03-06-2012, 02:06 PM
London Free Press - he words still make the teacher break down in tears.
"OK, hon, we'll see you tomorrow," Jennifer Murrell said to the bubbly Victoria Stafford.
And then, Murrell told a hushed courtroom in London, "She went out the door."
Victoria Stafford, 8, did not return to school the next day and Murrell found herself on a witness stand today at the first degree murder trial of Michael Thomas Rafferty, where she barely held onto her composure describing her Grade 3 student's last day alive.
In a normal day filled with language and math lessons, twice Murrell had little chats with the girl she always called Victoria and loved for her spunkiness.
After second recess, Victoria wanted to call home and get a change of clothing because, she said, she fell into a puddle.
After a little chat, Victoria admitted she and her friends had been jumping into puddles.
Like good teachers everywhere, Murrell told Victoria she'd just have to wait until her tights dried and that is what happened when you played in puddles.
"She just took at it as it was and said, 'OK, Mrs. Murrell, and went on with her day."
Later in the day, Victoria was fooling around with some scissors and talked about cutting decals off a friend's sweater.
"She had a little sit at her desk until she felt she could use the materials properly," Murrell said. "That was just a silly moment we had."
The rest of the day Victoria was her "her bubbly little self."
Murrell, a wisp of a teacher easy to smile at early questions, cried throughout her testimony about the little girl who loved art, animals and helping younger children.
"She was just a lovely little girl."
A couple of minutes after the dismissal bell rang, Victoria asked if she could go back in the class to get her butterfly earrings.
She did and came back a minute later, after the other children had left.
She wasn't wearing the earrings and Murrell figured she had them in her pocket or backpack.
She left the school and turned to walk up Fyfe Ave.
At one point during her testimony, it appeared Rafferty was crying. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. - I don't believe this guy has any remorse the sick SOB!!!
The video surveillance the jury were shown is at this link: http://www.lfpress.com/video/oxford-poli...9109007001
A couple of pics of the news crews and reporters outside of the courthouse today. I was going to wait until they broke for lunch but it was extremely cold and windy outside, just the walk there made my hands, feet and ears numb.
![[Image: London-20120306-00427.jpg]](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Y1ALaIMXiWU/T1ZTblzeWhI/AAAAAAAAADE/nzlE129UPuY/s519/London-20120306-00427.jpg)
![[Image: London-20120306-00425.jpg]](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ntrIbnQ5oHs/T1ZTJlwlLjI/AAAAAAAAAC4/a7aAd8HoDB8/s519/London-20120306-00425.jpg)
"OK, hon, we'll see you tomorrow," Jennifer Murrell said to the bubbly Victoria Stafford.
And then, Murrell told a hushed courtroom in London, "She went out the door."
Victoria Stafford, 8, did not return to school the next day and Murrell found herself on a witness stand today at the first degree murder trial of Michael Thomas Rafferty, where she barely held onto her composure describing her Grade 3 student's last day alive.
In a normal day filled with language and math lessons, twice Murrell had little chats with the girl she always called Victoria and loved for her spunkiness.
After second recess, Victoria wanted to call home and get a change of clothing because, she said, she fell into a puddle.
After a little chat, Victoria admitted she and her friends had been jumping into puddles.
Like good teachers everywhere, Murrell told Victoria she'd just have to wait until her tights dried and that is what happened when you played in puddles.
"She just took at it as it was and said, 'OK, Mrs. Murrell, and went on with her day."
Later in the day, Victoria was fooling around with some scissors and talked about cutting decals off a friend's sweater.
"She had a little sit at her desk until she felt she could use the materials properly," Murrell said. "That was just a silly moment we had."
The rest of the day Victoria was her "her bubbly little self."
Murrell, a wisp of a teacher easy to smile at early questions, cried throughout her testimony about the little girl who loved art, animals and helping younger children.
"She was just a lovely little girl."
A couple of minutes after the dismissal bell rang, Victoria asked if she could go back in the class to get her butterfly earrings.
She did and came back a minute later, after the other children had left.
She wasn't wearing the earrings and Murrell figured she had them in her pocket or backpack.
She left the school and turned to walk up Fyfe Ave.
At one point during her testimony, it appeared Rafferty was crying. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. - I don't believe this guy has any remorse the sick SOB!!!
The video surveillance the jury were shown is at this link: http://www.lfpress.com/video/oxford-poli...9109007001
A couple of pics of the news crews and reporters outside of the courthouse today. I was going to wait until they broke for lunch but it was extremely cold and windy outside, just the walk there made my hands, feet and ears numb.
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.