102 days: Finding Tori Stafford

Police may have found Tori Stafford, 102 days after the eight-year-old Woodstock, Ontario, girl was abducted from her elementary school yard on a clear Wednesday afternoon, April 8. Yesterday, searchers who have been scouring farms fields and wooded areas around Guelph, Fergus and nearby areas in southwestern Ontario found the remains of a child in a field south of Mount Forest - though they did not release the information about the discovery until Monday. Police say they are not certain yet, but hope confirmed on Tuesday that it is Tori.

Listen carefully to the brief interview in the video above with an OPP investigator. Det. Sgt. Anthony Renton says if it is Tori, then "obviously that's a great thing, we can bring her home."

What he doesn't say is that police and prosecutors likely are ecstatic at the discovery since the remains may prove to be a vital link between Tori's death and accused killers Michael Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic. There have been successful murder prosecutions in Canada without a body, but prosecutors would always want to have a body. Advances in forensic anthropology and other specialties are remarkable. Scientists can extract key information from remains and from clothing that is attached to those remains.

But what did they find in that farm field today? Investigators say they found remains that were exposed to the elements for quite some time.

It is likely, if these are the remains of Tori, that they are skeletal, given a few important what-ifs.

Police have said previously that they believe Tori was murdered within the first day she was abducted, perhaps within hours. If we assume Tori's body was cast in this remote field within a day or two of her abduction on April 8, then it has been exposed to the weather for roughly 100 days.

According to world-renowned forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Bass (the creator of the famed body farm project in Tennessee), after roughly 1,300 accumulated degree days (ADDs), any human body is reduced to bare bone or bone covered only by dry, mummified tissue. The ADD is the sum of each day's average temperature. If a body is left exposed to the weather for 10 days, for instance, in a location where the average daily temperature is 80 Fahrenheit, the ADD would be 800, and the body would be well on the way to skeletonizing.

Of course, we don't know whether clothing or other items were found with the remains. Clothing typically disintegrates much more slowly than human tissue, so any found might also harbour valuable forensic information.

Given Ontario's past stunning forensic failures in child death investigations, you can be sure that some of the most experienced and trustworthy experts will be working on this case.

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Was Tori Stafford's murder "planned and deliberate?"

Michael Rafferty, 28, and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, now share the brand of accused killer couple. In a dramatic development yesterday, prosecutors and police charged McClintic with first-degree murder in the slaying of eight-year-old Victoria (Tori) Stafford of Woodstock, a significantly more serious accusation than the first charge levelled against her of accessory after the fact to murder. Rafferty faced a first-degree murder charge from the outset. Both also are charged with kidnapping, a move that might be part of a prosecutorial strategy.

Establishing that a murder is "planned and deliberate," the requirement in law for proving a killing constitutes first-degree murder, is a lofty standard, particularly since the law interprets those words narrowly. Consider this instruction to a jury by a judge in a murder trial stemming from the 2002 shooting death of a man in a Toronto nightclub:

"Deliberate" is also a word that we use everyday but it has a little bit different meaning here than it does in our everyday lives. Usually when we say something is deliberate in our everyday lives we mean that it was intentional. When discussing what must be proved for first-degree murder, however, deliberate means more than that the killing was intentional. Deliberate in this context means "considered" rather than "impulsive"; "carefully thought out, not hasty or rash"; "slow in deciding"; "cautious".

So a deliberate act in this context is one that the actor has taken time to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of. The deliberation must take place before the act of murder starts. A murder committed on a sudden impulse and without prior consideration, even with an intention to kill, is not a deliberate murder.

Two men were convicted of first-degree murder, but, even with that careful instruction, the case went to appeal. Ontario's Court of Appeal upheld the convictions. In Tori Stafford's killing, perhaps prosecutors already are concerned about establishing that the killing was planned and deliberate. They have another avenue to get a first-degree conviction: By establishing that the killing took place while another serious crime was being committed or attempted. The Criminal Code has this provision:

(5) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of any person, murder is first degree murder in respect of a person when the death is caused by that person while committing or attempting to commit an offence under one of the following sections:

(a) section 76 (hijacking an aircraft);
(b) section 271 (sexual assault);
(c) section 272 (sexual assault with a weapon, threats to a third party or causing bodily harm);
(d) section 273 (aggravated sexual assault);
(e) section 279 (kidnapping and forcible confinement); or
(f) section 279.1 (hostage taking).

Courts have interpreted the language "while committing" to mean only that the events must be "part of one continuous sequence of events forming a single transaction." A sexual assault and killing don't have to coincide exactly for the test to be met.

Rafferty's lawyer, Hal Mattson, offered a theory yesterday about why McClintic was charged with murder:

If I was the public and I was reading that, my own speculation would be is that they upped (to) the murder charge because her co-operation didn't pan out.

[full story]

Yesterday the prosecution of McClintic and Rafferty also was split so that each will be tried separately. Mattson said it's reasonable to speculate that's because prosecutors may seek to cut a deal with one of the accused to provide evidence against the other person.

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Accused child killer left a trail online

Netizens have done a fine job hunting down the cyber identity of the Woodstock man charged with murdering Victoria (Tori) Stafford, the eight-year-old Woodstock girl who disappeared April 8.

Michael Thomas C.S. Rafferty, 28, was charged Wednesday with kidnapping and first-degree murder. Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, was charged with kidnapping and being an accessory after the fact. Online information suggests Rafferty is a native of Toronto, with at least one, perhaps two, brothers. He describes himself as a dance instructor and several photos of youngish women in what appear to be dance costumes appear in his online galleries.

• Pictures were still online late Wednesday from Rafferty's Facebook profile.
• Rafferty's Windows live profile contains a remarkable selection of photos. The selection of thumbnails above are from the "Me" section of his SkyDrive. Links to those sections follow:

• pictures of him
• pictures of family
• random photos

• Rafferty's profile on the dating site Plenty of Fish has now disappeared, but a Facebook user copied and preserved it:

mychol : I only want one,the one, HER in my life!

Citylondon Ontario SignScorpioHeight5' 9" (175 cm)Age28 year old ManEthnicityCaucasian with Brown hair Smoker?NoBody TypeAthleticReligionNon-Re

ligiousRate My PictureImage | Vote Breakdown | Fans ChemistryN/A | Needs Assessment: N/A


I am Seeking aWomanForLong Term

Do you drink?SociallyMarital StatusSingleProfession dance instructor Smarts Graduate degree Do you want children?YesDo you do drugs?NoDo you have children?NoDo you have a car?Yes


Interestsgolf wine cottages
ACC concerts eating out
steaks traveling summer
dogs driving road trips
going to games 80s movies chick flicks
Greys Anatomy exotic foods talking
listening electronics and cool gadgets my blackberry
long walks star gazeing tea not coffee
plays the gym/working out sunny days
rainy days the good old days friends
EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING I HAVE NEVER DONE

About Me
I am a man who cooks,and likes to fix things.I teach dance and run a contracting business. I have to be honest I want someone who doesn't lie or cheat and someone who doesnt want to WIN the fight but rather weigh out what its really worth loseing what you have or just dropping it and moving forward with me.I dont want somene who will say things to hurt(dont tell me you love me,then tell me you dont)no head games PLEASE!! And I want someone who is wanting forever with someone and only them/me.I always tell it like it is and I always work at trying to better myself all the time.I do not believe I am perfect so when or if I get involved with someone. I believe I should try and not be so one way in thinking and shouldn't change for anyone..I will never change who I am but will make alterations to how I do things to make someone happy and better our relationship.I am one of the good guys. I want someone to spend the rest of my life with and someone who I can make happier then they have ever been..And please No girls who cant take care of themselves emotionally and physically and no one who thinks the BAR every weekend is for sure the place to always be.Like common Grow up branch out and try to see there is more then just the bar and to drink all the time..You need to be emotionally stable and know what you want as well no wishy washy ppl..up and down up and down..It seems everyone is a drama queen these days..lol and not just the women either even the guys too are drama queens lol anyways talk soon I hope girls..I promiss if we went on a date,we would at least have a fun time and you wont feel like the time was waisted.even if we dont hit it off we could still maybe make a good friend out of it.

on that note I have alot to say about someone who makes the first move and say hello> The guys cant always be the ones to make first contact..so if you liek my profile a bit and my pic..then by all means say hello!!


If you are these types of EYES then you know who you are. This may not apply to all but I am sure it comes close enough

BLUE EYES
People with blue eyes last the longest in relationships. They are kind, pretty or handsome, very good kissers and are really hot. They always fall in love with their closest friends and never understand why. They are very funny, outgoing and don't care what people think or say. They love to party.They are very satisfying and love to please. Are straight up WARRIORS ((aka wolves)) when they need to be.They are bad to the bone. If you repost this and you have blue eyes you will have the best kiss sometime in the next 5 days.

GREEN EYES
People with green eyes have the most passion put into relationships, honest and trust worthy, they have long lasting relationships. People with green eyes are also the most beautiful, are fun and outgoing, love to make people laugh, and random as ever. They long for the touch of another. They are very laid back. People with green eyes are very VERY sexy and very attracted towards other people. LOVES to have fun. They are always up for a challenge. As a fire ball this person will always have you guessing. Yet they draw you in with their amazing personality. THE BEST KISSER YOU WILL EVER MEET. You never want to let go of this person. Tend to cover up true feelings, get scared over relationships. You will meet/stay with the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with if you repost this.

HAZEL EYES
People with hazel eyes are very lovable. They are really hot and are awesome to be around. They enjoy 'pet names'. They don't care what people think or say. They are lovers not fighters. But if you mess around, they'll knock you out.They are real partiers.They are also the hottest of all. Very sexy people,and awesome kissers. They are very satisfying and they love to please. They can exceed your pleasure standards. They are very laid back, chilled and love to just be around.If you repost this and have hazel eyes then you will be happy soon with the person who is in your heart.

BROWN EYES
Either sexy as hell or are adorable. Loves to make new friends. Their relationship tends to be very honest because if they aren't truly in love, then the relationship won't work. They fall easily for their best friends. Will do anything for that special person. Kind and polite. Enjoys being with their guy/girl. LOVES to party. Can make ANYONE laugh or cheer them up. Loves to please the one they care for or love.
The BEST ones at sex . is NOT THE PERSON YOU WANT TO PISS OFF WILL KNOCK YOU OUT!!!!! ( STRAIGHT BAD ASS) Amazing Kisser

First Dateanyting is possible,but not everything is likelyMail Settings (To message mychol you MUST meet the following criteria.)Must not do drugs
Must not smoke


mychol Appears on 31 members favorites lists and has 2 roses that can be sent.

Rafferty's Windows live profile states that he has lived in "yukon to start thn everywhere between kitchener toronto,drayton,waterloo..richmondhill, ,newmarket,,, everywhere"

His humour is "dry/sarcastic."

Raffery reportedly changed his Facebook status to "Everything good is coming my way" on April 8, the day Tori Stafford was abducted.

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Breaking news on abduction of Tori Stafford

Missing eight-year-old Woodstock girl Victoria (Tori) Stafford was murdered April 8, police claim in documents filed today when they brought into court a 28-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman who have been arrested in connection with the child's abduction. Michael Thomas C.S. Rafferty is charged with murder. Terri-Lynne McClintic is charged as an accessory after the fact.

There are many good online sources to get the breaking developments in the case today:

• CP24's Sue Sgambati, a top-notch and veteran crime reporter appears to have the lead over most journalists in the story, having broken the news early this morning that a man and woman had been arrested. She continues to lead the coverage with inside info suggesting the case is being compared to the Bernardo-Homolka saga. Sue says Tori was apparently abducted for sexual purposes. For her insights, visit the CTV website here. CTV also seems to be providing video coverage faster than most other sources.

• The London Free Press also is doing excellent work, providing live webcasts every half hour on its website. The Free Press is providing good breaking news updates on its (@lfpress) Twitter feed.

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Tara McDonald's limo ride and the laws of evidence

The public explosion of anger, frustration and accusations between the parents of Victoria (Tori) Stafford, the eight-year-old Woodstock, Ontario girl who vanished April 8, has distracted from nagging, unanswered questions about the hunt for Tori (the parental meltdown that happened during a news conference May 15 appears above). What, for instance, ever became of the mystery benefactor, the wealthy, big-hearted soul who offered any amount of cash necessary to get her back safely? And why did that person happen to have with them a baggie of child's hair that he/she purportedly showed to Tara McDonald during a secret meeting at a Toronto hotel?

Spontaneous declaration.

Those two words could be the simple explanation for the mystery benefactor escapade. It's worth reconsidering the tale, now that 40 days have passed since Tori disappeared. There is growing anxiety in the words and emotions of her parents, who must know that as the weeks slip away, the chances of recovering their child alive diminish. So why has that mysterious saviour with deep pockets not resurfaced? If this benevolent soul really exists, why hasn't this person come forward again, or revealed themselves publicly, as the desperation to find the child grows? Surely every effort possible is necessary to bring her home.

Which brings us back to spontaneous declaration.

If you've ever been caught in a suddenly traumatic, emotionally wrenching moment that prompted you to blurt out words that you later wished you could take back, you've made a spontaneous declaration. If you're accused of a crime, those words might later be used against you in court. The words of other people who similarly let slip revealing or incriminating information might also be used against someone who is accused of a crime.

The notion of spontaneous declarations is long-established legal principle. Canadian courts have held that these declarations have an inherent credibility. Courts are willing to accept them, in most cases, despite the fact that they usually violate the sacred principle of hearsay. (Here's an explanation of the hearsay rule in Canadian law).

Given court rulings on spontaneous declarations, it's not surprising that police seek them out. In some cases, investigators will 'arrange' an event or an encounter that involves a suspect or an important witness that might lead to a spontaneous declaration.

Which brings us back to Tara McDonald and the mysterious limousine ride to Toronto to meet a shadowy, rich benefactor who appeared out of thin air. McDonald said she was whisked to Toronto, without warning on April 23. The story, she acknowledged, sounded "crazy."

At the Sheraton Hotel near the Toronto airport, she met a wealthy traveller from another country who was passing through the region and who just happened to have heard the woeful tale of Tori's abduction, and who just happened to have with him/her a baggie of his/her abducted and murdered child's hair and who just happened to feel the urge to offer any amount of money necessary to buy Tori's safety. That person said his/her child was abducted and they had refused to pay a ransom, on the advice of police. The child ended up dead. At a news conference roughly a week after the limo ride, McDonald described the encounter.

They had a little baggie of hair the same colour as my daughter's and that broke my heart. It was someone genuine.

It's not hard to imagine a dramatic moment in a quiet hotel room, where McDonald was face to face with this mysterious figure. The man/woman might have reached into a jacket pocket and reverently held out for McDonald's inspection a baggie that contained a few blond locks, hair that could just as easily have come from Tori's head. The mystery figure no doubt explained with suitable solemnity, perhaps even a tear, that this is one tangible reminder they have left of a murdered child. It's not hard to imagine that Tara McDonald gasped, or recoiled in horror, or cried or cringed. Or perhaps she said something – blurted out something that lurked in the back of her mind that was propelled forward by that moment of anxiety and emotional shock at the sight of bagged locks of hair, just like Tori's hair.

In fact, she might have said something that a reasonable person would conclude might constitute a spontaneous declaration.

Of course, she might have said nothing, at least nothing of value for investigators seeking to find Tori, because perhaps Tara McDonald knows nothing more that might bring Tori home safely than what she already has told police, or has told the world, for that matter, by standing most days on her front lawn to face the probing questions of reporters.


Want to see the spontaneous declaration rule in action in court cases?
• In this case, before the country's highest court, the spontaneous declaration of a child sexual assault victim was admitted into evidence.
• In this case, an accused murderer's words were used against him.
• In this case, a man who murdered two women by pouring gasoline on them and setting them on fire was fingered by the declarations of the victims.

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A little lie goes a long way to catch a killer

Today, a British Columbia man will tell Canada's highest court that his manslaughter conviction should be thrown out because he was interrogated by police for five hours despite insisting five times that he didn't want to speak to police until he talked to his lawyer again. There's a lesson in this case for those following closely every tiny investigative development in the hunt for a missing Woodstock girl, Victoria (Tori) Stafford.

The lesson: Police lie.

Anyone who believes that what police are releasing publicly about their hunt for Tori Stafford is the unvarnished and complete truth are sadly mistaken. Misdirection, half-truths and more significantly – withheld information – are the hallmarks of a complicated police investigation where murder may be the endgame. Police don't want potential conspirators, suspects and interfering citizens to be party to the police probe. For these reasons, they often leave morsels of information hanging, with no apparent confirmation or denial. The bulk of what police know and what leads they are pursuing remains hidden from public view, leaving citizens to gobble only the tidbits that come from friends and family members who continue to speak publicly (such as Tori's father Rodney Stafford, who met reporters at a news conference alone yesterday in Woodstock).

The tale of Tara McDonald's supposed limo ride to see a mystery benefactor in Toronto who is willing to pay any sum after Tori is returned safely spurred investigative ambiguity. The official police comment for public consumption was: "We've looked into it. It does not concern us." It's impossible to figure out what that means. Police aren't concerned that a wealthy Good Samaritan is offering a seemingly unlimited pot of cash to get back a missing child? Yet, they say they've looked into it. They won't confirm that the scenario is legitimate. They won't confirm that it's not legitimate. It's a classic case of police coyness in the heat of complex probe.
In the case that made it to the Supreme Court of Canada, Trent Terrence Sinclair was grilled by a police interrogator about the death of another man. Sinclair insisted, for hours, that he didn't kill the man:

Sometime after this, Sergeant Skrine left the interview room. When he returned, he told Mr. Sinclair that the police had found Mr. Grice’s body and the bedding from the motel room. He further stated that Mr. Sinclair’s D.N.A. was on the bedding (which was not true). At this point, Mr. Sinclair stated “You got me I know it”, and told Sergeant Skrine what had happened the night of Mr. Grice’s death.

[full decision of B.C. Court of Appeal]

Note the key words – which was not true. Which means, of course, it was a lie, concocted to bring pressure on the accused killer to confess. It worked. Sinclair confessed. He appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, claiming his rights were violated. That's another story, but it's a reminder that what police say and do isn't always what it seems. (updated June 20/09: here's a link to an archived video of the webcast of Sinclair's hearing before the top court - a decision hasn't yet been rendered).

So when police say virtually nothing publicly about the hunt for Tori Stafford, as they have done lately, it doesn't mean that they are making no progress and have no solid leads.

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Is Victoria Stafford mystery car a Saturn wagon?

There's a model of car that appears to be a good match for the mystery vehicle police have identified as having been in the area where Victoria (Tori) Stafford was abducted on April 8 in Woodstock, Ontario.



A compact Saturn wagon, pictured above, has a wheelbase of 102.4 inches.

Police say, in their news release, that the mystery vehicle has a wheelbase of approximately 262 centimetres. That's 103.1 inches.

Watch the video above and compare it to the pic of a 1997 Saturn SW2 wagon. Both seem to have an unusual, scalloped rear window. It appears that the Saturn wagon (SW stands for Station Wagon) in this configuration was sold between 1996 and 2001. Police say the driver of the mystery car may be a witness. Kudos to the poster in the Help Find Victoria Stafford Facebook group who may have been first to point out the car appeared to be a Saturn.

Tuesday, May 5 marked the first time in weeks that Tara McDonald, the missing child's mother, did not appear in her front yard for an afternoon news conference with reporters.

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'Speculation that Tara's involved'

There was a remarkable moment today during the news conference held by the parents of Victoria (Tori) Stafford, the fair-haired, eight-year-old pixie whose disappearance 22 days ago in Woodstock, Ontario, has transfixed the country.

It is worth studying closely the words of the little girl's father, Rodney Stafford, who spoke up as Tori's mother, Tara McDonald was saying she was disappointed that media attention had turned away from Tori. Unprompted, Stafford added:

Like, whether it be anybody who has, like, the speculation that Tara's involved, or anybody dealing with Tara is involved, let, if that may be the case, let whoever figure it out figure it out. Let's, we gotta stop the speculating and just put it out there. This is about Victoria. It's not about Tara right now. It's not about me. It's not about me and Tara. It's about finding our little girl. I'm just, I'm shaking. I'm getting sick of this because I just want it to end. I want her home. Somebody knows something. Let's just get Victoria home.

Stafford might not have realized the gravity of what he had said, as he said it, haltingly - the speculation that Tara is involved – and the obscure but striking – if that may be the case. He acknowledged a rumour, an as-yet wholly unfounded allegation that has cascaded across the net and no doubt through the living rooms of Woodstock and through coffee shops in Canada. Parents, family members and acquaintances are always suspects in child abductions and murder. The statistics tells us that children are most often taken by someone they know. Why would suspicion not fall on Tara McDonald and Rodney Stafford? Both, along with other people close to the missing child, took police polygraph tests.

While Stafford offered no evidence today and no words that would lend credence to any 'speculation' about McDonald, he acknowledged it and, notably, he did nothing to dismiss it.

• The Woodstock Sentinel-Review, which produced the video above, has a complete library of videos on the case, on its YouTube channel.

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Why won't police resolve mystery donor uncertainty?

Police in Woodstock investigating the disappearance of eight-year-old Victoria (Tori) Stafford believe it's a good idea to offer a $50,000 reward to catch her abductor. They extended the reward offer on April 28, 20 days after Tori vanished. Yet they are apparently indifferent to another cash offer – an unlimited sum to be paid to the kidnapper(s) on Tori's return.

Indifference seems the most reasonable conclusion after a police news conference held yesterday. One day earlier, Tori's mother, Tara McDonald, told a throng of reporters gathered in her front yard that she was secretly whisked to Toronto by limousine last Thursday and met a mysterious, wealthy person who has offered to pay any amount to Tori's kidnapper or kidnappers, once the child is returned. McDonald was given phone numbers that will be used to contact the donor. She said she gave the numbers to police, though it's not clear precisely when. It was later that night that police announced the formal, $50,000 reward for "information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the abduction" of Tori.

Which brings us back to indifference.

Yesterday, police held a news conference and were asked whether they could confirm the existence of the mystery donor described by McDonald.

"We've been provided information around the benefactor that Tara was speaking of," Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland said. "We've looked into it. It does not concern us."

She was asked again if police are confirming that a mysterious money offer has been made by a shadowy figure who met McDonald last week.

"I can confirm that the police have been told the information," she repeated. "We've been provided it all. We've looked into it and it doesn't cause us concern."

Maitland's words – it doesn't cause us concern – are puzzling, coming from a police service that announced less than 24 hours earlier that it was offering a $50,000 reward to solve the case. If $50,000 is good, isn't more money better? You might have expected that if police did "look into" the McDonald story, as Maitland said, and if they determined it was legitimate, they would have said so yesterday. That would seem to make sense, since corroborating the mystery donor tale would send a message to any kidnapper, should one exist, that a big payday is available.

Of course, if police looked into the story and determined it was not legitimate, would they say that publicly? Perhaps they'd say the story doesn't cause them any concern.

Of course, there's the possibility that police are indifferent to the mystery donor tale for another reason – because it is a ruse of their invention (see previous post).

More confusing even is the comment of Tara McDonald yesterday, before Maitland offered her remarks. At her daily news conference, McDonald insisted that police had corroborated her story of the mystery donor.

"The police checked out the anonymous person and they were legitimate," McDonald said.

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'I know it sounds crazy': Victoria Stafford's mother

Confronted by a vexing investigation of a grievous crime – like an abduction or a murder – police will do just about anything to crack the case. They will deceive, lie to suspects, concoct evidence that does not exist, plant informants and devise ruses to elicit incriminating information or confessions. Publicly, there is no evidence that such tactics are in play in the investigation into the puzzling disappearance of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford of Woodstock, Ontario, who vanished April 8. But today there was a remarkable development that might lead some observers to wonder exactly what police are doing behind the scenes, and what they know that most people do not.
The missing girl's mother, Tara McDonald, stood on the lawn of her Woodstock home (video above) before a swarm of reporters who gather for a daily news briefing. McDonald unspooled a stunning story: A limousine driver arrived at her home last Thursday and explained that a wealthy person wanted to bring her to Toronto for a meeting to discuss her missing child. McDonald brought a brother and friend with her for the 110 kilometre ride east from Woodstock to a Sheraton Hotel near Toronto's International Airport. She thought, at first, she was going to meet a famous psychic. The group left Woodstock sometime after 5 p.m. At the hotel, McDonald went to the room alone and met the mystery person, whom she did not know. She would not say if it was a man or woman. The person said he/she was passing through the area and heard of the missing child. He/She had lived through a similar tragedy. A child was abducted. Police had cautioned the person not to pay a ransom. The child ended up dead. He/She had a small bag that contained some snips of hair from the murdered child. It looked like Tori's hair, McDonald said. He/She requested anonymity and offered to pay any ransom sought by any kidnapper. McDonald was given a phone number. Once Tori was returned, the abductor would be given the number to arrange the transfer of any amount of money sought.

"I know it sounds crazy," McDonald said, when she had finished her bizarre account. She said she believed the person was being truthful. She told the police about the meeting, she said, and gave investigators the secret phone number. She would not share the number with reporters or provide any identifying information.

"I respected that person and want them to be able to remain totally anonymous," she said.

McDonald appeared earnest. She did not fumble as she told and retold the tale and responded to questioning by incredulous interviewers.

It is wholly believable that a desperate mother, willing to do anything to retrieve her lost child, would go on such a bizarre adventure and confront a mysterious stranger.

It is equally believable that the entire episode is a ruse concocted by police. It bears some similarities to the now infamous investigative tactic known as the Mr. Big sting, first employed by the RCMP. In this ploy, an undercover investigator poses as a wealthy, powerful figure, typically the head of a criminal organization. Mr. Big auditions the police target for a position in the organization - under the secret gaze of surveillance cameras. The target is someone suspected of murder.

Could Mr. Big have been adapted by investigators in a bid to find a missing girl? Police have continued to focus their investigation on the Woodstock area. There is no indication that a random predator is being sought. There have been no warnings to the community that parents should safeguard their children. It leads to the assumption that investigators have some information that points them toward a suspect or suspects. In the vast majority of child abductions, the abductor is someone known to the child and in many cases, that person is a friend, acquaintance or family member.

Do investigators have clues that lead them to believe that Tara McDonald has information about her daughter's disappearance that she has not revealed? If that were the case, they would be willing to apply whatever pressure was necessary to extract that information, including exposing her to outrageous scenarios that might elicit new details.

Perhaps even, the suggestion that a mysterious, powerful figure with a limitless supply of cash is ready to pay for Tori's return.

Police said they know about McDonald's account of the 220-kilometre limo ride to Toronto to meet the faceless benefactor.

"We are aware of it," said Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland."It's not going to adversely affect our investigation, the focus of our investigation remains in locating Tori."

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A troubling question about hunt for Victoria Stafford

The latest development in the mysterious disappearance of eight-year-old Victoria (Tori) Stafford (left, with mother and brother) has aroused a troubling secondary question. Did local police, who have relinquished control of the investigation, have the manpower and expertise to guide the probe in those critical first hours?

We may not know the answer to Question No. 2 for years, not until Question No. 1 – What happened to Victoria? – is answered. Should the case end badly – she's never found or found dead – recriminations will be loud and angry and perhaps rightfully so, given the peculiar turns the case has taken.

Ten days after Victoria apparently walked off her elementary school property with a mysterious woman, provincial police announced they are resurrecting a ground search in the community. Local police announced that the search was called off six days into the probe. They described it as a missing persons case. The OPP's Detective Inspector Bill Renton, who took command at a news conference in Woodstock yesterday, April 17, said it's now an abduction investigation. Local police did not use that term through the first week and a half, saying that there was no evidence of foul play. In the first few days, a police spokeswoman said she was hopeful Victoria was still alive, though she offered no explanation for the claim, except the absence of bad news (research shows that in stranger abduction murders, the child is typically killed within the first 24 hours). Provincial police also say they're going back over territory already covered by local police, but Renton insists that's normal procedure.

Though there was no apparent discord at a news conference announcing Renton's role as case manager. He replaces a local officer.

Provincial police and municipal police services across Ontario have sometimes feuded in the past decade or so over territory and money. The OPP sought to expand their reach in the mid to late 1990s, as many Ontario communities were transformed by political mergers. The OPP, which patrols more than 300 communities that don't have their own police forces, often end up bidding against local police agencies for the contracts to patrol municipalities (the OPP have 133 municipal contracts). Those bidding wars sometimes breed bitterness. The Woodstock area is policed by Oxford Community Police, formed in 1999 to patrol four municipalities, including Woodstock. In 2007, one of the four municipalities voted to abandon the partnership in favour of the OPP.

People who live in the area get a relative police bargain. The latest figures from Statistics Canada show that Oxford Community Police cost $209 per person in 2007, one of the lowest figures for comparably sized Ontario communities with their own departments. The department's strength is 135 officers per 100,000 people (84 actual officers) in 2008, well below the provincial figure of 194 officers per 100,000 people.

In 2006, 52% of respondents to a survey in Woodstock said there were "too few" police in their neighbourhood.

In a report in the same year, the police department's chief, Ron Fraser, stated: "The current population to officer [ratio] is just barely acceptable. The officers in most cases are working to their capacity."

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Victoria Stafford probe troubled from the start

Police in Woodstock, Ontario, fumbled their investigation of the disappearance of eight-year-old Victoria (Tori) Stafford, right from the start. The first mistake, mostly overlooked by most observers, is right there in black and white.

Here's the news release Oxford Community Police issued the day after Victoria vanished. I've highlighted the error, which appears on the second page of the release.



The release describes Victoria's disappearance taking place on "Thursday, April 8." The release was issued on Thursday, April 9.

Victoria disappeared on Wednesday, April 8.

Now, more than a week after she vanished, the error doesn't seem like a big deal. But, did it cause any confusion in those crucial first 48 hours after she vanished? Did it leave anyone uncertain whether she'd been missing 12 hours, at the time the release was issued, or whether she'd been missing just a few hours? Given other criticism of the local department, this mistake doesn't breed confidence in their ability to handle a complex, high profile case. (The department has 84 officers to serve a community of 62,000 people, according to the latest StatsCan figures - though other agencies are helping with the investigation). Many people, including Victoria's mother, are asking why police have not declared it an abduction. Police may have a good reason for that, but they haven't shared it publicly, nor have they tipped their hand, as departments often do. It's not uncommon for a police agency, investigating the disappearance of a child, to issue a release or make statements, something to the effect that: 'We don't believe there is any cause for alarm in the community. We do not believe a predator is on the loose and we do not believe this is a random act.' This kind of statement is meant to telegraph, without giving away much, that investigators suspect the child is a victim of a local dispute, perhaps involving family members or acquaintances of the family. It is a reasonable measure for police to take, to reassure an alarmed community that a sexual predator or random killer is not on the loose.

But there's been no such statement from Woodstock police, except for a few puzzling public comments by a police spokeswoman who said, days after the disappearance, that investigators believed Victoria was still alive. Five days after the child apparently walked away from her elementary school with a mysterious, unidentified woman, police called off the ground search for her, again, without explanation except the statement that they considered it a missing persons case.

Police have scheduled a news conference for today (Friday, April 17) in which, for the first time in nine days, a senior officer is expected to comment on the case.

Related post: Is Victoria still alive?

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Is missing girl, Victoria Stafford, still alive?

Despite mammoth community mobilization and an intense police probe, there's no sign of a missing eight-year-old Woodstock, Ontario, girl, Victoria 'Tori' Stafford (above). She has been missing since 3:30 p.m. April 8, when the Grade 3 student was captured on a surveillance camera leaving her elementary school with an unknown woman in a white coat.

The case is beginning to look like what police call a stereotypical stranger abduction, an extremely rare event in Canada. This excerpt comes from an RCMP research report on stranger abductions in Canada that included a review of studies in the U.S.

The length of time the child remains alive is usually very short in duration. Researchers reported that the victims were typically killed immediately or kept alive for only about 24 hours. In this study, it was estimated by the investigating officers that the four victims were killed within the first 24 hours.

Victoria has been missing four days, as of this writing. The 'four victims' in the excerpt above are four children who were abducted and murdered in Canada in 2000 and 2001 by strangers. There were just five child stranger abductions across the country in that two-year span, the Mounties found (note that the Canadian law enforcement definition of a stranger includes relatives, friends, and acquaintances). Four of the children were sexually assaulted and murdered. The fifth child was found unharmed. All five victims were girls, aged five to 10:



There's no shortage of people willing to try to help find Victoria. A Facebook group dedicated to the quest had more than 24,000 members within four days of her disappearance. Police hope someone will identify the woman seen walking with Victoria outside her school on the afternoon she vanished. A video surveillance camera captured the moment, which so far, is the only concrete lead:



• The RCMP maintains a searchable database of missing children in Canada.

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