206: Deranged Friends Plan Murder Based on a Movie? | The Tragic Murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart

The small town of Pocatello, Idaho, was shaken by a heinous crime when 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart was murdered while house-sitting for her relatives. The events leading to her tragic death unfolded over a September weekend in 2006.

Cassie Jo Stoddart was a 16-year-old girl house-sitting for her aunt and uncle when she was brutally murdered in their home.

Cassie Jo Stoddart, described as a young, happy, and responsible teenager, had arrived on Friday, September 22, 2006, to look after her aunt and uncle’s home and pets while they were away for the weekend. Her mother, Anna, dropped her off at the house around 5:30 pm, confident in her daughter's safety due to the town's safe reputation.

On the morning of the murder, suspects Brian Draper and his accomplice brought a camera to school, capturing the prelude to their grim plan, which was to sneak into the home and kill Cassie. Cassie was expected to be alone in the large, isolated house set in a remote area, making her an easy target.

Cassie's body was discovered by her aunt and uncle when they returned home on Sunday, September 24. She had been stabbed over 35 times with two different knives.

When Cassie's family returned on Sunday, September 24, they were met with a grisly scene. Cassie's body lay cold on the floor, indicating she had been dead for some time. The crime scene was horrific; Cassie sustained approximately 35 stab wounds inflicted by two different knives—one serrated and the other smooth. Most of the fatal wounds were ...

The police investigation into the murder of Cassie with limited evidence at the crime scene led to a focus on three key individuals: Cassie's boyfriend Matt and two of her high school friends, Brian Draper and Tori Adamczyk.

The police had limited evidence at the crime scene, but they focused on Cassie's boyfriend Matt and two of her high school friends, Brian Draper and Tori Adamczyk.

Initially, Matt became a suspect because he was the last person known to have seen Cassie alive. However, he was cleared after passing a polygraph test. During interrogation, Matt mentioned that he and Cassie were not alone all night. Matt said that he invited Tori over, who brought Brian with him, around 8 p.m. Later, after Brian and Tori left, the power went out, which Matt found odd, especially when Tori was whispering during a phone call later that evening, claiming to be at a movie theater. On Saturday, Matt expressed concern about Cassie not answering her phone.

Brian Draper and Tori Adamczyk were also interviewed by the police. Their parents were present during the home interviews, where both claimed they had gone to Cassie's expecting a party and left when it became apparent no party was happening. They also said they went to watch a horror movie then spent the rest of the evening at Tori's house. Later, a neighbor reported seeing two teenage boys re-entering Cassie's house, casting suspicion on Brian and Tori possibly revisiting the crime scene.

Matt was initially a suspect because he was the last person known to have seen Cassie alive, but he was eventually cleared after passing a polygraph test.

Police suspicions of Matt were heightened due to his delayed disclosure of information, but when he passed a polygraph test, the suspicion decreased. He mentioned to police that the night of the murder, when he was with Cassie, they were watching movies, and the power went out around 10 PM, which frightened them. Matt also mentioned using a knife to open popsicles that evening.

Brian Draper and Tori Adamczyk were also interviewed by police, and their stories initially contradicted each other and contained suspicious gaps.

Brian ultimately confessed to the murder, revealing the details of the crime and leading detectives to where evidence was attempted to be burned. In his interrogation, he was unable to recount movie details, and his response to detectives' questions about reentering the house was evasive. Police found him more willing to cooperate than Tori, who asked for an attorney immediately and resisted questioning. Wh ...

A chilling array of evidence emerged in the investigation of Brian and Tori, revealing their premeditated murder of Cassie through disturbing video recordings and additional physical evidence.

The police recovered disturbing video footage recorded by Brian and Tori that showed them planning and bragging about the murder.

The tapes recovered by the police proved to be a horrifying testament to the boys' intent and actions. The video footage depicted Brian Draper and Tori discussing their elaborate plans for Cassie Stoddart's murder and the potential slaying of other friends. Captured both prior to and following the gruesome event, the footage showed Brian stating they had an arduous task of killing Cassie. Additionally, the tapes revealed them unlocking a back door of Cassie’s house, making disturbing confessions post-murder, with Draper declaring, "Just killed Cassie," and describing the act as surreal.

The suspects' dialogue indicated a clear intent to kill, as they planned the murder days ahead, deliberating about achieving a high death count and escaping post-crime. Their conversations were filled with grave details such as making noise to draw one of the potential victims outside, with the cruel intent to murder him and subsequently Cassie. They expressed unnatural excitement and even sexual arousal thinking about the murders, belying a severe detachment from societal norms.

The videos depicted the boys discussing their plans to kill Cassie and other people, and even recording themselves describing the murder after the fact.

Not only were their intentions vocalized, but their confessional-style videos also linked them to the crime. Here, they skipped class to detail their vile plans and displayed an apparent enthusiasm for the murders as they pursued a fantasy of emulating the horror movie “Scream” in a real-life setting. Following Cassie's murder, the boys’ tone remained remorseless and detached, with statements such as "I'm sorry Cassie's family but she hated her life" and "She's perfect, so... She's gonna die."

The videos provided strong evidence that the murder was premeditated and that both boys were actively involved in the planning and execution of the crime.

The videos unquestionably indicated that Brian and Tori had both desired and meticulously mapped out the murder together. Before pr ...

The teenage suspects, Brian Draper and Tori Adamczyk, had unnerving backgrounds and fascinations with violence that may have influenced their motives.

Both Brian Draper and Tori Adamczyk had histories of disturbing and violent behavior, including obsessions with horror movies, knives, and school shootings.

Brian Draper and Tori Adamczyk were noted as fans of horror movies. The suspects spoke about achieving a high death count and making history, indicating a desire for notoriety. Their home videotape preparations for murder resembled a horror movie prelude.

Brian Draper had expressed a desire to "break away from normal life," signaling a motive to disrupt societal norms. He compared realizing there was no God to finding out there's no Santa Claus, showing a disdain for traditional beliefs.

Both suspects idolized notorious murderers and school shooters. Brian Draper admired the Columbine shooters, aspiring to be like them, expressing a sentiment of wanting to go back in time to be part of their lives. Tori Adamczyk was fixated on knives, guns, and horror movies, and reportedly pretended to stab people at school. Tori also boasted about committing the perfect crime and was known to take notes on how not to get caught after a murder.

Brian Draper had a long history of making threats about committing a school shooting, which were dismissed by authorities despite multiple reports.

Brian Draper was seen by some as the plan's ringleader, idolizing the Columbine shooters. He was obsessed with the idea of murder and thought being a part of something "big and bad" would transform him from a "nobody" into "somebody." His journal entries revealed an obsession with Columbine and his aspiration of achieving infamy similar to the shooters.

Tori Adamczyk was known to be obsessed with knives and horror movies, and had even told peers that he could commit the "perfect crime."

Tori Adamczyk's fascination with knives and his collection were well-known. An anonymous individual informed the police of Tori's obses ...

The murder of Cassie has left an indelible mark on her family and the community of Pocatello, Idaho, with far-reaching consequences that have deeply affected the lives of those close to her.

Cassie's 13-year-old cousin, who found her body, has attempted to take her own life and is grappling with ongoing mental health issues. This tragic event has not only shattered her family emotionally but also destabilized their livelihoods. Cassie's aunt is now without employment, and her uncle has sought solace in alcohol, turning to heavy drinking to cope with the loss.

The devastation has extended to legal avenues as well. Cassie's mother, Anna, pursued justice and some form of accountability beyond the criminal trial by attempting to sue the school district. She claimed that the district had prior knowledge of Brian Draper's violent propensities, particularly that he had earlier made threats of violence, yet failed to take meaningful action. A startling revelation came from Brian's middle school years when an anonymous tipster reported that he and a friend had been planning a school shooting. Despite t ...