Sad Anniversary For Tori Stafford’s Family

While the last 12 months have been filled with unspeakable pain and heartache, Thursday may be a particularly hard day for the family of Tori Stafford – it’s the one-year anniversary of the eight-year-old girl’s disappearance.

Tori was reported missing on April 8, 2009 when she didn’t return home from school. The youngster was seen on surveillance footage walking near her Woodstock, Ont. schoolyard with a woman.

The Grade 3 student was very likely killed that same day. Her remains were discovered more than three months later in Arthur Township, about 90 minutes from her home.

“We’ve taken her along with us,” Tori’s grandmother Doreen Graichen said.

“There’s nothing that we’ve done that we haven’t had the feeling of her presence with us…She’s alive in us now.”

Terri-Lynne McClintic and Michael Rafferty are charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping. Investigators haven’t revealed details of what they believe happened in Tori’s final hours and those unanswered questions have made it that much harder for her family.

“I pray that this eases as time goes by, but not having any answers is the worst,” Graichen said.

“We don’t want to know but we do want to know.”

Tori’s father, Rodney Stafford, is out West preparing for his second fundraising bike ride for Child Find Ontario in Tori’s honour. Stafford rode from Woodstock to Edmonton last year. This time he’s making the journey from Edmonton to Woodstock with his 11-year-old son Daryn.

Graichen said her son is getting on well, but still has moments when the pain is too much to bear.

“Knowing that all of my kids are suffering and there’s not a damn thing I can do – I’m hurting, they’re hurting,” she said.

Tori’s case sparked an overhaul of Ontario’s Amber Alert program after the Oxford Community Police force came under fire for not issuing the clarion call immediately. The investigators said the case didn’t fulfill the criteria for an Amber Alert.

Before the changes were implemented, authorities had to confirm a child had been abducted, believe that child was in danger of serious harm or death and have a description of the child and a suspect or vehicle.

Police now only have to believe a child has been abducted and is in danger. They can also issue an alert without descriptions of a suspect or vehicle.

With files from the Canadian Press

Click here for information on Rodney Stafford’s Kilometres for Kids bike ride.

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Here’s a look at developments in the Tori Stafford case:

April 8th, 2009 – Tori is reported missing after she doesn’t return home from school. Oxford Community Police launch a missing persons investigation.
April 9th, 2009 – Grainy security video showing an unknown woman walking with Tori near her school is released.
April 10th, 2009 – A ground search is launched.
April 12, 2009 – Community holds candlelight vigil for Tori, pray for her safe return.
April 13th, 2009 – Ground search is called off. Investigators said they didn’t have enough information to go on.
April 15th, 2009 – Tori’s mother Tara McDonald insists her child’s disappearance should be considered an abduction, not a missing persons case.
April 17th, 2009 – OPP help in the investigation and classify it as an abduction. A ground search starts again.
April 21st, 2009 – A composite sketch of a woman is released.
May 4th, 2009 – Images of a suspect car are released. A $50,000 reward for information is posted.
May 20th, 2009 – 28-year-old Michael Rafferty and 18-year-old Terri-Lynne McClintic are arrested and charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping.
June 6, 2009 – with no body to bury, family holds memorial service in Woodstock.
July 21, 2009 – Tori’s remains are found in Arthur Township, about 90 minutes from her home.