Latest / Shades of Murder / 66: Evil in Ontario - The Abduction of Tori Stafford

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66: Evil in Ontario - The Abduction of Tori Stafford · Shades of Murder

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In February 2009 in Ontario, Canada, when 2 depraved, twisted
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minds crossed one another's paths, they would embark on a
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plan of true evil. Their cruel, sick desires led to
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one of the most horrific crimes in Canadian history.
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This case ignited fury and outrage across the nation and
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demand for justice reform. Who were these sick monsters and
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who was the innocent victim who would become their unfortunate
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target? Hello and welcome to Shades of
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Murder. I am your host Alita Caldwell.
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In this podcast, I discuss cases of murder from around the world
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and throughout history, attempting to unravel the layers
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of darkness that hell make humans and tell monsters.
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If you enjoy the show, please make sure you are following or
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subscribed on your listening platform of choice.
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Consider leaving a rating on Apple or Spotify, or leave a
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review. Thank you so much for listening.
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Your support and your feedback makes more of a difference than
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you know. Please be forewarned that each
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episode contains specific and at times very graphic and
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disturbing details of the case. This show is not intended for
1:55
all audiences and listener discretion is strongly advised.
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This is a special warning for those of you who are extra
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sensitive to crimes committed against children.
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Woodstock, ON is a small town with around 46,700 residents as
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recorded in its most recent census in 2021.
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The city is known as the Dairy Capital of Canada and promotes
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itself as the Friendly City. In the year this tragedy
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occurred, the community was known for being relatively safe,
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quiet, and very family oriented. It didn't have many incidents of
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violent crime, and in fact, crime had declined in this area
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during this time. However, the town did face a
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growing community of drug users, in particular opioid users, and
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the problems associated with this ongoing epidemic.
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On Wednesday, April 8th, 2009, a little after 4:00 PM, Ronnie
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Stafford called his ex-wife, Tara McDonald to let her know he
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was running a little behind schedule to pick up their
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daughter, Victoria. They have been divorced since
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she was 2 and Victoria, along with her older brother Darren,
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lived with and spent most of their time with her mother, Tara
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and their stepfather James. At the time, Tara said not to
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worry because Victoria hadn't returned from school yet, but
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then she found it odd that Victoria wasn't back yet when
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school was out at 3:30 PM. It was the first time Victoria
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was walking back home from school on her own without her
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older brother, so she and her mother left the house and drove
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over to her school, Oliver Stevens.
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While they were driving around, they stopped to speak to a
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patrol officer parked in front of the school encouraged them to
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report her missing. They didn't want to jump to
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conclusions and assume the worst, so they first contacted
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all of her classmates and their parents, but no one knew where
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the little girl was. As the sun began to set, Tara
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felt something was off, and she reached out to Rodney to tell
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him that their daughter still hadn't returned home.
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Now it was 6:00 PM. Rodney and his mother
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immediately began searching for Victoria and she was reported
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missing to the police shortly after Staff Sergeant Paul James
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Hess was informed about the little girl who went missing
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while walking back from school. Approximately 99% of their
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missing kids cases ended up being safely found, but
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something felt different about this case to him and the other
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officers involved. His gut told him that something
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was terribly wrong. It was already a little after
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6:00 PM and there was no time to waste.
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Sergeant has immediately launched a search party for the
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missing 8 year old girl, pulling in both uniformed and
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plainclothes officers to assist. Since the local police only
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handle crime and traffic enforcement within city limits,
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the Ontario Provincial Police, who patrol the highways,
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waterways and unincorporated areas of the larger Ontario
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region were immediately contacted and brought in for
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assistance. They conducted a massive search
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across neighborhoods, the wetlands, anywhere and
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everywhere the child could possibly be, but there was no
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sign of Victoria Stafford. It would later be recorded as
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the largest search in the history of the Ontario
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Provincial Police and one of the biggest in all of Canada.
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However, an Amber Alert was never issued.
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Law enforcement was harshly criticized for this, but it
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wasn't due to their neglect or inaction.
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Multiple times, officers of the Ontario Provincial Police, also
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known as the OPP, contacted the Amber Alert service, but they
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were told the investigation didn't meet the strict narrow
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parameters to issue the alert. For an Amber Alert to be issued,
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3 specific requirements had to be met.
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First, a child under 18 had been abducted.
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Secondly, the child was in danger of serious harm and
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third, there was enough descriptive information about
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the child and or the abductor, so the alert was helpful to the
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public. Since there was no proof that
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Victoria Stafford was forcibly taken, the officer's hands, so
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to speak, were tied. To prevent confusion with
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similarly named females that are at the forefront of this case, I
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will be referring to her as Victoria throughout this
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episode. Victoria Elizabeth Marie Tory
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Stafford, affectionately called, was born on July 15th, 2000.
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When she went missing, she stood 4 foot 5 inches tall, weighed 62
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lbs and had short blonde hair and blue eyes.
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When she was last seen, she was wearing a green shirt, a denim
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skirt and a black Hannah Montana jacket.
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When her mother, Tara McDonald, saw the official missing child
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poster that was created for her own daughter, the reality that
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she had vanished sank in. It was a surreal nightmare for
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any parent to experience. When the police interviewed
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teachers at Victoria's school, Oliver Stevens, they learned
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that she had left about one minute after the rest of the
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students that day. The dismissal bell had rang at
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3:25, but she had forgotten her mom's butterfly earrings inside
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the class, so she ran back to get them.
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The next day, officers discovered grainy security
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footage of Victoria Stafford's last known sighting at 332 PMA.
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Surveillance camera from a local high school captured the little
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girl and an unidentified woman walking away from Oliver
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Stevens. From what could be seen, the
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female appeared to be young, approximately between 19 and 25
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years old, stood 5 foot 2, and weighed around 125 lbs.
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She wore a white puffy coat and had a black ponytail.
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The camera showed the woman luring the girl away, but she
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didn't appear to be taken by any force.
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Victoria showed no signs of fear or resistance.
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She was willingly walking along, even skipping beside the woman
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briefly holding her hand. Victoria's father Rodney was
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terrified when he saw the footage of this strange woman
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and his little girl, who by all looks must have known the older
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female enough to walk away with her.
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Victoria's paternal grandparents offered a $10,000 reward for her
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return. After the police released the
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footage of the woman and the missing child, appealing to the
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public for help and identifying the unknown female seen on
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camera, more than 900 tips flooded in to help with the
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overwhelming task of investigating each possible
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lead. Several police departments in
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the Ontario area assisted. Multiple sources would lead the
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police to the face and name behind the mysterious young
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woman. She was identified as an 18 year
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old named Terri Lynn Mcclintock. On April 12th, the young woman
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was brought into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant.
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Investigators showed her the surveillance footage of Victoria
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Stafford's abduction. Terry Lynn Mcclintock laughed at
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the video and told the police there was no way in hell that
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was her. She was transferred to the Nest
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Detention Center in London, ON for the outstanding charges
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while the police continued their investigation.
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The same night Terry Lynn Mcclintock was arrested, more
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than 1000 community members came to a vigil for Victoria
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Stafford. Her mother, Terry McDonald made
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an emotional plea, telling the attendance and the press
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anywhere, any way that she can get back to us, if she can call
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or get away, find a way to come home.
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The next day, the police ended the ground search for Victoria
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Stafford after failing to find any evidence.
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However, Constable Maitland, who believed the girl was alive and
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would be found, told the community.
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I think the feeling among police is yes, she is and I'm happy to
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report that feeling. In response, her mother, Tara
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McDonald, addressed this shared belief with the police that
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Victoria is still alive, saying I'm her mother, I know her
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better than anyone else on the planet.
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When little Victoria staffer went missing after school, the
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parents of her classmates were in a panic, gripped with fear
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that the same could happen to their children.
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They didn't return to school until the 13th.
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The parents of her classmates did whatever was needed to help
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assist the police in the investigation, submitting A
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polygraph test that same weekend of the girl's disappearance.
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The community at large was highly invested in locating the
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little girl and across all of Canada, whatever happened to 8
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year old Victoria Stafford became the top news story.
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On April 15th, 2009, America's Most Wanted feature the missing
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little girl on their show. Two days later, the Ontario
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Provincial Police formally classified the case as an
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abduction and the ground search was resumed.
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Due to the preliminary investigation, over 2500 homes
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were canvassed in the town of Woodstock alone that didn't
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include the surrounding communities.
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Wiretaps were placed on known criminals, sex offenders were
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interviewed with their alibis vetted, and multiple discussions
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were had with informants. Within one week after the OPP
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officially took over the case, more than 100 detectives were
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actively working on locating Victoria Stafford.
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In the initial months following Victoria Stafford's
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disappearance, her parents became the center of the media
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and therefore the investigation. Specifically, her mother, Tara
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McDonald, became the target of rumors and MC Cobb speculation.
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On April 21st, a composite sketch of the woman in the white
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coat walking away with the child was released to the public.
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Her father, Ronnie Stafford, said that he didn't know the
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woman personally, but she looked familiar.
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Victoria's mother, Tara McDonald, initially said she
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didn't know her, but Terri Lynn Mcclintic wasn't a stranger to
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either her or her husband. Taryn MacDonald was a recovering
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drug addict who was acquainted with Terry Lynn Mcclintock
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through her mother, who sold her Oxycontin pills.
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On a few occasions, the two had even discussed breeding their
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Shih Tzu dogs. According to some sources, Tara
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admitted to the police that she had relapsed and taken some
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pills on the day Victoria was taken.
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Her substance abuse and lack of emotion she showed in the press
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painted her in a less empathetic light, and gossip and suspicions
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followed her every move. Victoria's mother had refused to
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assist with the search party find her daughter and received a
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lot of grief from the community and online for her lack of
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action. She claimed that of course it
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wasn't because she didn't want to, but she couldn't handle the
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idea the thought of finding her child dead.
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However, she was heavily involved in a Facebook group set
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for her daughter, which already had 10,000 members.
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Her husband and Victoria's stepfather, James Gores, was a
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little bit more open with the media.
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He invited them into their home and showed them the mini dolls
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and teddy bears that members of the community had donated for
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Victoria when she returned home safe.
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Victoria's father, Ronnie Stafford, heavily participated
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in the searches and did absolutely everything he could
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to help locate his daughter, including going to social media
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to call out whoever took her in one post, he wrote.
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If by chance the persons responsible for the
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disappearance of Victoria are reading this, I hope you are
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scared, nervous or whatever your sick minds are feeling right
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now. But know this Daddy and the
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world are coming from Vic. Tara and Rodney couldn't hide
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their adverse feelings toward each other, and it escalated
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during one of their daily media conferences.
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Rodney Stafford called Victoria's mother out on camera,
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saying she was showing no support, no worry, no emotion
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for their missing daughter. Tara replied that it was easy
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for him to cry now because he felt guilty for not being around
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asking him. Where have you been the last
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nine years? It was difficult not to be
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skeptical, even suspicious, of the mother who never cried on
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camera. Some people even believed it was
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Tara herself in the video. The female in the video appeared
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to be around 5 foot two, while Tara was much taller than that,
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so it didn't make any logical sense.
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But that didn't stop the rumors or prevent vicious tales from
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spreading. She addressed the gossip in a
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news conference, stating that she was tired of being viewed as
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a suspect and her daughter's disappearance, and she wanted
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everyone to just focus Tory. Although Victoria's father,
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Ronnie Stafford, have been primarily absent in both of his
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children's lives, he wasn't portrayed or perceived by his
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community in the same negative way her mother, Terry McDonald
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was. Not only did community members
15:18
whisper when she walked by and talked trash about her, but she
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had become the police's prime suspect.
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Or at least that's what she believed.
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Based on what they put her through, it was difficult to
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deny. According to Tara McDonald,
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during an interview with Crime Beat, she said that the police
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gave her a 1800 number to share with the public that would lead
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to reward for information as to who had Victoria.
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She believed they thought she would just call the number and
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everything would fall into place under the premise that she was
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involved in her daughter's abduction.
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She would receive the reward money and then get her daughter
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back. Investigators even went so far
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to present her with a zip lock bag of blonde hair the same
16:00
color as her daughter's. Tara McDonald willingly
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submitted to a lie detector test, but the suspicions and
16:07
doubts still lingered. Officers screamed at her,
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interrogated her and pushed her to the brink.
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Tara McDonald had admitted that same night Victorian went
16:17
missing that she was a recovering drug addict to the
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police. She swore that except for one
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relapse over a year earlier, she had been clean.
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But that ended up not being the truth.
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Some people began thinking that Victoria may have been taken as
16:32
part of a drug debt. Her stepfather, James Gores had
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been arrested in 2000 for drug trafficking, so some wondered
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whether the couple was still involved in drug dealing which
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had led to Victoria being taken. But both swore there were no
16:47
issues and they had no drug connection at all anymore.
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Investigators thoroughly looked into the possibility of this
16:54
connection, but no evidence ever surfaced indicating it was a
16:58
factor. Meanwhile, investigators began
17:01
to look more closely at individuals in Terri Lynn
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Mcclintic Circle. On May 8th and May 12th, she
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received the same visitor. He was a 28 year old man named
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Michael Rafferty. The two warmly greeted one
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another, chit chatted and hugged.
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A few days later, when interviewed by police and asked
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about their relationship, Michael Rafferty claimed that
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they were only friends, almost laughing off the idea that he
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was her boyfriend. It was learned that the two had
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met at a pizza shop a few months earlier.
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According to Terry Lynn Mcclintock's mother, he and
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Terry Lynn had quickly become infatuated with one another.
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The detectives gathered evidence of their most recent
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communications. Between April 19th and May 15th,
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about 30 calls were made between Michael Rafferty's BlackBerry
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and the Zenes Detention Center where Terri Lynn was being held.
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On May 19th, 2009, Terri Lynn Mcclintock was brought into a
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formal interview with homicide investigators.
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She initially continued to deny being involved with the child's
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disappearance, but then she suddenly broke down into tears
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and confessed everything to the police.
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Terry Lynn described to Detective Sergeant Smythe how
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she and Michael Rafferty had talked previously about it
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before saying to one another, oh, would you, you know, would
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you ever kidnap someone? And how they went through a
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whole thing where they were egging each other on about it
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saying, oh, you're just talk. You never do it.
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You're just talk. You're going to do that today.
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You're going to do that today. Then Terry Lynn Mcclintic told
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police a one day Michael Rafferty had suggested they
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abduct a young female because she would be so easy to
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manipulate. According to the confession
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provided by Terry Lynn Mcclintic, the following
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sequence of events occurred on April 8th.
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Around 3:30 PM, the couple drove to Oliver Stephens School.
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Terry Lynn Mcclintic left Michael's vehicle, which was
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parked around the corner in the parking lot of a nursing home.
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Victoria was the first young female she spotted.
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She swore to the police that she would never have lured her away
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if she had known what was going to happen to her.
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Harry Lynn asked her if she wanted to see her Shih Tzu puppy
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ashes, to which Victoria gleefully said yes and walked
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away with her. About 300 meters away in a
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retirement residence parking lot, they got inside Michael
19:16
Rafferty's car hitting the highway.
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They made sure that Victoria stayed crouched down in the
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seat, hidden away from any leering eyes.
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They made multiple stops along the way for started Tim
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horton's, a Canadian coffee house and fast food restaurant
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where Terry Lynn purchased a tea.
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They drove about an hour away from Woodstock, where Michael
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Rafferty stopped at a person's house and bought Percocet pills.
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Then they headed off to a gas station where he went inside and
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used an ATM. The last stop was at a Home
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Depot, but this time Terry Lynn was the one who went in, leaving
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the girl alone with Michael. Terri Lynn Mcclintock had been
19:51
instructed to purchase a claw hammer and a box of garbage
19:55
bags. In tears, she admitted to the
19:57
detective how she hesitated going back to the car, but she
20:00
knew that if she was at least there, she could make the
20:03
situation somewhat better for Victoria.
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The interrogation video shows the officer leaving to grab a
20:11
box of tissues. Terri Lynn Mcclintock's flowing
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tears instantly turn off as if there was a switch.
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And she appears calm and relaxed, casually sipping on her
20:23
drink. When the detectives returns, so
20:26
do her overwhelming emotions. Experienced and highly skilled
20:31
interrogator, Detective Sergeant Jim Smythe played along with her
20:36
little game. He used his brilliant skills to
20:39
lure her into feeling she could tell him the truth and that he
20:42
believed her version of events. Detective Smythe said to Terry
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Lynn, I know you didn't want to see it, but you were there, so
20:49
we need to know what happened to Tori.
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She described how Michael drove off the highway several miles
20:56
down to an isolated farmers field and how he had parked
21:00
brazenly within the view of a house.
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At one point, Michael even asked her if she thought someone could
21:06
see him. Airline Mcclintic told the
21:08
officer that she didn't want to see what he was going to do to
21:10
Victoria, so she went for a walk.
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When she returned a few minutes later she saw that Michael is
21:16
now in the back seat with the girl.
21:19
The sight of this really upset Terri Lynn.
21:22
She didn't want to be there so she walked away from the vehicle
21:26
again sobbing to the investigator.
21:29
Terri Lynn claims that she turned her head away and that
21:33
she could hear the little girl calling her name saying to her T
21:36
make them stop once more. Detective Smythe played good cop
21:42
with the suspect and calmly said to her, We need you to tear the
21:45
bandage off and tell us what you saw.
21:50
According to Terry Lynn Mcclintic, Michael Rafferty
21:52
kicked to Victoria a couple of times, then he placed the
21:55
garbage bag over her head. Using the claw hammer, he struck
21:59
the girl in the head multiple times until she stopped moving.
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Terry Lynn then made a weird, disturbing statement to Sergeant
22:08
Smythe about how Michael knew what he was doing with those
22:11
garbage bags because it made the whole thing easier, leaving no
22:16
blood spatter. According to Terry Lynn, Michael
22:19
then placed the claw hammer and some of their clothes into a
22:21
garbage bag and drove away. She never saw Victoria again.
22:26
They went to a convenience store where he washed up and discarded
22:29
the bag of evidence. Next, they ran the vehicle
22:32
through a car wash, cleaning and shampooing the interior before
22:35
returning to town. Detective Sergeant Jim Smythe
22:39
thanked Terri Lynn Mcclintock for telling the truth.
22:42
He commended her for being brave, but that they still
22:46
needed that one last piece of the puzzle.
22:50
They need to bring Victoria Stafford home.
22:55
Terri Lynn told him that that's why she was there, to tell the
22:59
police everything. She described how Michael
23:02
Rafferty had placed the dead girl in garbage bags and laid
23:05
her under a large tree, putting several rocks over her remains.
23:11
During the police interview, she declined having an attorney
23:13
present. 4 * 18 year old Terry Lynn Mcclintic was charged with
23:18
abduction and aiding in the murder of eight-year old
23:21
Victoria Stafford. The young woman's detailed
23:24
confession secured the arrest of 28 year old Michael Rafferty
23:28
that same night. He was charged with kidnapping,
23:31
sexual assault causing bodily harm and 1st degree murder.
23:36
Within an hour of his arrest, the police presented him with
23:40
Terry Lynn's signed confession. The investigators then laid out
23:44
a picture of exactly what happened to the girl that day.
23:48
Unlike Terry Lynn Mcclintock, Michael Rafferty swore he didn't
23:52
do anything. He is seen visibly shaken, half
23:56
covered by a police blanket, towering in the corner, his eyes
24:02
lowered to the ground. With Terry Lynn Mcclintock's
24:06
assistance, including a map she had drawn for officers, the
24:10
Ontario Provincial Police retraced the couple's steps to
24:14
the crime scene, but nothing was found where she claimed the
24:18
girl's body was. However, phone records surfaced
24:21
indicating that Michael Rafferty's cell phone had pinged
24:24
near a tower by Mount Forest ON on Sunday, July 19th, 2009.
24:30
The same detective who coaxed A confession out of Terri Lynn and
24:34
played bad cop with Michael suddenly exited the highway
24:38
while driving back from OPP headquarters.
24:41
His instincts told him Victoria was nearby.
24:46
Detective Sergeant Smythe drove down a country Rd. east of Mount
24:50
Forest and began to explore the fields.
24:53
There, he found a spot that looked eerily similar to what
24:57
Terry Lynn Mcclintic had described.
25:00
And there, underneath a large tree, he discovered the little
25:04
girl's body. She had been wrapped inside
25:06
garbage bags, buried under a pile of rocks.
25:10
Her remains had been there for months, so they were in an
25:13
advanced state of decomposition and had begun to skeletonize.
25:18
The autopsy would show that the girl had died from blunt force
25:21
trauma to her head and body. The medical examiner's report
25:25
revealed that she had a lacerated liver, fractured ribs
25:28
and skull fractures. One of her mother's butterfly
25:31
earrings, which she had returned to the classroom for on the day
25:35
she was taken, was still on her. The earring, along with her body
25:40
and dental records would confirm the remains to be 8 year old
25:44
Victoria Stafford. Rodney Stafford and his son
25:48
Darren were at the beach collecting glass on the day he
25:50
received the call that two people were in custody.
25:55
Officers informed him that there had been some new developments
25:58
in the case and they needed to speak to him right away.
26:02
As he drove back to his house, his heart was filled with joy,
26:06
believing that his little girl had been safely found.
26:09
Then the police told him they had arrested two individuals for
26:14
Victoria's murder. His heart sank.
26:17
Ronnie Stafford was in disbelief until they found her remains.
26:23
Her father stayed in denial that she was really gone.
26:26
There was a part of him that held on to hope that the stories
26:30
just weren't true and that somehow she would be found
26:34
alive. His last remnants of hope were
26:38
destroyed when he was told the devastating news that her body
26:42
had been located. It wasn't any different for her
26:45
mother, Tara. She had believed that the police
26:48
had come to tell her Victoria was alive when they found her
26:51
body. The horror of the reality of it
26:55
all was too much to cope with and she soon turned back to
26:59
using opioids and her words to be able to function at all.
27:04
The words her 11 year old brother Darren spoke during a
27:06
public memorial held were heartbreaking.
27:09
He spoke of how he missed seeing his little sister every night
27:12
before bed and that as your Big Brother, I was supposed to
27:17
protect you, but I guess I didn't.
27:20
The family then held a private funeral to say goodbye.
27:24
On April 30th, 2010, Terry Lynn Mcclintock pled guilty to 1st
27:29
degree murder and avoided a trial.
27:31
She received a life sentence with no possibility of parole
27:35
for 25 years. Her confession was placed under
27:38
a strict publication ban to prevent the tainting of the jury
27:42
and thus the trial of Michael Rafferty from being jeopardized.
27:46
Superior Court Justice Dougald McDermott extended the
27:50
publication ban on her plate and confession for several more
27:54
months. The media grew frustrated and
27:58
claimed that it was far too reaching, but its purpose to
28:01
clearly prevent a miscarriage of justice was worth it.
28:06
In December 2010, the ban was partially lifted, revealing how
28:11
Terry Lynn Mcclintic had pleaded guilty months earlier.
28:14
On February 7th, 2011, Michael Rafferty's defense attorney Dirk
28:19
Durstein requested a change of venue due to the massive
28:22
publicity around the case. Ontario Superior Justice Thomas
28:26
Heaney approved the request and moved Rafferty's trial to
28:29
London, ON, but it still wasn't far enough away to avoid the
28:35
huge crowds of enraged citizens. Justiceini also ruled that
28:40
considering the hatred and hostility toward the defendant,
28:44
Michael Rafferty would remain sitting in the prisoner's dock
28:47
throughout the trial due to concerns of security.
28:50
It was also decided that the jury would visit the location
28:53
where Victoria Stafford's remains were discovered.
28:57
I found this particularly interesting because I've never
28:59
heard of this tactic being used in a murder trial.
29:03
To me, it seems such a move is overly biased and prejudicial to
29:08
the defense's case to have jury members visit the site where a
29:12
child was killed. I am surprised that such an
29:15
approach by the prosecution was permitted.
29:20
After his formal arraignment, Michael Rafferty entered a plea
29:22
of not guilty on February 29th, 2011 to charges of first degree
29:27
murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault.
29:31
On March 5th, 2011, his murder trial began.
29:35
A jury of nine women and three men would determine the fate of
29:39
the man accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering an 8 year
29:44
old girl. According to Victoria Stafford's
29:47
family members, Michael Rafferty showed no respect in the
29:50
courtroom and he never expressed any remorse.
29:54
He was arrogant and smug and according to Victoria's maternal
29:57
grandmother, he'd smirk at her in the courtroom.
30:01
Over 6 excruciatingly long days, the family listened to every gut
30:06
wrenching and repulsive detail of what happened to 8 year old
30:09
Victoria Stafford. The only time her father Rodney
30:12
left the trial was when the state presented graphic images
30:15
of his dead little girl to the jury.
30:18
In his words, each moment he had to listen to the horror of what
30:22
she endured, the rage and hatred inside him continued to build.
30:27
For her mother, Tara McDonald, it was as simple as Victoria was
30:31
the one who had to suffer, so the least she could do for her
30:36
daughter was listen to what she had been put through.
30:40
Tara McDonald testified in court that having crossed paths with
30:43
Terry Lynn Mcclintock when she bought drugs from her mother's
30:46
house, she confessed that she was a drug addict and had used
30:49
Oxycontin the day her daughter disappeared.
30:52
Upon cross examination, Tara McDonald stressed that there was
30:56
no way that Victoria would have left with a stranger.
31:00
Now two things stand out about the statement that don't add up.
31:05
First, she claimed that Terri Lynn and Victoria had never met
31:10
and that she never even mentioned her.
31:14
If that's true, then why would she say that she wouldn't have
31:18
left with someone she didn't know?
31:22
Is it possible that she brought her daughter over to Terry
31:25
Lynn's mother's house to purchase drugs, but never told
31:28
anyone about it or even forgot? How else would Terry Lynn have
31:33
been familiar enough with Victoria to get the girl to
31:37
leave with her? There has also been speculation,
31:40
although never proven, that Victoria Stafford was not a
31:44
random girl taken that day, but that Terry Lynn had specifically
31:48
selected her as their victim. Terri Lynn Mcclintock was the
31:53
state's star witness in the trial of Michael Rafferty.
31:57
She described how she had met him in February 2009 at a pizza
32:01
parlor. They went for a drive in his car
32:03
and had sex. Terri Lynn claimed that Michael
32:05
Rafferty was someone she really cared about, but from what is
32:10
known, their relationship appeared to be little more than
32:13
having sex with each other a couple of times and her buying
32:16
him some Oxycontin from her mother.
32:19
Based on the evil acts they committed together, it seemed
32:24
the real purpose of their getting together was to fulfill
32:30
their twisted, sick desires to hurt someone.
32:35
Carolyn Mcclintock had confessed and pleaded guilty to being a
32:39
participant in the girl's abduction and aiding in her
32:42
subsequent rape and murder, but had sworn that it was Michael
32:46
Rafferty who had killed Victoria Stafford during his criminal
32:51
trial. She changed her story now she
32:55
claimed that Michael Rafferty had raped the girl, but she
32:59
alone used the claw hammer that killed her.
33:04
On the stand, she told the shocked and appalled courtroom.
33:08
It was me that committed the murder and not him.
33:11
He didn't physically kill her. It wasn't him that killed her,
33:15
it was me. She had confessed to a counselor
33:19
in jail a few weeks before the trial and went to the police
33:23
with an official statement the following day.
33:27
On the second day in court, Terry Lynn Mcclintock told the
33:30
courtroom that the plan was if the investigation led to her,
33:35
she would take the fall for the murder.
33:38
But she reiterated that she was the only one who swung the
33:42
hammer that killed Victoria Stafford.
33:46
When the jury was shown the police interview where she said
33:48
there was no way in hell that she was the woman on
33:51
surveillance footage who kidnapped Victoria, Terri Lynn
33:55
replied that at the time she had psychologically blocked out her
33:59
involvement in the crime. Now it was the defense's chance
34:03
to paint a story of how Terri Lynn Mcclintic had hand picked
34:08
Victoria Stafford and it was she alone who had orchestrated the
34:12
entire crime. The defense counsel presented a
34:15
scenario that portrayed Michael Rafferty as innocent of the
34:20
crimes for which he had been accused.
34:23
According to his attorney, he was merely A spectator who was
34:26
shocked and horrified by Terry Lynn's depraved plan to kidnap
34:32
and kill Victoria over a drug debt her mother Tara owed when
34:37
she brought him to the girl as a sexual offering.
34:40
Michael Rafferty didn't want anything to do with it, and he
34:44
claims he never touched her. But the evidence against Michael
34:49
Rafferty told a different story. During the search of his
34:53
residence, investigators found a missing child poster of Victoria
34:57
Stafford tucked inside a kitchen drawer.
35:00
When his vehicle was searched after he was arrested in May of
35:03
2009, officers noticed that the backseat was gone.
35:07
Several people testified to it being there.
35:09
In the months before her death, a crime scene analysts
35:13
discovered a mixture of blood on the rubber molding on the back
35:16
passenger side door of his vehicle.
35:19
When the blood was tested and examined, the DNA matched that
35:23
of eight-year old Victoria Stafford.
35:26
His poor moral character was also testified to by many in his
35:30
life. Several of his former
35:32
girlfriends claimed Michael Rafferty was a serial cheater.
35:36
It was learned through the testimony of an ex-girlfriend,
35:38
Charity Spitzig, as 26 year old mother of four, that Rafferty
35:43
had manipulated her into being an escort and primarily lived
35:48
off of her earnings. Beginning at the end of 2000 and
35:52
through May 2009, bank records showed that she had given him
35:56
over $16,000. Michael Rafferty was a
36:00
narcissist, A manipulator, a user, and a drug addict.
36:05
Not only did he come off as a despicable person, but there was
36:09
strong evidence that proved that not only was he there during
36:13
each step of the atrocious crimes committed against
36:17
Victoria Stafford, but he was a pedophile, a child kidnapper, A
36:20
rapist, and a murderer. Michael Rafferty never took the
36:24
stand in his own defense. Over two months of testimony,
36:28
200 pieces of evidence and almost 60 witnesses were
36:33
presented by the Crown. The fate of this child predator
36:37
was now lift in the hands of the jury.
36:40
The public learned while the jury was deliberating that
36:43
according to released court documents, which had been
36:46
suppressed as evidence due to its improper search and seizure
36:50
by the police, Michael Rafferty's computer contents
36:54
showed his true vile nature. He had searched for and
36:59
downloaded a film containing child torture and rape on May
37:04
11th, 2012. After an entire day of
37:07
deliberations, the jury returned with a guilty verdict 4 days
37:11
later. Michael Rafferty faced the judge
37:14
and Victoria Stafford's family who shared victim impact
37:17
statements. The letter, written by her now
37:21
14 year old brother Darren, left few eyes dry in the courtroom.
37:26
Read by the family's lawyer. It said, and I quote, not one
37:31
person can say they feel the same way as me.
37:35
My sister was the only person I had to talk to.
37:40
Someone that felt what I felt, cried when I cried, laughed when
37:46
I laughed. And now I feel alone, like the
37:51
world is playing a sick trick on me.
37:54
But it's not this is my reality. No more fun times, just old
38:01
memories, no more I love you. Just an empty spot in my heart.
38:07
It was observed that the convicted offender himself
38:12
sobbed during these statements. Whether his tears were of a
38:16
place of sincere remorse and regret or an expression of his
38:21
narcissistic manipulations, I couldn't say.
38:26
Before Judge Thomas Heaney handed him his punishment, he
38:30
turned and said to Michael Rafferty, You have snuffed out
38:34
the life of a beautiful, talented, vivacious little girl,
38:39
a tomboy diva in the trustful innocence of childhood, and for
38:44
what? So that you could gratify your
38:46
twisted and deviant desire to have sex with a child?
38:51
Only a monster could commit such an act of pure evil.
38:58
You, Sir, or a monster. Michael Rafferty was sentenced
39:03
to life in prison without the possibility of parole for at
39:06
least 25 years. He received ten additional years
39:10
for sexual assault that caused bodily harm and kidnapping.
39:14
They are to be served concurrently.
39:16
When the sentencing was announced, Ronnie Stafford had
39:20
to hold in his screams of celebration, his cries of
39:24
justice for his little girl. But when he fled to the media
39:28
waiting outside, he didn't hold back his happiness for Victoria.
39:33
Holding a picture of his daughter, Rodney declared.
39:36
We cut justice and it was all for this little girl right here.
39:42
Victoria Stafford was described as being both a tomboy and a
39:46
little Princess as the judge referred to her as a tomboy
39:50
diva. She loved reptiles, dogs and
39:54
running around on the dirt, but she also loved the colour pink,
39:58
wearing barrettes in her hair and makeup.
40:01
Victoria was silly, rambunctious and stubborn.
40:06
Her mother called her chub chubs. 1 of Victoria's
40:09
neighbors. Vince spoke of how one time
40:12
Victoria ran over to his house to show him a snake she found
40:15
she wanted his help in catching it.
40:18
He had her name tattooed across his knuckles and her memory.
40:23
The entire community deeply felt the loss and shared in the
40:28
family's trauma, but everyone deals with loss and trauma in
40:33
their own way. In August of that year, Ronnie
40:36
Stafford and his son Darren honored Victoria's memory by
40:40
completing a 3500 kilometre charity bike ride from Woodstock
40:45
to Edmonton. Her father is an advocate for
40:48
victims of crime and is constantly fighting to help
40:52
transform the correction system in his daughter's name.
40:56
He has built an online and in person community that invites
41:00
all victims and their loved ones to support one another, share
41:05
their experiences, and fight together to change the system.
41:10
Her mother, Tara MacDonald, was utterly consumed by the loss of
41:15
her daughter. She was unable and unwilling to
41:20
advocate like Rodney was. She openly admitted to not being
41:27
strong like Victoria's father and that she continues to
41:32
struggle with her addiction. In an interview with Crime Beat,
41:37
she proudly shows off a large tattoo on her shoulder of her
41:41
late daughter. A dog has crawled up next to
41:44
her. She said that it helps her
41:47
remember the good times with Victoria, who loved her dogs and
41:50
all animals so much, and to live her life the best she can.
41:57
If this case had occurred in the United States or another country
42:02
that supports capital punishment, the prosecutor would
42:06
have likely and understandably pursued the death penalty.
42:12
Understand how and why these two depraved, twisted child
42:17
predators and killers received such lenient sentences.
42:22
Knowing the foundation and understanding the purpose of
42:25
Canada's correction system is critical.
42:29
Canada abolished the death penalty on December 10th, 1998.
42:34
Ever since its abolishment, the maximum sentence an offender can
42:37
receive is called Life 25, which is life imprisonment without the
42:42
possibility of parole for a set period of 25 years.
42:46
Data shows that on average, those who receive a life
42:49
sentence serve 32 years before being released.
42:53
Canada is based on a rehabilitation model of justice.
42:57
In stark contrast, the United States is a crime control model
43:01
centered around punishment and deterrence.
43:04
Offenders who receive penalties that include time in prison are
43:08
very rare in Canada. For most first time offenders,
43:11
unless they commit capital offenses or other serious
43:15
crimes, they are never incarcerated.
43:18
It is not unusual for some offenders to receive 4, even 5
43:23
terms of probation before they are handed a prison sentence.
43:27
The primary goal of the correction system in Canada is
43:30
offenders reintegration into society through the principles
43:34
of guidance, training and supervision.
43:37
Some inmates who receive 90 days or less in prison have the
43:40
option to serve their time on the weekends.
43:43
Being able to carry on with life is normal during the week.
43:47
Federal and provincial inmates who have completed 1/6 of their
43:50
sentence have the possibility of being released on day parole or
43:54
full parole. For those in the federal system,
43:57
the mandatory release program releases convicted offenders who
44:02
have completed at least 2/3 of their sentence and who have
44:05
exhibited good behavior back into the community.
44:09
There, they remain under correctional authority similar
44:13
to parole conditions until their sentence expires.
44:16
However, although they are accountable to what equates to a
44:20
parole officer, they aren't on parole since there isn't a
44:24
designated board that has made decisions regarding their
44:28
status. Instead, parole officers serve
44:31
as a resource and support inmates in housing and
44:35
employment and help them successfully reintegrate into
44:39
society. It was expected that Terry Lynn
44:42
Mcclintock would serve out her sentence without any further
44:45
burden or trauma being inflicted on Victoria Stafford's loved
44:49
ones. Unfortunately, this was not the
44:52
case. Canada is centered around
44:56
prisoner rehabilitation and their correction system reflects
45:01
this priority. In 2018, Terry Lynn Mcclintock
45:06
was moved from a high security prison to the Okema Kochi
45:10
Healing Lodge and Saskatchewan. This was shocking for multiple
45:15
reasons. First, because of the violent
45:17
nature of her crimes, especially against a child, this wasn't a
45:22
typical offender who would have been admitted.
45:26
Secondly, she had been involved in a violent physical
45:30
altercation against a fellow inmate.
45:33
Mcclintock had initiated A peer support meeting with a fellow
45:36
inmate, Amy McIntyre, who was also in prison on a first degree
45:41
murder conviction. Once they were inside the
45:43
meeting room, Mcclintock, completely unprovoked, began to
45:48
attack Amy McIntyre, punching her in the head.
45:51
The woman fall off her chair onto the floor and was lying in
45:55
a fetal position while Terri Lynn repeatedly kicked her in
45:59
the body and head. She didn't do anything to fight
46:02
back. The only remorse Terri Lynn
46:04
Mcclintock expressed was that she wished the room had been
46:08
larger so she could have caused the woman even more damage.
46:13
The incident was eerily similar to how she had attacked Victoria
46:16
Stafford. Terri Lynn Mcclintock had
46:19
admitted to police how she was the one who had kicked the child
46:23
while she lay on the ground in the fetal position before
46:27
whacking her to death with the claw hammer.
46:31
After the attack on Amy McIntyre, her privileges were
46:34
revoked for two months and she was segregated in the prison for
46:38
an additional month. The judge sentenced her to six
46:41
months in jail, to be served concurrently with her life
46:44
sentence. This was Terry Lynn Mcclintock's
46:48
10th assault offense. How does this kind of violence
46:53
warrant being downgraded as a lesser security risk?
46:58
You may be wondering how something like this could happen
47:02
in 2014. For some undocumented and
47:06
unjustified reason, Terry Lynn Mcclintock was reclassified as a
47:10
medium security risk, providing her with the opportunity to stay
47:16
at the Indigenous Healing Lodge. The third reason her admission
47:19
to the Indigenous Healing Lodge was so unusual was that she
47:23
wasn't Indigenous. Indigenous Healing Lodges were
47:28
established in Canada's correction system in 1995
47:32
specifically for female Indigenous offenders so that
47:35
they had a place of rehabilitation that was more
47:39
aligned with their culture and beliefs.
47:42
The practices, culture and values of the Nakani tribe are
47:46
taught to the women while housed there.
47:48
The female inmates are taught about self empowerment.
47:52
They learn about the importance of making meaningful and
47:55
responsible choices in life and to show respect and dignity for
48:00
both themselves and others. It is designed to be a nurturing
48:04
atmosphere for the women, one of support and shared
48:08
responsibility. There is a loophole for someone
48:11
who is non indigenous under prisoners charter rights, anyone
48:16
can self identify as indigenous and thus be loud entry.
48:22
According to the Aboriginal Initiatives Directorate, CSC
48:26
Marty Meltby, if someone who was non indigenous but who sincerely
48:31
identifies as being so, then the denial of their entry into an
48:36
Indigenous healing lodge would violate their charter rights.
48:41
However, then Chief of the Nekaneet First Nation Alvin
48:45
Francis acknowledged that it was shocking that Terri Lynn
48:50
Mcclintock had been placed there given the depraved nature of her
48:55
crimes. When Rodney Stafford was
48:58
informed of this news, he was outraged by the system's
49:03
failure. He refused to remain quiet when
49:08
this woman who had brutally murdered his little girl was now
49:13
living at a lower security place to help heal her.
49:19
He and his family coordinated protests in Parliament Hill were
49:22
hundreds were in attendance. Ronnie Stafford met with the
49:26
Commissioner of Correctional Services and the Prime Minister
49:30
Justin Trudeau himself to discuss the injustice of the
49:34
circumstances and their impact on his family during a hearing
49:39
with Parliament addressing the matter.
49:42
When an opposing leader described in detail what the
49:45
offender under consideration had done, Prime Minister Justin
49:50
Trudeau stated to the leaders that it was not warranted, it
49:54
was not needed to include such graphic violent details in the
49:58
discussion. This was a reflection of the
50:01
government and the correction systems focus on helping
50:05
prisoners over the victims and the Conservative leaders in
50:09
Parliament and most of the country had had enough.
50:14
In an interview with Crime Bait, Terry Lynn's adoptive brother,
50:17
his identity concealed, said that he wishes he could be out
50:21
there to protest with the crowds because she should remain in
50:25
prison and not an indigenous healing lodge.
50:29
Less than a week later, the Minister of Public Safety
50:32
decided to take a closer look at the circumstances surrounding
50:36
the inmates transfer. He stated that he would follow
50:40
the rules of the law and if any changes needed to be made, the
50:43
family would be promptly informed.
50:46
Ronnie Stafford was contacted by Corrections Canada not long
50:50
after they let him know that his daughter's killer had been
50:53
returned to where she belonged. Not only that, but this
50:58
transgression and judgment fundamentally altered the way
51:02
offenders would be transferred to the Healing Lodges in the
51:05
future, including an in depth evaluation of their sentence
51:10
length behavior and consultations with the local
51:13
Indigenous community based on the Rehabilitation centered
51:18
correction system in Canada. If Rodney Stafford and the
51:22
community hadn't spoken out against the placement of Terry
51:25
Lynn Mcclintock at the Healing Lodge, she very well could have
51:29
been on her way to reintegration in the community.
51:34
There are many examples of violent offenders, including
51:37
mass murderers, who due to good behavior and participation in
51:41
prison, end up receiving day passes and eventually are
51:46
released to live amongst the community.
51:49
After he was sentenced, Michael Rafferty immediately started the
51:53
process of appeal, claiming the jury didn't understand the
51:57
standards of evidence required to meet a first degree murder
52:01
conviction on December 13th, 2013.
52:05
His lawyer argued that the jury should have taken into
52:08
consideration that he was an accessory after the fact to
52:12
murder and had not committed the homicide.
52:15
Michael Rafferty even attempted to receive public money to fund
52:20
his appeal. Only a few months after the
52:22
battle to return Terri Lynn Mcclintock to prison, Rodney
52:26
Stafford learned that Michael Rafferty have been transferred
52:29
to a lower security prison in Quebec.
52:32
The justification was made that it's specialized in the
52:35
rehabilitation of sex offenders. The Minister of Public Safety,
52:39
Ralph Goodale, further justified his placement there by stating
52:43
that it was a fully guarded institution, with his presence
52:46
there posing no threat to public safety.
52:50
One of Michael Rafferty's relatives, who has chosen to
52:53
remain anonymous, came forward to prevent him from being moved
52:57
to medium security. Ronnie Stafford had gained an
53:01
unexpected ally. He visited Michael Rafferty
53:04
several times while incarcerated, encouraging him to
53:07
admit the truth and to stop using his mother.
53:10
His mother, Deborah Rafferty, staunchly supported her son,
53:15
telling the media at the courthouse that her son was
53:18
innocent and that this could happen to any man walking around
53:22
right now. But the truth was that while in
53:24
prison, Michael Rafferty had been using his lifelong skills
53:28
of manipulation to drain his mother of over $30,000, starting
53:33
when he was placed in maximum security prison.
53:36
He called her saying that he was in the Infirmary and needed
53:39
money for protection. Then regularly he got his mother
53:43
to send checks to the wives and family members of other inmates,
53:47
claiming it was to save his life.
53:50
Reporters from Global Canada made contact with several of the
53:54
individuals on the checks that were paid, but no one
53:56
cooperated. His relatives claims they also
54:00
contacted Michael Rafferty, but he declined to comment.
54:03
His relative believed that the money may have been initially
54:07
for his protection, but once he was inside medium security, it
54:12
was all for favors. He completely drained his mother
54:16
of all of her savings and she ended up losing her house.
54:21
In 2018, Deborah Rafferty died at age 60.
54:26
Her mother then was faced with the burden of Michael Rafferty
54:30
begging her for money and she died shortly after.
54:34
This relative, along with other members of Michael Rafferty's
54:37
family, wrote the Correction Services of Canada and provided
54:41
them with documented proof to help warrant a reason as to why
54:45
he should be returned to maximum security.
54:49
For more than a year and a half, they corresponded with the
54:51
relatives, but they never closely looked into the matter
54:54
at all. The concerns about Michael
54:57
Rafferty were ultimately ignored and dismissed, and he remained
55:01
in the medium security prison. Rodney Stafford spoke of how he
55:05
sincerely appreciated the efforts they made to make things
55:08
right, even if Corrections Canada ultimately failed.
55:13
What was surprising to learn is that Tara McDonald ended up
55:17
meeting with Michael Rafferty. Victim offender therapy, also
55:21
known as mediation, is a restorative form of justice, a
55:25
process where the offender and the victim are giving the
55:28
opportunity with a neutral facilitator to discuss the crime
55:33
and its impact. It is a widely used process in
55:36
Canada as well as the United States, usually reserved for
55:40
less violent crimes, it has been utilized as a tool for
55:43
restoration in a wide range of crimes, including offenders on
55:46
death row in the United States. Research has shown that it can
55:50
be highly beneficial in the healing process for victims and
55:54
promote accountability on the part of the offender.
55:58
When Michael Rafferty was sentenced, he spoke directly to
56:00
Tara McDonald in the courtroom, saying that if she wanted to
56:04
know about her daughter's final moments, she should talk to him.
56:08
He delivered what he promised. Terry MacDonald didn't want to
56:12
hear that she was terrified or what he did to her.
56:15
But how Victoria was, how she acted, what she did from the
56:19
moment Terry Lynn had lured her away up to when they drove her
56:23
to the Farmers Field. Terry MacDonald shared in an
56:26
interview with Crimea that while Terry Lynn Mcclintock was inside
56:30
the Home Depot and Michael was alone with Victoria in the car,
56:34
he offered her his smartphone to play on.
56:37
When asked if she knew how to use one, she replied, yeah, I'm
56:41
8. Tara McDonald openly laughed and
56:45
said, yeah, that's my Victoria, right?
56:50
It was odd and a bit unsettling that she shared this moment with
56:55
her daughter's monster. This was the one thing that
56:58
transpired between the mother and her daughter's offender that
57:02
Tara McDonald was willing to talk about.
57:06
She said that in some ways, it was helpful.
57:08
Even though Michael Rafferty was partially responsible for the
57:12
horror Victoria endured, she has never spoken about nor will she
57:17
ever reveal exactly what he shared with her.
57:21
Interestingly, but understandably, she holds more
57:26
hatred and resentment toward Terry Lynn Mcclintic, and when
57:31
she requested the same type of mediation with her, Tara
57:35
McDonald refused. I think to some extent Tara
57:38
McDonald was more horrified and angry by what Terry Lynn
57:43
Mcclintock did to her daughter, then Michael Rafferty, because
57:47
she was a woman, A young woman who helped plot and orchestrate
57:52
the kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of a child.
57:56
Similar to other violent female offenders who have committed
57:59
crimes against children, Terry Lynn Mcclintock is a high,
58:02
highly unusual criminal. If you haven't already listened
58:07
to episode 61, The Devil Monster of France and episodes 56 and
58:12
57, A Female Thrill Killer, please do so.
58:18
They are very fascinating and disturbing cases that are
58:22
pertinent to the discussion of this kind of very rare female
58:27
offender. Similar to data in the United
58:30
States, United Kingdom, France, and most parts of the Western
58:33
world, female offenders in Canada are the exception to the
58:38
rule. Approximately 5.8% of all
58:42
prisoners in Canada are female and the Indigenous population
58:45
incarcerated is overrepresented. This was the primary reason why
58:50
the Indigenous Healing Lodges were established in 2023.
58:54
A total of 518 males and 78 females were charged with
58:58
homicide between 2000 and 2023. Female offenders committed
59:04
homicide at a low rate of 53 incidents in 2008 to peak years
59:10
of 2020 and 2022 with 105 incidents.
59:15
For female offenders, the majority are familial, that is,
59:18
they occur within the family and 88% of the time the crime scene
59:23
is in their home. Male perpetuated homicides were
59:26
at a low of 428 incidents in 2014 and were also at a high in
59:32
2022 with 719. Interestingly, the percentage of
59:37
strangers murdering strangers is significantly higher in Canada
59:42
than in the United States. Research shows that between 18
59:46
to 19% of all solved homicides in Canada involve a stranger
59:50
perpetrator. Stranger victimization occurred
59:53
in 21.1% of male homicides and 11.3% of female homicides.
1:00:00
A study done on sexual homicide in Canada revealed that across a
1:00:03
sample of 350 sexual homicide cases.
1:00:07
That mirrored similar studies in Canada and in different
1:00:11
countries. The average age of the offender
1:00:14
was 28. Most of them were white and had
1:00:17
diverse criminal records, meaning a combination of charges
1:00:21
in their past. Specifically an average of 1.7
1:00:23
convictions for violent offenses, .4 convictions for
1:00:27
sexual offenses and 7.3 for property related crimes. 62.8%
1:00:33
of the victims were identified as being white female, with more
1:00:38
than a third of them having drug abuse issues and a fourth with
1:00:41
alcohol abuse issues. When children are the victims of
1:00:44
abduction, the data shows that 84% are female.
1:00:48
On average, the victims are between 11 and 12 years old.
1:00:53
The offenders are overwhelmingly male, with 92% recorded as
1:00:58
identifying as such. 69% were under 30 years old and 55% had a
1:01:03
criminal history. The primary motivation of child
1:01:07
abduction is sexual, with 77% of recorded incidents involving a
1:01:12
convicted offender. Almost half of all abductions
1:01:16
happened in the summer months, with 45% occurring on a Friday
1:01:20
or a Saturday. The majority were kidnapped in
1:01:22
transit, such as on their way to school or a friend's house, and
1:01:26
70% of children who were murdered were killed within
1:01:29
three hours of being taken from the perspective of criminology.
1:01:34
And psychology. There is much to unwind
1:01:37
regarding the factors and motivations of Terri Lynn
1:01:40
Mcclintock. In no way does her background
1:01:45
and trauma provide her with a valid reason for committing the
1:01:49
worst crimes imaginable, but it is critical to know her story,
1:01:54
her life experience, so that the warning signs aren't ignored and
1:02:00
similar crimes can hopefully be prevented.
1:02:05
It is necessary. To peel back.
1:02:08
And look closely at the layers of darkness that helped turn
1:02:14
this young woman and to the monster she became.
1:02:18
Most individuals are not born evil.
1:02:21
They are filled with rage, darkness, and a dark hole of
1:02:26
depravity that can only be temporarily filled by making
1:02:32
others, and particularly the innocent, suffer.
1:02:36
Non conformist perspectives suggest that without social
1:02:40
controls, rules, and restrictions, humans would
1:02:43
commit crimes without any regard for how their actions affect
1:02:47
others. From this perspective, Travis
1:02:50
Hershey's social control theory was developed.
1:02:54
Social control theory is a popular theory in criminology
1:02:57
that suggests our social bonds dictate our behavior and can
1:03:02
help hinder bad immoral behaviour or exacerbate it.
1:03:07
It posits that humans who have weak or no connections with
1:03:11
society or positive attachments to others have a higher
1:03:15
propensity to non conform to society's expectations and rules
1:03:20
and therefore are more likely to commit crimes.
1:03:24
These connections or bonds are derived from various sources
1:03:28
throughout one's life, beginning in childhood with parental and
1:03:31
sibling bonds. It involves 4 primary elements,
1:03:35
attachment, commitment, involvement and belief.
1:03:39
Bonds can be formed at school, church, or through
1:03:42
extracurricular activities shared with peers.
1:03:44
The time and investment involved in creating and maintaining them
1:03:49
can remove or minimize desires to act out in antisocial,
1:03:53
deviant or non conforming manners.
1:03:57
A large body of research has shown a strong correlation
1:04:01
between the two. From the day Terri Lynn
1:04:04
Mcclintock was born, her life was one of abandonment, neglect,
1:04:09
abuse and trauma. Her mother gave her away to a
1:04:13
fellow stripper friend of hers named Carol Mcclintock.
1:04:17
There was no semblance of stability, kindness or love and
1:04:23
Terry Lynn's life. Carol Mcclintic was a drug
1:04:26
addict and moved to a new area of Ontario every couple of
1:04:29
years. At 7 years old, Terry Lynn was
1:04:32
placed into Children's Aid societies, Ontario's foster care
1:04:36
system and later at several detention centers.
1:04:40
This pattern continued into her teens before she returned to
1:04:44
live with Carol Mcclintic. Studies show that one of the
1:04:47
most reliable predictors of juvenile delinquency is a weak
1:04:51
bond between a child and their parents.
1:04:55
Terry Lynn Mcclintock attended many different schools and had
1:04:58
few friends. Kids at school made fun of her
1:05:00
and bullied her for being the daughter of a stripper.
1:05:04
At 8 years old, she first started drinking alcohol and
1:05:07
smoking marijuana, which later escalated into using Oxycontin,
1:05:12
ecstasy, morphine and antidepressants.
1:05:15
Mary Lynn didn't hide what she was going through and how
1:05:17
destructive and violent her mindset was even as a child.
1:05:22
At some point she put her dog in a microwave.
1:05:25
Through letters and in her journal, she shared her violent
1:05:28
fantasies. She was sexually and physically
1:05:31
abused by men who walked in and out of her mother's life.
1:05:36
At 13 years old, she dropped out of school all together.
1:05:41
Terri Lynn Mcclintock. Lacked any positive.
1:05:44
Attachments or connections to society.
1:05:46
She was uneducated, didn't work, lacked any goals, and had no
1:05:50
dreams to attain. Studies show that when someone,
1:05:54
especially a child, is in an environment that is high stress,
1:05:58
such as being in an abusive home, it can lead to substance
1:06:03
abuse, personality disorders, intimate partner violence, and
1:06:06
delays in cognitive development. An individual's biological,
1:06:11
psychological, and neurological functioning can be adversely and
1:06:16
sometimes severely affected by these environmental conditions.
1:06:21
Terri Lynn Mcclintock had no one in her life to model herself
1:06:25
after. She was exposed to nothing but
1:06:28
abuse, addiction, and violence from her earliest years.
1:06:33
There was no one to teach her proper emotions, reactions or
1:06:36
behaviors. She had no coping skills, no
1:06:40
positive outlet for her pain and anger, nothing.
1:06:44
And no one to help guide her. The data shows that adolescents
1:06:49
who commit crimes between the ages of seven and 12 are two to
1:06:54
three times more likely to become chronic violent offenders
1:06:58
than those who commit their first crimes at an older age.
1:07:02
For Terri Lynn, it was only a matter of time and circumstance
1:07:07
before she committed murder, her criminality began to reveal.
1:07:11
Itself at. 10 years old, she was caught stealing from a hardware
1:07:16
store. At 15, she fractured her
1:07:19
adoptive mother's cheekbone by punching her in the face.
1:07:22
She had four more charges of assault brought against her
1:07:24
after this incident. One of the incidents occurred
1:07:28
when she was staying at a youth residence center and three
1:07:31
additional assaults happened at a detention center.
1:07:34
Two years before she killed Victoria Stafford, she mugged 2
1:07:39
men and during the incident stabbed one of them in the back.
1:07:44
While being arrested, she struck the police officer in the back
1:07:48
of the head. During Michael Rafferty's trial,
1:07:52
his. Defense lawyer Cross.
1:07:53
Examined Terry Lynn Mcclintock. He presented a series of letters
1:07:57
she had written to a friend from jail between September 2007 and
1:08:01
only a few months before she lured Victoria Stafford to her
1:08:06
death. The letters explicitly expressed
1:08:09
the desire to kill, to murder and torture others, including
1:08:14
specific individuals who would plan on testifying against her
1:08:17
in court for prior charges and others who were mouthing off in
1:08:21
jail. Carrie Lynn Mcclintock had never
1:08:25
hid in her rage or her darkness her clear intent to harm others.
1:08:31
Less than a year before she killed Victoria Stafford, she
1:08:34
had written a letter describing her desire to take the first
1:08:37
person I see and kill them. She was sent to a medical
1:08:40
professional after this letter was seen and another letter she
1:08:44
wrote. I am fed up with this place.
1:08:45
I want to scrap. I just want to bounce and go on
1:08:48
a killing spree. Her letters were not simply
1:08:51
violent and graphic. She discussed multiple ways in
1:08:55
which she would torture those she viewed as her enemies.
1:08:59
It was noted that when these letters were read during Michael
1:09:02
Rafferty's trial, several people in the courtroom grew visibly
1:09:07
uncomfortable. According to Terry Lynn
1:09:09
Mcclintock, she had adopted a gang mentality and persona while
1:09:13
in jail, but she had written those letters when she was much
1:09:16
younger. This statement didn't hold any
1:09:19
weight since some of the letters were written only a few months
1:09:22
before she murdered Victoria Stafford.
1:09:24
It should be noted that Michael Rafferty also didn't have a
1:09:26
stable upbringing. For unknown reasons, he was sent
1:09:30
to live with his aunt and uncle when he was an adolescent, most
1:09:33
likely indicating his shared lack of attachment to society.
1:09:38
Like Terry Lynn Mcclintic, he was also a drug addict and,
1:09:41
according to 13 women who testified at his trial, a sadist
1:09:45
who really enjoyed choking them during sex.
1:09:49
His anger deviance and antisocial behavior manifested
1:09:54
themselves in aggressive and sexually violent ways.
1:09:59
When Mcclintic and Rafferty met, their deviant, antisocial, non
1:10:06
conforming behaviors combined with their violent, twisted
1:10:11
fantasies created a strong toxic bond that culminated in the
1:10:17
abduction, rape and murder of a child.
1:10:20
This case is horrific, tragic, disgusting and may have been
1:10:26
completely preventable if it weren't for Canada's Children's
1:10:31
Aid services failing Terri Lynn Mcclintock when she was the same
1:10:36
age Victoria Stafford was murdered.
1:10:40
This is not to express empathy. For Terri Lynn.
1:10:43
Mcclintock as a child murderer, A sick, depraved young woman who
1:10:50
led a child to an unspeakable assault and death.
1:10:57
But for the innocent child who existed once within Terry Lynn,
1:11:04
who warranted and deserved to be protected, the system failed
1:11:10
this child when she needed them the most, even though they have
1:11:14
been made aware of the danger she was in multiple times.
1:11:19
Victoria Stafford's death changed the requirements of the
1:11:22
Amber Alert system in Canada, which has undoubtedly led to
1:11:27
many children's lives being saved.
1:11:30
The strict narrow requirements are now to be used as guidelines
1:11:35
and the police only need to have suspicion that the child's life
1:11:39
is in danger to issue an alert. Her murder and the subsequent
1:11:43
treatment of her killers has exposed critical faults in the
1:11:47
Canadian correction system. Before this case and the public
1:11:52
outrage and protest that followed Terry Lynn Mcclintock's
1:11:55
transfer to an Indigenous healing lodge, the Correctional
1:11:59
Service of Canada was not mandated to inform victims or
1:12:04
their families about an offender being transferred or when their
1:12:08
security status changed. This Act has since been amended,
1:12:13
making it mandatory for victims of specific offenses to be
1:12:18
notified of such changes. It provides victims with
1:12:22
relevant information on the offender and the opportunity to
1:12:26
have a voice in such matters. Also, due to the horrific
1:12:32
graphic evidence that was presented during the trial of
1:12:35
Michael Rafferty, which led to a juror suing the government for
1:12:40
trauma and psychological harm it caused them, there is no
1:12:45
counseling service to address the after effects of serving on
1:12:48
juries. The way prisoners lives have
1:12:51
been prioritized over the victims and their families have
1:12:56
poked serious holes in proponents arguments for
1:13:00
prisoners rehabilitation. When it comes to the criminal
1:13:03
justice system in the United States, I tend to think we are
1:13:07
overly harsh in our penalties and do little to nothing to help
1:13:11
convicted offenders heal from the traumas and conditions that
1:13:15
may have led them to committing crimes, much less provide them
1:13:19
with the resources necessary to successfully re enter society.
1:13:26
I believe that prisoners should have.
1:13:27
Basic fundamental rights. And that the factors that led
1:13:30
them to commit crimes such as substance abuse, mental health,
1:13:34
and trauma should be addressed and treated while incarcerated.
1:13:39
However, the rights of an offender should never take
1:13:44
precedence over that of the victim of their family.
1:13:47
Canada is the polar opposite of the United States and its
1:13:50
corrections and justice model, and there are many positive
1:13:54
aspects to its focus being on rehabilitation.
1:13:59
However, there has to be a. Balance between the needs.
1:14:02
Of inmates and victims, individuals who are the worst of
1:14:06
violent offenders and particular serial rapists, mass murderers
1:14:10
and anyone who harms a child should be exempt from these
1:14:15
programs and services. They are not worth the time and
1:14:19
effort. Not to mention.
1:14:21
Canadian taxpayer money it takes to rehabilitate them.
1:14:25
The faint hope clause in Canada was passed to promote prisoners
1:14:29
rehabilitation. This allowed Terri Lynn
1:14:32
Mcclintock to apply for parole only 15 years into her sentence,
1:14:37
in large part due to the heinous crimes she committed.
1:14:41
The clause was repealed in 2012, and a horrible and shocking
1:14:47
update on this case. In 2024, Corrections Canada
1:14:51
relocated her to a nice, comfortable townhouse in the
1:14:56
same facility of a mother and child program.
1:15:01
That's right. Justice for.
1:15:03
Victoria Stafford. And her loved ones still doesn't
1:15:06
exist. This monster, this child
1:15:10
predator and murderer is residing in a nicer home than
1:15:15
most of us have on the Canadian taxpayer with Open Access to
1:15:21
children. Maybe she herself wasn't a child
1:15:26
sex offender, but that doesn't change the fact that she
1:15:30
kidnapped and brought an 8 year old girl to 1.
1:15:34
Not to mention how she bashed in her head with a claw hammer.
1:15:39
Terri Lynn Mcclintic will be. Eligible for parole.
1:15:43
On May 19th, 2031 and I have little doubt that she will
1:15:48
receive it. Thank you so much for listening
1:15:57
to The Tragic. Horrible story of Victoria Tori
1:16:02
Stafford, may she rest in peace. If you have any thoughts,
1:16:07
questions. Comments.
1:16:09
Ideas. For future episodes, I would
1:16:11
love to hear from you. Please reach out.
1:16:13
You can find my contact information in the episode
1:16:15
description. Until next time, stay safe.
1:16:25
And watch out for shades of murder happening in the streets
1:16:29
next door, especially inside your own home.
1:16:36
Shades of Murder is created, researched, written.
1:16:39
And edited by Luda Caldwell. Original music stranger Composed
1:16:45
by Stereo Code.