From: jcs
On April 8, 2009, eight-year-old Tori Stafford disappeared after leaving Oliver Stevens School in Woodstock, Ontario, at approximately 3:25 p.m. [00:00:03]. She was captured on surveillance leaving two minutes later than other students because she had returned to retrieve her mother’s butterfly earrings from her desk [00:00:16]. Tori Stafford never returned home that Wednesday afternoon [00:00:25].
Initial Investigation
Tori was reported missing by her grandmother at 6:04 p.m. on April 8, 2009, leading to an immediate missing-persons investigation [00:00:28]. Roughly seven hours later, surveillance footage from a local high school emerged, showing Tori walking alongside an unidentified woman [00:00:36]. In the video, Tori did not appear to be struggling [00:00:44]. The woman was described as white, aged 19 to 25, 5 foot 2 inches tall, weighing about 125 pounds, with a black ponytail [00:00:47].
The local police publicly appealed for the woman in the video to come forward [00:00:55]. Tori’s grandparents offered a $10,000 reward for her return [00:00:58]. A Facebook group dedicated to finding her quickly gained over 20,000 followers within 24 hours [00:01:03].
On April 12, four days after her disappearance, hundreds gathered in Woodstock at 8 p.m. for a vigil [00:01:07]. Tori’s mother made a tearful televised appeal for her daughter’s return [00:01:14]. Over the following week, Tori’s parents were interviewed by investigators and both passed polygraph tests [00:01:19].
Six days after the disappearance, police called off ground searches due to a lack of clues or leads [00:01:24]. The following day, America’s Most Wanted featured Tori’s case as its top story [00:01:30]. On April 17, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) took the lead in the investigation, and ground searches recommenced [00:01:35]. The case was officially reclassified as an abduction, rather than just a missing person [00:01:41]. A media campaign was escalated with the release of a composite sketch of the woman in the video, which was circulated on social media and local news outlets [00:01:45].
Perpetrators Identified
On May 19, police obtained information identifying the woman in the video as 18-year-old Terri Lynn McClintock [00:01:54]. She was already in custody for breaching a probation order related to a previous drug violation [00:01:57]. McClintock was transferred to the Ontario Police Headquarters and interviewed by Detective Sergeant Jim Smith around 5:30 p.m. [00:02:03]. Initially, she denied being the woman in the video and claimed no knowledge of the missing girl [00:02:09]. However, approximately 45 minutes into the interrogation, she broke [00:02:13].
McClintock described in disturbing detail the abduction and killing of Tori Stafford [00:02:55]. She stated that she lured Tori into a secluded parking space with the promise of showing her a puppy [00:02:57]. Tori was then forced into the backseat of a vehicle that immediately drove away [00:03:03]. The driver was identified as 28-year-old Michael Rafferty [00:03:06]. Rafferty then drove to a secluded area about 100 miles north of Woodstock [00:03:08]. He proceeded to sexually assault and murder the eight-year-old, with the fatal injuries being four strikes to the head with a claw hammer [00:03:14].
McClintock drew a rough sketch of the area where Tori was killed, which eventually led police to discover the girl’s remains [00:03:20]. Tori was found with lacerations to her liver and sixteen broken ribs [00:03:27]. Her cause of death correlated with McClintock’s testimony, confirmed as repeated blows to the head with a blunt object [00:03:31].
At 7:55 p.m. that evening, Michael Rafferty was arrested and charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder [00:03:37]. He was read his rights and immediately brought to police headquarters for interrogation [00:03:44].
Michael Rafferty’s Interrogation
Initial Approach and Rapport Building
Staff Sergeant Chris Loam conducted the interrogation of Michael Rafferty. Loam had been a police officer for over 21 years and a member of the Behavioral Sciences unit for 17 years, heading the analysis section which covered criminal profiling, threat assessment, and forensic psychiatry [00:07:02]. Loam initially stated his purpose was solely to assess Rafferty’s threat level [00:07:17], although for serious crimes like rape and murder, the threat level is typically assessed prior to psychological analysis [00:07:27]. In reality, the primary purpose was to understand Rafferty’s character to influence his reasoning and decision-making [00:07:34].
Loam employed a strategy of rapport development, maintaining a friendly and nonchalant demeanor [00:05:20]. This approach aimed to make Rafferty more cooperative by downplaying the crime’s severity and making admission less intimidating [00:05:34]. Loam emphasized that he wasn’t upset or mad at Rafferty [00:10:22]. He highlighted that the evidence had led investigators to Rafferty [00:08:22].
Loam referenced the case of Michael Briere and Holly Jones, suggesting that such events can arise from unforeseen circumstances like watching child pornography [00:09:05]. He positioned his role as assessing whether Rafferty felt remorse or was likely to reoffend [00:10:10]. Loam stressed that while mistakes happen, Rafferty couldn’t turn back time and needed to face what happened [00:10:45]. He also pointed out that Rafferty did not act alone [00:11:20].
Psychological Pressure and Denials
Rafferty’s demeanor throughout the interrogation was described as a “quivering mess,” acting like a helpless victim vying for sympathy, which was a stark contrast to his actions during the crime [00:13:06]. Loam consistently tried to keep Rafferty’s confidence low, immediately stopping any denials to prevent an increase in his morale and psychological endurance [00:14:27]. Loam reiterated that Rafferty’s “credibility” was all he had left [00:14:47].
Loam presented the overwhelming evidence against Rafferty:
- Terri Lynn McClintock had been identified as the woman in the video [00:15:19].
- McClintock confirmed being in Rafferty’s car with Tori [00:15:24].
- The abduction was a planned event, with McClintock luring Tori into Rafferty’s car [00:15:37].
- They drove to the Guelph area and Home Depot [00:15:29].
- Events at Home Depot and the subsequent site where Tori was killed [00:15:51].
- Rafferty’s involvement in the sexual assault and murder of Tori [00:15:56].
Loam persistently questioned the “why” behind the crime, pressing Rafferty on whether he was a repeat offender or if it was a “mistake” that got out of control [00:16:37]. Rafferty was offered a bucket when he appeared nauseous [00:16:57]. Loam continued to emphasize the seriousness of the situation, stating that people would “think the worst” unless Rafferty explained his side [00:17:32].
Good Cop/Bad Cop (Mutt and Jeff Technique)
After 95 minutes of psychological pressure, the investigators initiated the “Mutt and Jeff” technique, or good cop/bad cop [00:33:19]. The “bad cop” detailed Terri Lynn McClintock’s confession, emphasizing her remorse and cooperation [00:33:40]. He graphically recounted her statements about:
- Rafferty dropping McClintock off near the school [00:34:07].
- McClintock luring Tori with a story about a puppy, taking her hand, and putting her in Rafferty’s car [00:34:19].
- Tori’s fear and discomfort [00:34:40].
- Driving to Guelph, getting drugs, and then to Home Depot [00:34:51].
- Rafferty sending McClintock into Home Depot to buy garbage bags with cash [00:35:03].
- Driving to a secluded farmer’s field where McClintock walked away to avoid witnessing the sexual assault [00:35:19].
- Rafferty making McClintock hold garbage bags while he put his clothes, jacket, and hammer inside [00:35:50].
- Driving to a gas station where Rafferty washed up and disposed of the bag, and McClintock never saw Tori again [00:36:04].
The bad cop highlighted the physical evidence: “Torrey Stafford is all over your car” [00:37:48]. He aggressively challenged Rafferty’s denial, stating that Rafferty was “explaining nothing” while McClintock was “explaining everything” [00:37:58].
Investigator's Emotional Outburst
Detective Smith’s behavior in the later stages of the interrogation was not associated with any specific techniques [00:47:36]. He had become emotionally invested in the case and delivered a “psychological grilling” to Rafferty, stating, “I think you’re a cold-blooded killer” [00:52:53]. He expressed his desire to make Rafferty “squirm” and endure some of the grief Tori experienced [00:53:39]. Smith called Rafferty “a sick puppy” and “pure evil,” noting his lack of remorse or empathy [00:53:48].
Rafferty’s request for food was observed as a moment where he was “clinging on to hope” but also situationally aware, concerned with how his eating would be perceived [00:44:40]. He appeared to be trying to maintain an image of being too guilt-ridden to eat [00:44:59]. Despite the offer, no food was brought, as the investigator had no intention of catering to a “child-killer” [00:46:03].
The Mutt and Jeff technique, though well-executed, was ultimately unsuccessful in eliciting a confession from Rafferty on this occasion [00:46:15]. Rafferty continued to claim innocence and adhered to his lawyer’s advice not to speak [00:48:58].
Trial and Verdict
Michael Rafferty was found guilty of murdering, kidnapping, and sexually assaulting eight-year-old Tori Stafford [00:55:28]. The trial lasted nearly 10 weeks in London, Ontario [00:55:34]. Upon the verdict being read, there was a collective sigh of relief from friends and family in the courtroom, with guilty verdicts for first-degree murder, abduction, and sexual assault [00:55:43]. Lawyers from both sides expressed appreciation for the jury’s work [00:56:06].
“The verdict means that the jury has found that Michael Rafferty did kidnap, sexually assault and murder Victoria Stafford and our thoughts are with Victoria’s family” [00:56:19]
Both Michael Rafferty and Terri Lynn McClintock were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years [00:57:16].