On September 22, 2006, Torey Adamcik and Brian Draper stabbed their friend Cassie Jo Stoddart to death and then bragged about it on camera after they were inspired by the movie Scream.
On the night of September 22, 2006, in Pocatello, Idaho, two aspiring serial killers viciously stabbed their 16-year-old classmate to death. Their motive for the killing was to imitate the cult horror movie Scream and to go down in history for their heinous crimes.
Though Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik only committed one murder from their “death list,” the Scream Killers succeeded in their macabre goal.
TwitterBrian Draper and Torey Adamcik stabbed their friend Cassie Jo Stoddart to death to mimic the horror movie Scream.
Cassie Jo Stoddart was brutally murdered by Draper and Adamcik, who then proceeded to record themselves celebrating what they had done.
Draper and Adamcik had also filmed themselves plotting the murder, and they even captured footage of Stoddart at school just hours before they killed her. The video evidence helped authorities prove the teens’ guilt — and put them in prison for life.
Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik’s Sinister Plot To Become Infamous Serial Killers
Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik met at Pocatello High School, and they became fast friends over their shared interest in film, according to The Sun. They enjoyed watching horror movies together and Scream was one of their favorites.
In September 2006, at the beginning of their junior year, they decided to make their own film.
It would document their attempt to emulate the masked killer in Scream by picking off their classmates one by one. The boys created a “death list” of potential targets — and Cassie Jo Stoddart was at the top of it.
FacebookCassie Jo Stoddart was targeted by the Scream Killers as their first murder victim.
On September 21, Draper and Adamcik filmed themselves plotting Stoddart’s murder. According to a transcript by Parkaman Magazine, Draper began the recording by saying, “We found our victim, and sad as it may be, she’s our friend, but you know what? We all have to make sacrifices. Our first victim is going to be Cassie Stoddart and her friends…”
They knew Stoddart was going to be housesitting at her aunt and uncle’s house the following night, and they planned to kill any of her friends who were around as well. When Draper suggested picking them off one by one, Torey Adamcik responded, “Why one by one? Why can’t it be a slaughterhouse?”
Brian Draper replied by saying, “We’re gonna go down in history. We’re gonna be just like Scream.”
And the very next night, they carried out their scheme.
The Scream Killers Murder Cassie Jo Stoddart
On the night of her murder, Cassie Jo Stoddart invited her boyfriend, Matt Beckham, to spend the evening at her aunt and uncle’s house with her. She also invited over Draper and Adamcik, and the four decided to watch a movie.
The boys soon left, telling Stoddart and Beckham that they were going to go to the local movie theater instead. But before they did, one of them sneaked downstairs and unlocked the basement door.
Rather than go to the movies, Draper and Adamcik changed into dark clothes and white masks and grabbed the knives they’d purchased from a pawn shop several weeks earlier. They then crept back into the house through the basement door and tried to lure Stoddart and Beckham downstairs by making loud noises.
YouTubeAlthough the Scream Killers tried to burn the videotape that contained evidence of their crimes, investigators were able to salvage the footage.
Their initial plan failed, as instead of heading to the basement to investigate, Beckham called his mom to ask if he could spend the night with Stoddart. She said no, but she told him that Stoddart could come to their house. Stoddart declined, as she didn’t want to let her aunt and uncle down, and Beckham’s mother picked him up at 10:30 p.m.
Shortly after, Draper and Adamcik went upstairs and stabbed Cassie Jo Stoddart approximately 30 times. Twelve of the wounds proved to be fatal, striking the right ventricle of her heart, and she quickly bled out.
The boys then fled the scene. They returned to their car around 11:30 p.m. and filmed their reactions to what they had just done. Brian Draper told the camera, “I stabbed her in the throat, and I saw her lifeless body. It just disappeared. Dude, I just killed Cassie!”
How Video Evidence Led To The Conviction Of The Scream Killers
Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik were interviewed by police several days later after Beckham informed authorities that they had been some of the last people to see Stoddart alive. Draper stuck to the story that he and Adamcik had gone to the movie theater, but he couldn’t describe the plot of the film they’d reportedly seen.
Neither could Adamcik.
Brian Draper broke first. He told police that it was all supposed to be a joke and that he was surprised when Adamcik actually started stabbing Stoddart.
Draper led authorities to Black Rock Canyon, where the teens had disposed of their clothes, masks, weapons, and camera. They had attempted to burn the videotapes of their grisly confession, but investigators were able to recover the footage and use it to charge the boys with murder.
FacebookBrian Draper (left) and Torey Adamcik (right) received life sentences for their crimes.
Although they were both under the age of 18 at the time, Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik were tried as adults. The incriminating video was shown to the jury during Draper’s trial. His defense claimed that the tape was only recorded for a horror movie that the teenagers were planning to make.
As reported by KPVI, the boys were both found guilty of homicide and conspiracy to commit murder and received the same sentence: life in prison.
The Scream Killers were caught before they were able to carry out any more murders from their extensive “death list.” Sadly, justice came too late to save Cassie Jo Stoddart.
After reading about the gruesome crimes of the Scream Killers, discover the story of Danny Rolling, the killer who inspired Scream. Then, learn about murders inspired by famous horror movies.
