Terri-Lynne McClintic

Case record: Terri-Lynne McClintic

Background

Victoria Elizabeth Marie Stafford, an eight-year-old Canadian girl, was abducted from Woodstock, Ontario on April 8, 2009. Terri-Lynne McClintic was 18 at the time she was charged and later pleaded guilty to first degree murder. McClintic assisted the police search for the remains of Tori Stafford after her arrest.

The offence

Victoria “Tori” Stafford was last seen on security camera footage walking with a person of interest. Police later confirmed that the search for her body ended when a child’s remains were found in a wooded area in rural Ontario on July 19, 2009, and those remains were believed to be those of Tori Stafford. The identification was confirmed in a news conference held July 21, 2009.

Stafford’s remains were found naked from the waist down. She was wearing only a Hannah Montana T-shirt and a pair of butterfly earrings she had borrowed from her mother. Her lower half was significantly decomposed. During an autopsy, it was determined that Tori had suffered through a beating that caused lacerations to her liver and broken ribs. Her eventual death resulted from repeated blows to the head with a claw hammer.

McClintic’s plea in the separate proceeding for her role in the killing was to first degree murder.

Investigation

The initial investigation was led by Oxford Community Police Service and then turned into a joint operation with the Ontario Provincial Police. The case involved extensive media coverage across Canada.

Police publicly confirmed identification of the remains on Tuesday, July 21, 2009, at 9:00 am. After the discovery, McClintic’s arrest and the subsequent investigation drew attention, and the police response and failure to announce an Amber Alert were criticized by the public. The circumstances of Tori’s death were unknown to the public until a publication ban was lifted in December 2010.

In the later trial of co-accused Michael Rafferty, evidence included video surveillance and statements and records linking Rafferty to Victoria’s disappearance. The trial evidence also included material about internet searches and prejudicial evidence rulings in Rafferty’s case; the jury in Rafferty’s trial did not hear details related to child-porn evidence from searches and devices because of evidentiary rulings. Specific details about the trial of Rafferty included forensic and testimonial evidence about injuries, vehicle identification, police search efforts, and the timeline of events.

Arrest

On May 20, 2009, police charged Michael Thomas Rafferty, 28, with first degree murder and charged Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, with being an accessory to murder (in addition to lesser charges) in the abduction and suspected murder of Tori. McClintic assisted in the police search for the remains after her arrest.

On May 28, 2009, McClintic’s charges were altered to a first degree murder charge and an unlawful confinement charge, and it was announced that the accused would be tried separately. McClintic was scheduled to make an appearance in court on April 30, 2010.

Trial

McClintic did not proceed to a separate trial for the first degree murder charge after she pleaded guilty.

In the related proceeding against co-accused Michael Rafferty, the trial commenced on March 5, 2012. On May 11, 2012, at 9:18 pm ET, the jury found Rafferty guilty on all charges. Four days later, Rafferty was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Rafferty appealed his conviction to the Court of Appeal for Ontario on July 26, 2012.

McClintic’s testimony had been heard in Rafferty’s trial as part of the Crown’s case against Rafferty. In Rafferty’s proceeding, McClintic testified about abducting Tori and about the role each accused played. Conflicting evidence was described in relation to who dealt fatal blows to Tori.

Sentencing

McClintic pleaded guilty to first degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

A publication ban applied to events on April 30, 2010. The publication ban was lifted on December 9, 2010, revealing that McClintic pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.

Appeals

No separate appeal outcome for McClintic was included. In the related co-accused proceeding, Michael Rafferty appealed his conviction to the Court of Appeal for Ontario on July 26, 2012.

Outcome

McClintic pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Aftermath

McClintic later pleaded guilty in prison to an assault charge involving another inmate. She was serving a life sentence for the first-degree murder of Tori Stafford and was at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ont. Justice Colin Westman sentenced McClintic to six months for the assault, calling the case “troublesome and tragic.”

The incident described involved McClintic punching and kicking an inmate named Aimee MacIntyre during a peer-to-peer support meeting. McClintic continued her assault, and several officers saw the attack and struggled to pull her off. MacIntyre was taken to hospital with significant bruising to her head and eye area and a bruise on her arm, but she required no hospitalization and was given medication before being returned to the prison for observation. When interviewed by police on Feb. 2, MacIntyre reported experiencing headaches and dizziness. The text also stated that, since that interview, MacIntyre had not been co-operative with the Crown, making it impossible to prove the extent of the injuries.

McClintic was described as having planned to fight the charge until a letter surfaced. McClintic admitted to the assault and said she did not want a lawyer. A Crown attorney, Julia Forward, wanted a six month sentence, and the defence counsel Geoff Snow wanted time served. Justice Westman referenced a lack of remorse in McClintic’s letter and stated: “She seems to have some pretty deep-seeded anger,” and added that as time passes, “she feels bad.” Justice Westman also said: “My only hope for you is that you will try the best you can to have a more civil attitude to fellow human beings ... Violence is not the answer.” McClintic was put in segregation for 30 days and her privileges were gone for two months.

Other details

McClintic’s lawyer stated that after arrest McClintic “wants Tori's family to know she is trying hard to find her body”.

In the related sentencing coverage for the April 30, 2010 hearing (publication restrictions later lifted), McClintic’s plea and sentencing were described as mandatory life sentence with parole ineligibility for 25 years.

The text also described a publication ban imposed by the judge on events of April 30, 2010, and its subsequent lifting on December 9, 2010. The reasons for the partial publication ban included the fact that co-accused Michael Rafferty had yet to go to trial.