women being involved in such crimes against children...it goes against all that a woman/mother should represent...someone loving, nurturing, protective...etc...
grrrrr I am so angry right now....

[pink angel]

As we've all heard, there has been police progress in this investigation. Since we are not sure of what is happening, out of respect for my family, I have closed down the wall temporarily. The rumour mill has already been put into overdrive this morning, and we are anxiously awaiting the answers to the same questions you are asking. Thank you for understanding my desire to protect my family from further uncertainty...

Thank you all for your support during these VERY trying times.

~ Rebecca






Above is from Tori's Facebook Page.

[Lovinlife]

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/05/20/9510571.html

Two arrests in Tori Stafford case — live streaming and video throughout the day

Wed, May 20, 2009

Suspects are known to missing girl's parents
By JOE BELANGER, LONDON FREE PRESS
 
Police have arrested two suspects in the disappearance of Tori Stafford, who has been missing six weeks.

But the fate of the eight-year-old Woodstock girl is still not known, although there are media reports police are searching for a body in the Guelph area. 

A police press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. today.

Tori’s father, Rodney Stafford, confirmed the arrests in a brief telephone conversation, but said he’s still waiting for more information.

“All I know is that two people were arrested,” said Stafford, adding he was told by police around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. “I’m hoping to get more information later this morning.”

There's a heavy police presence at a house on Wilson Street in Woodstock, about a block from Tara's home.

CP24, a Toronto all-news television channel is reporting the arrest of a man and woman known to the girl’s parents, Stafford and Tara McDonald.

The station also reported that “police sources” say that the girl's abduction was not a random act but being viewed as an "opportunistic crime" and Tori may have allegedly been sought for "nefarious" purposes. 

God Bless Tori!!!! 

[cookie]

I am sick...totally sick to my stomach...

[Lovinlife]

God please don't let this be another Sandra Cantu case, I don't think I can handle it. 

Sorry for double posting the article, I got back from running to the school and I didn't know it was already posted.

[canadianmonkey]

Here's another article.  THey have the wrong time for the press conference however.

http://www.canada.com/news/arrested+disappearance+girl+Reports/1612290/story.html

WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Police on Wednesday confirmed that two people have been arrested in the abduction case of missing Ontario girl Victoria Stafford.


Police said a news conference will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Woodstock, Ont., about 50 kilometres west of Toronto.


Members of the Oxford Community Police and the Ontario Provincial Police said in a release they will update the public about the "recent arrest of two suspects in connection to the abduction."


Tori's uncle, Rob Stafford said the family had "no comment" about the arrests when contacted at home early Wednesday by Canwest News Service.


Police were not returning calls Wednesday, however local media reported police are now searching for a body.


The girl's aunt said there had been "police progress" in response to reports of the two arrests.


"As we've all heard, there has been police progress in this investigation," Rebecca Stafford wrote early Wednesday on a Facebook page dedicated to finding her niece.


Stafford closed the Facebook site shortly after posting the message to protect the family from further uncertainty.


"Thank you all for your support during these very trying times," she wrote.


Tori, as she is called by friends, has been missing for six weeks in the southwestern Ontario town.


Tori was last seen willingly walking away with an unidentified woman on surveillance camera after school on April 8. Police released a composite sketch of the woman. The sketch is of an unidentified white female, believed to be 19-25 years old with long, straight, black hair past her shoulders, worn in a ponytail.


Rodney Stafford said at the time of the release that he "strongly believes" the woman is someone he knew in high school. McDonald, however said she did not recognize the woman. In the video, the suspect was wearing a white winter jacket with tight black jeans.


Oxford community police classified her disappearance as a missing person case for 10 days until it was later determined that she had been abducted.


Her mother, Tara McDonald, has held daily news conferences outside her home since Tori's disappearance. The daily briefings have been, at times, emotionally charged with Tori's parents publicly fighting and McDonald's admission of a former drug addiction to the painkiller OxyContin.


On many occasions, McDonald told the media she believed Tori was taken because of her attractive physical appearance and made repeated pleas to the captors to "just drop her off somewhere.'"


There are various Facebook groups online dedicated to finding the Grade 3, with one group having more than 120,000 members.


A reward of $50,000 was offered by the Oxford Community police for information leading to the arrest of Tori's abductors.

[canadianmonkey]

It's so incredibly sad. 

My 10 year old was watching the news with me when they said they had made the arrests and that they were looking for her body.  He asked me why would they take her then kill her?  How does one answer such an innocent question that has such an evil answer.

My thoughts and prayers are with Tori and her family.

[can]

Sue Scambati CP24 t.v. just said that she will be bringing a video soon, =(perps appeared in a courtroom this a.m.)
The male perp's head was covered and the female was described as a large white woman with corn row hair style. 
Did the woman on the abduction video look large?  - anyway - apparently the connection to the family was to the drug oxycontin, according to Scambati's (sp) report.  Unknown what the charges are.  Police Presser @ 3:00 p.m.

[can]

God please don't let this be another Sandra Cantu case, I don't think I can handle it. 

Sorry for double posting the article, I got back from running to the school and I didn't know it was already posted.

ah...don't be sorry lovin...all that you contribute is just great.

[Lovinlife]

I don't know Canadianmonkey.  I know that I'm going to hug my 7yo extra tight tonight and also remind him that adults don't need help from children and unless they know the code word never go with someone, even if they say they know me or I sent them.  IMO, you can never remind them enough.

 

[cookie]

Sue Scambati CP24 t.v. just said that she will be bringing a video soon, =(perps appeared in a courtroom this a.m.)
The male perp's head was covered and the female was described as a large white woman with corn row hair style. 
Did the woman on the abduction video look large?  - anyway - apparently the connection to the family was to the drug oxycontin, according to Scambati's (sp) report.  Unknown what the charges are.  Police Presser @ 3:00 p.m.

I thought that the woman on the video looked small...

[Lovinlife]

The perps have already been in court this morning????? WOW!

I have a stupid question...conflicting reports on the time of the presser, 2:00 or 3:00?  Are you guys on daylight savings time?  It's 9:56am here in Ohio, I assumed we are the same.  TIA, Lovinlife

[Lovinlife]

Sue Scambati CP24 t.v. just said that she will be bringing a video soon, =(perps appeared in a courtroom this a.m.)
The male perp's head was covered and the female was described as a large white woman with corn row hair style. 
Did the woman on the abduction video look large?  - anyway - apparently the connection to the family was to the drug oxycontin, according to Scambati's (sp) report.  Unknown what the charges are.  Police Presser @ 3:00 p.m.

I thought that the woman on the video looked small...

I believe the discription was 5'...that was the reason everyone said Tara wasn't the perp, she was too tall.  Going back to look...