Terri-Lynne McClintic was born in 1990 in Canada. Her early life was marked by instability and hardship. Born to a mother who was a stripper, McClintic was given to another stripper, Carol McClintic, to raise. This environment exposed her to substance abuse and a lack of parental guidance. Family members reported that Carol was an alcoholic and drug addict who involved Terri-Lynne in that lifestyle. Additionally, McClintic experienced physical and sexual abuse during her childhood.

Throughout her youth, McClintic attended multiple schools, leading to peer rejection and social isolation. She was introduced to drugs at an early age, often using them with her adoptive mother. These factors contributed to her developing mood and anxiety disorders, as well as antisocial behavior. By her teenage years, McClintic had accumulated a criminal record, including convictions for assault and drug-related offenses. ​

On April 8, 2009, eight-year-old Victoria Elizabeth Stafford, known as Tori, was walking home from Oliver Stephens Public School in Woodstock, Ontario, when she was approached by Terri-Lynne McClintic. Surveillance footage later showed McClintic speaking to the young girl before leading her away by the hand. Witnesses initially believed McClintic was a family acquaintance due to her calm demeanor and Tori’s apparent lack of resistance.

McClintic lured the girl into a vehicle driven by Michael Rafferty, initiating a horrifying sequence of events. The pair drove Tori to a remote, wooded area near Mount Forest, Ontario. There, Tori was sexually assaulted and murdered. McClintic later admitted to striking Tori multiple times with a hammer, causing fatal blunt force trauma. Her body was concealed in garbage bags and buried under a pile of rocks. The brutal nature of the crime shocked Canada and generated widespread public outrage and grief.

Following an intensive search and investigation, McClintic and Rafferty were arrested on May 19, 2009. McClintic initially denied involvement but later confessed to participating in the abduction and murder. On April 30, 2010, she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder under a publication ban, which was lifted on December 9, 2010. She was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years and incarcerated at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ontario.

Rafferty went to trial in March 2012, charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, and first-degree murder. On May 11, 2012, after a highly publicized trial, he was convicted on all charges and also sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole for 25 years. His appeals — including one based on claims of flawed jury instructions — were repeatedly denied, with the final dismissal issued on October 24, 2016.