Are you a fan of scary movies? Do you have a favorite? I personally am a huge fan of the Halloween movies...watch out for Michael Myers! Of course, can't forget about Jason and Freddy!!! Anyone a fan of the Scream movies? Those are ones I can watch over and over along with the Halloween movies. On March 10, 2023, Scream VI came out. As of writing this blog, I have not seen it yet, but I did just binge watch Scream 1-5 to catch up on everything.
The Scream movies introduce us to Ghostface. "What's your favorite scary movie?" becomes an iconic line throughout. Calling teenagers, scaring them...ultimately killing some of them. The basis of the killings started with Sidney Prescott being the primary victim, yet ultimate survivor. Some of the killers doing what they do because of Sidney's dead mother's past. Some of the killers just wanted to keep the scary movie genre going. Now, I personally will never blame a TV show, movie, or music for someone's behavior. I will, however, always believe that some minds see things on TV, in the movies, or hear something in a song and think, "hey, that sounds like a good idea". I blame it on the minds of certain people as they take things to heart that they probably shouldn't. Did a song or movie make someone kill someone else? No...their mind twisted the song/movie into something evil...in my opinion.
This is the disturbing murder 0f Cassie Jo Stoddart. She lived in Bannock County, Idaho, and was a student at Pocatello High School. Cassie was a straight-A student, describe by many friends and family members as a kind, caring, responsible young lady. She had a high school sweetheart named Matt Beckham. By all accounts, their relationship was going well. Even the sheriff responsible for her case later said about Cassie, “She didn’t do anything but attend school. She didn’t do anything but be friends with somebody else, and just about everybody.”
Cassie was also friends with Brian Lee Draper and Torey Michael Adamcik. Sadly for Cassie, these two boys would take her life the night of September 22, 2006.
On September 22, 2006, Cassie was housesitting for her aunt and uncle in northeast Bannock county. The aunt, uncle, and their kids were out of town for the weekend and they hired Cassie to house sit and take care of their cats and dogs. Her boyfriend, Matt, came over that evening around 6:00 p.m. Around 8:30 p.m., Brian and Torey came over to the house to hang out for a while. Cassie gave everybody a tour of the house, including the basement. Cassie, Matt, Brian, and Torey then went to the living room and watched Kill Bill, Volume Two. Brian and Torey ended up leaving before the movie was over stating that they wanted to go watch a movie at the local movie theater instead. Matt stayed behind with Cassie to watch the rest of the Kill Bill, Volume Two movie.
Matt and Cassie had no idea that before Brian and Torey left, Brian had unlocked the basement door so that he and Torey would have a way to re-enter the house later that night. Brian and Torey returned to the neighborhood later, parked a bit down the street, got out of the car and put costumes on consisting of dark clothes, gloves, and white painted masks. Basically similar to Ghostface in the Scream movies. Brian and Torey entered the house through the basement door without Cassie and Matt knowing. They actually tried to make some noise to lure Matt and Cassie down to the basement, which ended up not working. Neither Cassie or Matt went down to the basement to check out the noise. Brian and Torey then decided to find the circuit breaker and cut the power to the house. They hoped that would make Matt and/or Cassie come down to the basement to check the breaker box. This tactic didn't work either. Brian and Torey ended up turning on some of the lights in the house.
Cassie started feeling nervous and uneasy after the power outage. Matt noticed that one of the aunt's and uncle's dogs kept staring down the basement stairs, barking or growling every once in a while. Matt ended up calling his mom to ask if he could stay the night at the house after explaining the noises from the basement and the temporary power outage. Understandably, Matt's mom said no, but she did offer to have Cassie come to their house and stay the night. I can understand that when dealing with teenagers...even the good, well behaved ones. Cassie was appreciative of the offer, but declined seeing as how she was hired to housesit for the weekend and she took her responsibility very serious.
Matt's mom picked him up around 10:30 that night. Matt called Torey to see where he and Brian were, thinking maybe they could meet up later and hang out for a while. When Torey answered, Matt said he could barely hear him because he was whispering on the phone. Matt assumed the boys were in the movie theater still.
While in the basement, Brian and Torey heard Matt leave. After Matt drove off with his mom, Brian and Torey cut the power again in the house hoping that Cassie would come downstairs to turn the lights back on. Cassie never made a move for the basement. Due to this, the boys ended up going upstairs. Brian was armed with a dagger-type weapon and Torey had a hunting knife. These weapons were bought at a pawnshop in preparation for their killing plans. Once sneaking upstairs, Brian opened and slammed a closet door to scare Cassie, who was lying on the couch in the living room at that time. Both Torey and Brian then attacked Cassie, stabbing her approximately 30 times. Twelve of her wounds were potentially fatal.
Brian and Torey left Cassie bleeding out while they fled the scene.
The next day, Matt and Torey got together. While hanging out, Matt repeatedly tried to call Cassie but never got an answer. This whole time, Torey knew what he had done and never said a word...very disturbing. You just killed his girlfriend!!! Cassie's body would not be discovered until two days later September 24, 2006, when her aunt uncle and their children came home. I believe one of the kids, Cassie's cousin, came into the house first and found her. So much trauma...I have no words.
Matt, of course, was talked to by investigators, his story being corroborated by his family. Investigators quickly learned about Brian and Torey and determined they were the last people to see Cassie alive.
When Torey was interrogated, he initially told detectives that he and Brian had gone to the house around 8:30 p.m. to attend a party. When the party didn't happen (because there was never a whole house party planned), it ended up just being the four of them watching a movie. He and Brian got bored and decided to go watch a movie at the movie theater. Torey stated they then went to his house to sleep.
When investigators asked Torey questions specifically about the movie that he and Brian supposedly went to, Torey couldn't remember anything about it.
While investigating the murder, police discovered that Brian and Torey had actually recorded their plan to murder Cassie via videotape while they were at school. Yes, you read that right..they made these plans while they were at school. Some people even overheard them talking, but didn't take anything seriously. This is where I will say again that I do not believe songs, movies, or TV shows create a murderer. I believe there is something wrong with the mental status of some people who watch or listen to things...their brains twist stuff into reality. Brian and Torey thought it would be great to recreate the Scream storyline in real life. The movie never told them to do that; Brian and Torey told themselves to do that - they are the only ones to blame.
Brian and Torey were arrested on September 27, 2006, and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. During the initial interrogations, each teen blamed each other. Brian said he was in the same room with Torey when Torey started killing Cassie and denied ever stabbing her. Brian later changed his story stating that he stabbed Cassie after being commanded to do so by Torey. Brian eventually led investigators to Black Rock Canyon where the teens had disposed of their dark clothing, the white masks they wore, and the knives that were used in the murder.
The videos Brian and Torey made stating their plans to mimic a Scream-like murder was used at their trial. Investigators also found a death list with Cassie's name being on it along with names of other classmates. The video also included footage Brian and Torey reacting after they killed Cassie.
“Just killed Cassie!” Draper was heard saying. “We just left her house. This is not a fucking joke. I stabbed her in the throat, and I saw her lifeless body.”
The transcript of the tape — which was later read out loud in court — demonstrated the callousness of the pair, with Draper also exclaiming how they’ll make history by becoming notorious serial killers.
They referenced notorious serial killers like the Hillside Strangler, the Zodiac Killer, and Ted Bundy.
You can find the video on YouTube if you want to check it out.
They also mentioned being inspired by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine High School shooters, and the horror film Scream in which several teenagers are killed by a mutual friend.
Brian Draper was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder on April 17, 2007. Cassie's grandfather Paul Cisneros said at that time, "One down one, more to go." Cassie's mother, Anna, stated, "I'm just happy. My baby got her justice."
Torey Adamcik’s trial began on May 31, 2007, and he also was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder on June 8, 2007.
Both Brian and Torey received life sentences in prison without the possibility for parole plus 30 years to life for the conspiracy behind their brutal slang. Both boys were 16 at the time of Cassie's murder. They are still serving their sentences at the Idaho State Correctional Institution.
An appeal in September 2010 was denied for both Brian and Torey. They were trying to get parole after 30 years.
In July 2015, Torey was allowed a hearing for post conviction relief, but the judge denied the request in March 2016. Torey tried to file an appeal on that decision to the Idaho Supreme Court, but that was also rejected in December 2017.
Following the Idaho Supreme Court's decision, Torey filed a federal writ of habeas corpus in January 2018 arguing that the court denied his first appeal based on a theory that was not presented to the jury. Torey also argued that he should be entitled to a new sentencing hearing in light of the Miller and Montgomery decisions. Federal Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale presided over Adamcik's writ and, on November 25, 2019, she denied the writ.
Torey is currently appealing Judge Dale's decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals with oral arguments taking place on February 7, 2022, with Jay Bybee, Morgan Christen, and James Selna (sitting by designation) presiding. On March 24, 2022, they upheld the sentence in an unpublished decision.
In 2010, the Stoddart family filed a civil lawsuit against the Idaho School District, claiming that school authorities were negligent and should have known that Draper and Adamcik posed a threat to others. Both the civil court and the Idaho Supreme Court dismissed the case, saying the actions of the killers were not foreseeable.
In Miller v. Alabama 567 U.S. 460 (2012), the United States Supreme Court ruled that mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole are unconstitutional for juvenile offenders, even in cases of murder, ruling that the youth of the convict had to be considered.
In 2016, the Supreme Court ruled in Montgomery v. Louisiana that this doctrine had to be applied to cases retroactively, and directed a review of all such cases, potentially 1,200 to 1,500 nationwide. Given juveniles' brain immaturity, the Supreme Court ruled that there had to be an opportunity to consider mitigating factors, as well as for later review of the sentences of such inmates, with possible relief for persons who had reformed. It said that "children who commit even heinous crimes are capable of change." Draper and Adamcik are among the cases that the state courts will review under this ruling. Some 1,100 cases are found in the states of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Michigan, where state courts had ruled that the Miller v. Alabama decision was not retroactive.
On October 16, 2019, the Supreme Court held oral arguments in Mathena v. Malvo, another juvenile life without parole case that could have had an effect on Adamcik's and Draper's sentences. The Supreme Court dismissed the Malvo case, but heard oral arguments in Jones v. Mississippi, another case relating to juvenile life without parole sentences, on November 3, 2020. On April 22, 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in Jones that a finding of permanent incorrigibility isn't required when sentencing a juvenile.
Do do I believe that juveniles should automatically get life without parole? Part of me says yes, the other part says no. On one hand, I can understand the underdeveloped mind of youth and, over time, is there a chance of them becoming a healthy part of society? Maybe. On the other hand, looking at the situation involved in Cassie's murder, how these two 16-year-olds planned the murder based on great they thought it would be to take a movie and turn it into real life - I find that very scary and disturbing to me. I'm not sure that that is the type of mentality is something that can be "fixed" over time. I'm definitely not a psychiatrist or psychologist, but I guess I personally worry about these two being out in the public again.
The overall picture is family and friends lost a wonderful person in September 2006. There's no rhyme or reason Cassie should not be with them today living her life; maybe married; maybe raising her own children. To the Stoddard family - I send my condolences. May Cassie always rest in peace and be remembered for her kindness and loving nature.
-- Audre
Photo by: allthatsinteresting.com
Photo by: mysteriousuniverse.org
Sources:
allthatsinteresting.com
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