WOODSTOCK -- After six weeks of suffering through not just the loss of her little girl but also daily accusations of guilt, of being a drug addict, of being a terrible mother -- Tara McDonald yesterday offered thanks.

"We wanted to thank anybody who helped in any way in the last six weeks," McDonald said to begin what may be one of her last large news conferences since the April 8 abduction and slaying of her eight-year-old daughter Victoria (Tori) Stafford.

"We wanted to express our thanks to the media, to all the people who sent their prayers, their flowers, the teddy bears, the cards, the phone calls. We wanted to thank all the communities that pulled together and handed out flyers."

McDonald had one last tearful favour to ask people on behalf of Tori. "Just remember her because she was the prettiest, most beautiful little girl in the world."

McDonald had not spoken to the media at large since the arrest Tuesday of Terry-Lynne McClintic, 18, and Michael Thomas Rafferty, 28, in the abduction and killing of Tori.

McClintic has been helping investigators trying to find Tori's body, without success.

Just as she did in an interview with The Free Press two days ago, yesterday McDonald had harsh words for the accused.

"I think she's just enjoying some helicopter rides and some fresh air and she's probably not going to be getting much of that in the near future."

McDonald repeated her criticism of police for spending resources trying to pin the crime on her.

She was especially angry at a detective who came to her house and said she was the prime suspect.

"I was disgusted," McDonald said. "I said obviously if I am their prime suspect, they are really looking hard at us and that is such a waste. I proceeded to get a little excited. I asked him to leave. I didn't want him in my home."

So difficult was the ordeal of being the prime suspect, McDonald had unusual advice for anyone else who loses a child to abduction.

"As sad as it is write down every single thing . . . so that way when they ask you where you were, what you were doing, who was with you, who you called -- you can give them those answers so that you're not a suspect," she said.

"I didn't have those answers. You are in such despair."

McDonald reiterated that she and her boyfriend James Goris met McClintic through McClintic's mother over a plan to have the two families' dogs breed.

She also tried to help the McClintics get furniture for their apartment, but the brief relationship ended because she didn't trust the McClintics to take care of her dog, McDonald said.

The target of vicious rumours, especially on Facebook, McDonald said she comforted herself every day with the knowledge she was innocent and a good mom.

"A lot of people who have said 'We doubted you' have sent letters, have sent e-mails and have said, 'We are very very sorry for ever doubting you.' "

Police, McDonald said, have not apologized.

McDonald began holding daily news conferences on her lawn shortly after the abduction and rarely shied away from tough questions.

Yesterday, though, there were some she could not answer.

Until the arrests Tuesday, she had encouraged people to look for her daughter, even though it appears from the court charges Tori had been killed soon after being picked up.

About that, McDonald said, breaking down, "I don't really have any thoughts."

Of her daughter's last hours in the hands of abductors, McDonald could only stammer, "I hope . . . I don't even like to think about it. Maybe it's just me in denial, but I don't want to think about it."

She won't plan a funeral until she has Tori's body back home, McDonald said.

"It's not that I don't believe what's going on. I know what's going on, but I am not going to be able to go through that twice."

For six weeks, McDonald had begged the world's help in bringing her little girl home and alive.

Now McDonald just wants Tori's body back.

"We need to be able to deal with this. This is just keeping it wide open."