Tori Stafford murder trial – Week 4 wrap-up

Tori Stafford's body was found near Mount Forest, Ontario nearly 3 years ago.

Attention: This story contains content which may disturb some readers.

As the ongoing trial against Michael Rafferty continues, this past week was a disturbing one as the court hears about the discovery of 8-year-old Tori Stafford’s body.

On July 19, 2009, Sgt. Jim Smyth of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was going to drive to Stafford’s home town of Woodstock, when he took a detour and head to Mount Forest. As Smyth was scouting the area before calling in a search team, he saw a house that Terri Lynn-McClintic, the former girlfriend of Rafferty, mentioned where Stafford’s body was buried.

With a strong hunch that he might find something, Smyth started looking around the house and noticed many similarities that McClintic had mentioned in her statement. He also saw a large rock pile, and noticed it had a strong odour coming from it.  He also noticed a green garbage bag under the piles of rocks. As he inspected it, he touched it and felt that it wasn’t a rock, but it was soft and knew that he had found Stafford’s body.

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Andrea Yates praying for time

Andrea Yates is requesting time away from the mental health facility where she has spent the last 11 years.

Andrea Yates’ attorney’s will be requesting from the trial judge that she be allowed to attend church services once a week outside of the mental health facility where she is currently hospitalized.

11 years ago Andrea Yates, a God-fearing Texas wife and mother, calmly ran a bath for her five children. The  one by one she put them in the bath, drowned them and placed three of their bodies on the bed while leaving two floating in the bathtub. Then she called police, and her husband Rusty and repeated, “It’s time”.

Her first trial was in March of 2002 – a jury found her guilty, rejecting her insanity plea, and she was sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility for parole in 40 years.

In 2005, a Texas Court of Appeals reversed the verdict after a prosecution witness was alleged to have given false testimony.

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Texas executes Karlos Borja killer

Hernandez was executed for the murder of a 10 month old boy.

Jesse Joe Hernandez, a convicted child sex offender was executed tonight in Huntsville, Texas for the murder of a 10 month old baby he was baby sitting in 2001.

In April 2001, 10 month-old Karlos Borja was taken to hospital with fractures and bruises to his head, thigh and abdomen. Little Karlos was kept on life support for a week but was later taken off, where he died. His older sister was also injured in the attack but survived her injuries and with her testimony Hernandez was convicted.

Hernandez was chatty in his last moments, he said, “God bless everybody. Continue to walk with God.”, “Go Cowboys”, referring to the Dallas Cowboys. His last words were  ”Love y’all, man. Thank you. I can feel it, taste it. It’s not bad.”

Jesse Joe Hernandez was the fourth execution in Texas so far this year and he was pronounced dead at 7:18pm EST.

Tori Stafford murder trial week 3 wrap-up

McClintic continued her testimony this week at Michael Rafferty's trial.

CAUTION: This story includes disturbing information that may offend some people.

For the past week, Terri-Lynn McClintic’s name has been appearing just about everywhere. McClintic, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of 8-year-old Victoria Stafford, was in court almost every day this past week testifying against former boyfriend, Michael Rafferty. For a quick synopsis, Rafferty was charged with the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of Stafford, but has pleaded not guilty and the trial is on-going.

The main focus lately has been on McClintic’s life before the abduction of Stafford, and how these many factors play into what really happened on the day the little girl from Woodstock, Ontario was murdered.

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Mississippi man executed for 1995 murder

William Mitchell, 61, was executed Thursday evening for the 1995 murder of Patty Milliken. A day after she disappeared her lifeless body was found strangled, beaten, sexually assaulted and run over by a car, according to court records.

Mitchell was tried and convicted in 1998 of capital murder.

Mitchell received a lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 6:20pm.

William Mitchell was the second execution in Mississippi this week. Larry Puckett was executed Tuesday for the 1995 murder of Rhonda Griffis.