Tori Found (7)
Ontario Provincial Police investigators have found “suspicious remains” near Mount Forest, Ont., northwest of Guelph but it is too early to say whether they are those of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford.
“By no means are we indicating at this point that these are the remains of Victoria Stafford,” OPP Sgt. David Rektor said Monday morning. “Certainly, we’re not making that leap until such time as they are positively identified.”
Rektor said investigators searching for the little girl found the remains Sunday on private property in a rural field.
Rektor said the scene remains “very busy” with police activity and more information will likely be released later Monday.
Stafford was last seen on April 8, in Woodstock, Ont.
Two people — Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, and Michael Rafferty, 28 — have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death.
Mount Forest is about 132 kilometres north of Woodstock.
[Source]
Related:
Remains found northwest of Guelph
Tori Stafford investigators find body of young child
Updates:
12:21 pm EDT, July 20th, 2009 — Remains could belong to Tori Stafford, say OPP
3:21 pm EDT, July 20th, 2009 — Stafford family hopes discovery brings closure
10:43 am EDT, July 21st, 2009 — OPP confirm they have found Victoria Stafford
Notes:
I don’t really know what to say to people about this discovery. What can anyone say?
Perhaps thanks to all the people that worked so hard on the case and especially the police who kept their promise to find her.
“Well done” and my thoughts are with her family now.
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Sandy Says:
Jack — The media seem to love the word “closure.” It is such a misued word.
Closure, perhaps in knowing precisely what happened to Tori. Closure in finding her body and being able to bury her, yes. But, certainly no closure for the family beyond that.
As you know from your young daughter who died of cancer, parents and siblings never have closure. While the pain diminishes a bit, even to talk about it brings it all back in a split second.
We lost a granddaughter at 3 months to SIDS. She was perfectly healthy and already had a personality. In other words, she was a wee person. Yet, people assumed that because she was just a baby, the pain wouldn’t be so bad. Well, my daughter nursed her for 12 weeks at her breast. To then lose her was horrendous. Jacqueline Rachel was her name. She would be 22 now. The worst of my pain then and now was because, as a mother, I could not take away my own daughter’s pain — as mom’s always try to do.
I guess what I am trying to say is that if Tori’s family really hopes finding her body brings closure, they will be very disappointed. What it will do, however, is allow the phases of mourning to actually begin — now that they know she will definitely not be coming back — phases which can come and go throughout our entire lives.
Posted on July 21st, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Jack Says:
Well said, Sandy and you’re exactly right.
Posted on July 21st, 2009 at 7:58 pm