GUILTY on all 3 Counts!!! Post-Verdict Thread

You know, I was so upset and concerned to find out that the trial judge had ruled so much damning information as inadmissible... I was thinking he made such a grevious error. But as it turns out, I am so thankful to him for his wisdom and foresight... I think he took a look at all the evidence still available to the Crown without the laptop, google searches, etc. and made the right judgment call. He erred on the side of caution, knowing that to allow that information may eventually open up a route for appeal to the defence... and he chose to have faith in the Crown, the evidence, and the jury. Smart man. I was so wrong about him.

Hello_Kitty said:

A few more things I ovserved.

I heard or read I can't remember which it was, I think maybe one of the articles, that the judge almost called a mistrial because of Charity Spitzig's testimony about MR being a pimp.

Also, in TLM's original testimony, she said it was MR that stomped and kicked Tori and she heard him yell 'Holy *advertiser censored***, why don't you die!'

TLM changed her story because she didn't want to testify against MR. I guess we'll never know who delivered the fatal blow to Tori. But we all know she suffered unimaginably, and that both those monsters are going to spend the rest of their lives in jail.

I was watching one of the shows on CBCNN yesterday, one of the guests said that it is unlikely that MR will ever get out of jail even when his parole comes up.


REST IN PEACE NOW TORI

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I have read exactly what you have reported except the point of a mistrial. I read several places Derstine objected naturally but said he would not ask for a mistrial.

Tahorn said:

I was driving up island to be with my family when we heard a verdict was coming so had to pull over before we lost signal. hallelujah, horns were honking and we were cheering... I am standing on a hill top to get a signal ... Not hiding just don't have a signal

All I can say is that every may 11 when I am celebrating my birthday I will also be celebrating Tori. Rest now sweet girl ... Thank you god

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Well said. Happy Birthday!!!!

I just wanted to pop in and say good afternoon.

Just looked out in my back yard (don't often go out there due to horrible neighbours). There, I noticed growing, practically everywhere, a bunch of forget-me-nots. They are purple. Purple forget-me-nots everywhere.

Never realised they could grow purple. I have seen blue and white, but never purple. Still, they are quite lovely, despite growing in between the concrete patio squares. I pulled the white and blue ones that grew last year... I will leave these purple ones right where they are.

Hello_Kitty said:

It's his right to appeal, but the judge can also not grant him that appeal I heard one of the lawyers yesterday say that the accused has to raise the funds to appeal and that alot of times the accused will represent himself during an appeal because of the lack of funds. However, I guess perhaps Derstine will represent him during his appeal if he gets one.

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Does the trial lawyer do appeals also? I got the feeling last night that Derstine was done with MTR--just a gut feeling the way he was talking--like when he said it is up to MTR if he wants to try to appeal the conviction.

The only appealing MTR should be doing is to Tori's parents and family--to be forgiven for what he did to their sweet daughter.

Hard to do, when you don't even admit what you did, not man enough, not human enough.

snoofer said:

Had to do it...crawled in bed..gave snoring hubby a shake...heyyy, woot woot guilty all three counts...did ya hear me..guilty all 3 counts....that's nice hun...I am happy for you.

Had the best sleep ever.

Nothing makes us "tick" like an injustice to a child. I am glad the trial is over, and I can slip back into my life and I am sure other posters feel the same. This is a new fresh beginning for RS and TM, yet one with a stark reality. God Bless Tori. You have taught so many, so much.

Thanks posters for all of your insights, humour, tears, indignations and sharing of the ultimate triumph! Another poster said it best. To those who were initially for the defense, please take no offence to my passionate pro crown stance. I am sure that we will be on the same side in another issue at another time. And ultimately...we all wanted the same thing. True and real justice for Tori.

Finally, I am so proud of the LE involved and the crown team and all of the witnesses who so bravely told their stories. I pray for healing for anyone who was scarred or touched by this horrible tragedy.

Wonders if today will be the day...we get back the smilies :OB

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Totally agree with everything you've so eloquently said!! Also, I lurked as a guest for a very long time and finally joined several weeks ago but it was after the smilies were no longer available, so I have never used them before.

Flowercb said:

The Police said they truly believed for the first month that Tori was missing that she was coming home--that she would have been dropped off at a Variety Store or somewhere.

Why would they believe that--don't the statistics point to a child being murdered within 24 hours of abduction?

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I think that believed that it was possible that there was someone that took her to vindictive and they didn't believe she was taken by a stranger and the fact that it was a girl that took her. That being the main reason

snoofer said:

lmao...I saw googley eyes too! Also the picture of him sitting in the police car in the back in The Star photo...that smirk, hair and the googley eyes...remind me of Crusty the Clown...I really think that should be his nickname in prison. Wishes I knew how to extract that photo for this post.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/05/11/time-for-rafferty-to-wipe-that-smirk-off-his-face

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... I KNOW !! .... I watched "parts" of his last police interview video that was just released - and towards the end Smyth tells him something like... you know what's neat Mike... people like you and Bernardo they keep in glass boxes... so you can make Googley eyes at each other... or whatever it is that you do -- Thought it was really funny ! I LOVE Detective Smyth. What a Canadian Hero !!

Flowercb said:

Does the trial lawyer do appeals also? I got the feeling last night that Derstine was done with MTR--just a gut feeling the way he was talking--like when he said it is up to MTR if he wants to try to appeal the conviction.

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That was my understanding. Rafferty has no funds for an Appellate Lawyer. That's even if the Judge's hearing his appeal would uphold it. I think Rafferty is dust in the wind and the news.

Flowercb said:

Some have speculated that TLM changed her story because she still had feelings for MTR. There are many reasons why she may have changed her story.
I now feel that MTR did the killing all himself. He used the fact that TLM had previous assaults as a way to cover his butt and make it believable that Terri-Lynne did the killing. In his police interogation video he keeps making reference to TLM's faults and crimes and in his initial interview with police, in his home, he brings up her problems and that he knows her. He was setting her up from the beginning.

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snipped BBM

i agree and I think it's complex.. imo it was also about how she felt subconsciously about herself, she has a victim consciousness, all the bottled rage, anger stems from worthlessness, powerlessness etc... MR represented something good to her, she would take the fall; she felt the guilt and she did show she had a conscious somewhere inside her. By no means am I letting her off the hook for her part, I'm just seeing the difference in what each of their personalities brought to have this horrific event occur. imo an intervention could have put her on a very different life path whereas with MR I don't think so. He's a socialpath and probably had already done some things we've yet to learn about or never will.. no conscious whatsover.

Once the testimony of how the kicking/stomping had delivered a blow that Tori would have died from.. i knew it was MR. TLM was off taking in her surroundings, which makes sense, flashbacks to probably what she did when she was abused (i.e. as in mentally leaving the situation occuring, noticing everything else which many sex abuse victims talk about, how they just leave their body). Guess to put it bluntly, I see after he raped tori, he began to kick and boot her, incompaticating her, then called TLM over. I'm sure he probably handed her the hammer for one or two swings but I see that it was him that did most of those first. that just how I picture it happening

I would just like to see more people in society realizing the walking wounded broken people around us.. those that would be prone to be party to harming anyone.. and possibly finding a way to get them to help, intervention.. since in the end it serves all of us. Please know I'm not condoning her choice and she is serving her time for it.. I'm just really proactive in ways that this could never occur again.

mystic

Haaaa maybe Rafferty will appeal on the grounds that "Smyth was mean to me" LOL

In TLM's confession interogation she describes that she saw Tori on the ground in the fetal position. I believe Tori was found in the fetal position when they recovered the body. I think based on the way TLM was explaining this story that this was the true way the events unfolded that night--not the changed testimony she offered right before the trial.

I know he is convicted now but I wish she had not changed her story for MTR, as if he cares about her. MOO.

Another websleuther mentioned Big Bubba. I just thought that good ole Big Bubba is shouting out today "Good things are comming my way!!!!!" MR's very own choice words posted for many to see will be part of the karma that is awaiting him for the next quarter of a century or more. MR might have to start counting his pennies to give to Big Bubba but I don't think that will work. IMO

Also, I hope that Detective Smyth did get the chance to wave bye bye to Mike like he promised he would.

I saw this quote and it made me immediately think of all the moms who are WS members! Gave me a chuckle.

Flowercb said:

He got a fair trial (really fair as they left out some really damaging evidence) so what the heck will he appeal?

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Criminal defence lawyer Michael Lacy told CBC News on Saturday that he believed an appeal is "likely," partly because of the sentencing Rafferty faces, but added there would be more to it.

"I think the appeal will rest on the trial judge's decision to allow the Crown to introduce the prior statement of McClintic," Lacy said, referring to a crucial piece of testimony that implicated Rafferty

"It's a special procedure that's used. It's a legal motion that the Crown had to bring to introduce that evidence, and I think that will be the subject of an appeal.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/05/12/rafferty-stafford-verdict-sentencing.html?cmp=rss

all I can say is....good luck finding a lawyer!!!!!

littlebirdie said:

Another websleuther mentioned Big Bubba. I just thought that good ole Big Bubba is shouting out today "Good things are comming my way!!!!!" MR's very own choice words posted for many to see will be part of the karma that is awaiting him for the next quarter of a century or more. MR might have to start counting his pennies to give to Big Bubba but I don't think that will work. IMO

Also, I hope that Detective Smyth did get the chance to wave bye bye to Mike like he promised he would.

I saw this quote and it made me immediately think of all the moms who are WS members! Gave me a chuckle.

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Good One!!!!! lol Gotta love karma!!!!! Perhaps Big Bubba will pimp him out!!!!

Bravo said:

I have read exactly what you have reported except the point of a mistrial. I read several places Derstine objected naturally but said he would not ask for a mistrial.

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Well exactly, he didn't ask for a mistrial, so that was good

crazyladi said:

I think that believed that it was possible that there was someone that took her to vindictive and they didn't believe she was taken by a stranger and the fact that it was a girl that took her. That being the main reason

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Well they also believed that it was Tara that had something to do with it.

*Huge Sigh of Relief*

Wow. I am so thankful for all of the hard work that was done by so many people to secure this guilty conviction.

I watched the video of Raffery's interrogation yesterday, and it really drove home what a sick person he is. It's strange to watch... it seems like he's somewhat in shock and upset, and putting all of his energy into controlling his words and body to reveal as little as possible (he sits, hands clenched together, staring down at the wall, without making eye contact). The extent to which he is totally self-centered and calculating becomes clear in the exchange over the food -- which is probably the most boring part of the interview, but still revealing in weird way:

(When the first detective is about to leave, he asks Rafferty if he wants something to eat. Rafferty totally stresses out about it, because he's hungry, but is obviously totally concerned with how he will be portrayed:

MR: you don't care if I want something to eat...
Detective: Explains that he doesn't have to ask, but he doesn't mind getting him something, not a big deal.

MR: Right, so I can eat and then you can say "look, he had an appetite, this is how he must have been feeling. Oh , he drank his tea, this is now he must have been feeling"... forget that he's just starving.

Detective: You're reading too much into it, man.

MR hems and haws, then asks: "and that doesn't go anywhere, into any of your reports, if I eat or don't eat"

Detective says no. Tries to put things in perspective that the whole interview is on tape, they could care less whether he eats or not.
MR hems and haws some more, then says he would take something to eat, but insists it must be something plain.)

It makes you realize what kind of dialogue must be going on in his head during the rest of the interview. Especially at the end in that painfully awkward part when he acts like he has an alibi, no big deal: "how long will it take to clear me?" but then as he is talking takes long drawn out pauses, finally sputtering out, then finally says he needs to do it through a lawyer. In retrospect, I think he's probably trying to calculate whether he can count on BA, Charity and possibly the other girls who he was around April 8/9th to be an alibi. (Maybe all of those phone calls, stops and 'dates' were not random...)

And yet, despite the fact that it's looking like he's in serious trouble, he's so smug at the end. When the detective says he will be arrested - he interrupts: "arrested, not convicted"

It left me really anxious about the verdict... So I am happy to see that his overconfidence was his own downfall. Good Riddance, Rafferty!