Man accused of killing Tori Stafford appears in court

Published Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 12:43PM ESTLast updated Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 1:23PM EST0 comments

The man accused in the abduction and death of Grade 3 student Tori Stafford appeared in a Woodstock, Ont., court Monday.

Michael Rafferty, dressed in a dark grey suit and tie, and cleanly shaven, watched the proceedings quietly.

Tori’s mother and father also were on hand to see the accused in person.

Mr. Rafferty is charged with first-degree murder in Tori's death.

The pre-trial proceedings remain under a sweeping publication ban before Ontario Superior Court Justice Thomas Heeney.

Mr. Rafferty's co-accused, Terri-Lynne McClintic, previously pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was handed a life sentence.

Tori was abducted as she left her school on April 8, 2009.

Ms. McClintic and Mr. Rafferty, 30, were charged more than one month later and Tori's remains were found in a field more than 100 kilometres north of Woodstock.

Last April, Ms. McClintic, 20, pleaded guilty.

The plea was only reported in December after a Supreme Court of Canada decision meant the veil could be partially lifted on a sweeping publication ban in McClintic case.

Some details of her plea remain under a publication ban, in order to preserve the constitutional rights of Mr. Rafferty.

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