Tori Staffor’s disappearance brought significant changes to Amber Alert warning in Ontario

TORONTO – The tragic disappearance and horrific death of Tori Stafford had a significant impact not just in Woodstock, but throughout Ontario, as the rules for issuing Amber Alerts changed in the wake of the eight-year-old girl’s disappearance.

Tori was snatched on April 8, 2009, minutes after leaving Oliver Stephens Public School and beginning her short walk home.

Terri-Lynne McClintic and Michael Rafferty drove the frightened eight-year-old, 130 kilometres north to Mount Forest where she was raped and murdered.

McClintic testified that Rafferty turned on the radio during the drive out of Woodstock because he wanted to listen for news about a missing child – though no Amber Alert had been issued.

Investigators in Woodstock faced significant criticism in the days following Tori’s disappearance for not immediately issuing an Amber Alert.

At the time of Tori’s disappearance, an Amber Alert had three main criteria which had to be met before the warning was issued:

1. A child under 18 had been abducted.
2. The child was in danger of serious harm.
3. There was enough descriptive information about the child or abductor, so that a media alert would be helpful.

Following a significant pushback by the Ontario public motivated by the heartbreak of Tori’s disappearance, the Ontario government changed the rules associated with issuing an Amber Alert.

The former criteria have been changed to guidelines, meaning it is easier for police to issue an alert.

Police also only need a suspicion that a missing child is in danger before broadcasting an alert.

“Tori’s case simply didn’t qualify for one,” former chief of the Woodstock police Ron Fraser told Global News in 2009.

Though no Amber Alert was issued, police in Woodstock and across Ontario responded overwhelmingly once the report of a missing child was issued.

The ensuing police investigation was the largest in Ontario history with more than 100 police officers, 400 support personnel, and 14 police services contributing from across the province.

Many of the responding officers volunteered their time, working 20-24 hours a day, said Freeman.