The apparent discovery of the remains of eight-year-old murder victim Victoria "Tori" Stafford ends a mystery that began on April 8, 2009.

The girl lived in Woodstock, Ont., a city of 35,000 located about 125 kilometres southwest of Toronto, with her mother Tara McDonald.

Rodney Stafford, Tori's dad, is McDonald's ex-husband.

Here is how events unfolded:

April 8

Tori is reported missing after not returning home from school. Her brother would normally walk her home, but he wasn't available that day.

Oxford Community Police were notified at 6 p.m., but they treated the case as a missing persons investigation. No Amber Alert was issued, which would have triggered an urgent alert to the public and the media.

A notice went out to surrounding police services by midnight.

April 9

Oxford police issued their first news release at 3 a.m., with a follow-up at 6 a.m.

Police release video, taken from a security camera, of Tori walking away from her school in the company of a mysterious woman in a puffy white coat. Neither Tara McDonald or Rodney Stafford say they can recognize her from the grainy video.

April 10

Police launch a ground search in Woodstock accompanied by volunteers.

April 11

Volunteers accompany police in a second day of searching for Tori.

Woodstock Mayor Michael Harding said police services from neighbouring southwest Ontario communities have offered to help in the search.

Hundreds of leads had poured in, he said.

"Every resource that we have has been turned toward this little girl's safe return," Harding told CTV Newsnet.

April 12

Woodstock holds a candlelight vigil for Tori.

Police subject Tori's parents to lie detector tests.

April 13

Police end their ground search for Tori.  They release an enhanced version of the surveillance video.

The search "has not located something that would lead us to believe foul play may be a factor," said Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland of the Oxford Community Police.

She said a special Ontario Provincial Police unit had joined the case, with a focus on creating a profile of whoever might have taken the third-grader.

April 14

Oxford police defend their handling of the Stafford case so far. They say the case did not meet the criteria of an  Amber Alert, which includes the belief the child is in imminent danger and that there is enough information about the abductor and/or their vehicle to believe such an alert would help locate the child

Maitland said they are treating the case as an absolute priority.

April 15

Tara McDonald says she wants her daughter's case treated as an abduction, not a missing persons case.

Maitland told reporters that while many tips have poured in, none have been substantial enough to push the investigation forward.

April 16

At a rally in Woodstock, people released purple balloon skyward carrying Tori's picture.

"I hope (Tori) sees them and I hope she comes home," one young girl told a reporter.

Tara had wrote the following for Tori: ""To my beautiful princess chubchubs, please come home and safely, mommy misses you ..."

April 17

The Ontario Provincial Police take the lead in the investigation, with OPP Insp. Bill Renton put in charge. They say they are treating Tori's case as an abduction.

They restart the ground search and go on a door-to-door canvass.

"This is normal procedure to ensure that we don't miss out on any pieces of evidence that will lead us closer to Victoria's whereabouts," Renton said.

April 19

Police say more than 1,000 tips have poured in so far.

April 21

Police release a composite sketch of the woman seen in the video with Tori.

Police describe the woman in the sketch as being between 19 and 25 years old, at least 5'1" tall and weighing about 125 pounds. She is believed to wear her long dark hair in a ponytail.

Tara McDonald said she didn't recognize the woman in the sketch at all, while the Staffords would only say, "we have our suspicions."

McDonald would later deny the sketch looked like her.

April 24

Daryn, Tori's older brother, turns 11.

Tara McDonald also admitted she is growing exasperated by all the media scrutiny over a trust account set up to help her children amid accusations that she is attempting to profit from the abduction of her daughter.

April 25

The U.S. crimefighting show 'America's Most Wanted' features a brief segment on Tori's case.

April 28

Oxford police announce a reward of up to $50,000 is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the abduction.

Tara McDonald tells of a bizarre meeting in a Toronto airport hotel with a mysterious benefactor who offered to provide reward money for Tori's return.

May 4

Police release images of a car spotted close to where Tori went missing.

May 8

Tara McDonald says police have searched the homes of her half-brother and his mother in Calgary. She also said police have seized her home computers.

May 14

Tara McDonald admits to having a drug problem.

May 15

McDonald and Stafford start bickering at a news conference.

May 19

McDonald and Stafford announce they have accepted the help of a private investigator. Police have about 100 officers working on the case.

May 20

Police announce they have arrested two individuals:

Michael Rafferty, 28, is facing a charge of first-degree murder and abduction of someone under the age of 16

Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, is charged with abducting someone under the age of 16 and being accessory to murder after the fact.

Both suspects made court appearances in Woodstock.

Police say they have been unable to find Tori's body, although McClintic had been co-operating. They searched in the Guelph area, which is northeast of Woodstock.

May 28

Terri-Lynne McClintic is charged with first-degree murder. Jeanine LeRoy, the accused's lawyer, said her client was continuing to co-operate with police in their efforts to locate Tori's body. Hal Mattson, Rafferty's lawyer, had advised his client to not co-operate with authorities.

May 29

Police tell Rodney Stafford they might never find his daughter's body.

June 7

The family of Tori Stafford holds a memorial service for her in Woodstock. Tori was remembered as a "spunky little princess."

June 12

Mattson said Rafferty likely won't face trial until some time in 2010, with a court appearance scheduled for July 17.

One day earlier, police had completed a search of a landfill in Salford, Ont.

June 23

Terri-Lynn McClintic's case is put over to Aug. 12.

July 15

This would have been Tori's ninth birthday. She reportedly loved birthday parties.

July 17

Accused Michael Rafferty gets a new lawyer. Toronto lawyer Scott Reid, who replaced Hal Mattson, said he would "vigorously defend" his client. It would be a "safe assumption" Rafferty would not be pleading guilty, he said.

July 20

Police announce they have discovered human remains near Mount Forest, Ont. It is a rural town in Wellington North Township. While the identity had to be confirmed by forensic testing, investigators said the remains are likely Tori's.

July 21

Police hold a news conference to confirm that the remains discovered the previous day were those of Tori Stafford. Forensic experts used dental records to confirm her identity. Tara McDonald, Tori's mother, asked for privacy.