From: jcs
On April 8, 2009, eight-year-old Tori Stafford was last seen leaving Oliver Stevens School in Woodstock, Ontario, at 3:25 p.m. [00:00:03] She was captured on surveillance footage walking side-by-side with an unidentified woman shortly after leaving school [00:00:36]. The woman did not appear to be struggling, and was described as being between 19 and 25 years old, white, 5’2”, approximately 125 pounds, with a black ponytail [00:00:44].
Identification and Arrest
On May 19, police received information identifying the woman in the video as 18-year-old Terry Lynn McClintock [00:01:51]. She was already in custody for breaching a probation order related to a prior drug violation [00:02:01].
The Interrogation
Terry Lynn McClintock was transferred to the Ontario Police Headquarters and interviewed by Detective Sergeant Jim Smith at approximately 5:30 p.m. [00:02:03]. Initially, she denied being the woman in the video and claimed to know nothing about the missing girl [00:02:09]. However, about 45 minutes into the interrogation, she broke down [00:02:13].
Details of the Confession
McClintock described the abduction and killing of Tori Stafford in disturbing detail [00:02:55]. She confessed to luring Tori into a secluded parking space by promising to show her a puppy [00:02:57]. Tori was then forced into the backseat of a vehicle [00:03:03].
The driver of the vehicle 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]. McClintock stated that Rafferty sexually assaulted and murdered the eight-year-old, with the fatal injuries being four strikes to the head with a claw hammer [00:03:12].
McClintock drew a rough sketch of the area where Tori was killed, which subsequently led police to discover Tori’s remains [00:03:20]. Tori was found with lacerations to her liver and sixteen broken ribs, but her cause of death, repeated blows to the head with a blunt object, correlated with McClintock’s testimony [00:03:25].
Terry Lynn’s Demeanor
During the interrogation, McClintock cried throughout, using two boxes of Kleenex [00:33:55]. She declined the offer to call a lawyer four times, stating she felt so bad about what happened that she just wanted to tell everything [00:36:22]. The detectives noted that her emotional state and willingness to confess were significant [00:40:00].
Consequences
At 7:55 p.m. the same evening, Michael Rafferty was arrested and charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder [00:03:37].
Ultimately, both Michael Rafferty and Terry Lynn McClintock were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years [00:57:16]. McClintock’s confession played a crucial role in the case, leading to the recovery of Tori’s body and the subsequent charges against Michael Rafferty [00:03:20].