Photo of Tori Stafford.

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Five years ago today, on April 8, 2009, Victoria Stafford was last seen leaving her Woodstock school before surveillance video captured a woman walking her away, we later learned, on the false promise of seeing a puppy.

What followed was the largest-scale OPP search in the police force’s history. The hopes and prayers of a family, a community and a country were dashed in May by the arrests of a man and a woman, Terri-Lynn McClintic and Michael Rafferty, for the eight-year-old girl’s murder. Tori’s body was found in a wooded area near Mount Forest in July.

It’s five years later and the case is not closed. In 2010 McClintic pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison. Four years after Tori’s murder Rafferty was found guilty on all charges; kidnapping, rape and first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance at parole for 25 years. Rafferty is attempting to launch an appeal on the claim that the jury did not receive proper instruction and was denied several requests to have Legal Aid assistance. The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled Rafferty had grounds for an appeal and it appears his court action will be covered by the Attorney General.

Officials at Tori’s school, Oliver Stephens Public in Woodstock, have asked to be left alone on this sad anniversary. “Tori’s loss was a traumatic event for the entire community,” says Superintendent Riley Culhane. “And it was particularly distressing for students and staff at Oliver Stephens.”

Tori’s family have asked that we never forget the happy little girl who loved butterflies, her big brother, and shopping.