'Everything good is coming my way': Rafferty
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LONDON, ONT.The day Tori Stafford disappeared, Michael Rafferty changed his Facebook page to read, "Everything good is coming my way."
On April 6, 2009, just hours before the eight-year-old disappeared, he posted the status message on his Facebook page.
OPP Det.-Const. Leslie Waldron, a specialist in social media investigations, testified police were able to access Rafferty's activities through Internet service providers and Facebook even though his Facebook account was deactivated shortly after his arrest May 19.
Rafferty has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual assault causing bodily harm in the Stafford case.
In the Facebook profile, Rafferty spells his first name "Mychol" and professed his love of life, family and friends.
Rafferty claimed he was from Toronto and graduated from culinary arts at George Brown College.
Rafferty wrote that he liked camping and dancing, and a wide variety of music.
In a long, rambling self-description, he talks about "slowly becoming somebody" and having "many layers." He also writes about the value of friends, but also about pain and sadness in his life.
"Life has given me some short straws and I have let down people I have cared for," he wrote in the profile.
Waldron said Rafferty was on Facebook for 22 minutes at 10 a.m. on April 8, 2009, the day Tori disappeared on her way home from school in Woodstock, Ont. He spent most of that time looking at the profile of Alexis Lane, a childhood friend he told others he wanted to marry.
Earlier Wednesday, court heard Rafferty seemed fine after being questioned by police about the disappearance of Tori.
Jessica Meloche was one of a number of women Rafferty dated in 2009.
She told the court she met Rafferty on April 12, 2009, on Plenty of Fish, an adult dating website, and they quickly became am "exclusive" couple.
Meloche said Rafferty spoke of helping a troubled teen named Terri-Lynne who was being targeted in Tori's investigation, a reference to Terri-Lynne McClintic, who has already pleaded guilty and was sentenced for murder.
Meloche said Rafferty was texting on his BlackBerry constantly and suspiciously vague about his past.
She said Rafferty's car was a mess and there were was no back seat.
They cleaned out the car in late April and there were empty pill bottles with no labels. Meloche said Rafferty took pills for "anxiety."
Meloche said Raffery often stayed over at her house in the days before May 19, 2009, when he was arrested.
Rafferty had called her on the prior weekend, saying he had been questioned by police about Tori's disappearance but he seemed "fine -- not stressed out," she testified.
Meloche couldn't reach Rafferty on May 19 and found out later he'd been arrested.
hank.daniszewski@sunmedia.ca
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