Terri-Lynne McClintic Confesses Gory Details

Convicted child killer Terri-Lynne McClintic shocked a packed court room yesterday when she admitted that it had been she -- Michael Rafferty -- who delivered the fatal blows that ended the beautiful little girl's life.

McClintic took the stand this week to begin her testimony against her ex-boyfriend, who is currently on trial for the murder of Tori Stafford. Rafferty has pleaded not-guilty to charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault causing bodily harm.

McClintic and Rafferty met at a pizza joint in Woodstock, Ontario in February 2009. Less than two months later, the pair snatched the Grade 3 student shortly after school was let out for the day on April 8.

“He knew what to say. He made me feel good,” 

McClintic also forayed into a heart-wrenching description of Tori's final hours, and the details she provided painted a horrific of portrait utter depravity. She explained that Rafferty had coached her on what she should say to lure a child back to their vehicle:

"They'll be getting out of school now, just talk about dogs or candy."

Little Tori Stafford -- the only child who happened to be walking alone -- proved to be easy prey for McClintic, who was able to lure her back to Rafferty's car with talk of Shih Tzus (Tori's family owned one). McClintic told the court that Rafferty yelled out the window at her to "hurry up," so at that point she pushed Tori into the waiting vehicle.

Tori was made to lie down on the floor of the backseat, where they covered her up. When the little girl asked where they were going, McClintic tried to put her at ease, telling her that they were simply out for a drive. In her testimony, she indicated that even she did not know where they were headed, but she didn't want to alarm the child.

Along the way, Rafferty stopped at a Home Depot store in Guelph, Ontario. He instructed McClintic to go inside to buy a claw hammer and garbage bags...

McClintic testified that Rafferty began to masturbate as he turned down a deserted rural laneway and eventually brought the vehicle to a stop. At this point, McClintic says she got out of the car:

“I knew what was going to happen and I didn’t want to be there for what was going to happen,”

McClintic added that when the little girl began screaming, she turned her head away so as not to see what was happening inside the car. She also said Rafferty had already been thinking about what to do with Tori after the assault.

“We just can’t keep her and we can’t take her back.”

McClintic told the court that she placed a garbage bag over Tori's head, and hit it a number of times with the claw hammer; admitting that she and Rafferty had also kicked the girl before killing her. They moved Tori's body near a rock pile and covered it with stones. Afterward, Rafferty cleaned himself using bottled water and McClintic's winter jacket.

Rafferty and McClintic then drove to a car wash in Cambridge, Ontario where they disposed of the garbage bags, hammer, and Tori's clothing. They changed their clothes in the bathroom of a nearby store, tossing what they had been wearing when Tori was killed out the window as they drove along Highway 401.

Once the pair arrived back in Woodstock, Rafferty dropped McClintic off at a convenience store and she walked home from there.

After Tori's disappearance became known in the community, McClintic said she helped a friend distribute missing-child flyers. She also spoke in court about the rapport she had developed with the little girl in the hours before her death.

“She said she liked Halloween because she got to dress up and that she liked Christmas because of the lights and how pretty everything was . . . I got along with her well.”

Tori's Dad holds a photo of his daughter outside the court

More Information...

CBC Reports From The Stafford Trial
Up-to-the-minute live blog covering the court proceedings against Michael Rafferty.