Teens inspired by ‘Scream’ recorded ‘first kill’ plot before stabbing classmate to death

Two teens turned their obsession with slasher films into a deadly real-life nightmare.

In September 2006, 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart, who was house-sitting for relatives successful Pocatello, Idaho, was recovered stabbed to decease wrong the property. Investigators successful the tiny municipality focused connected the past 3 radical who saw the fashionable teen alive: classmates Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik, on with her boyfriend, Matt Beckham. But the find of a buried videotape revealed a disturbing truth.

Stoddart’s lawsuit is being explored successful the ABC News Studios existent transgression docuseries "The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story." It examines however Draper and Adamcik, some inspired by the 1996 movie "Scream," selected a unfortunate and carried retired the killing.

"In their minds, they were playing characters," manager Lisa Quijano Wolfinger told Fox News Digital. "In the videotape, you tin perceive them speech astir however this was going to marque them famous. When they committed this unspeakable crime, they imagined the FBI and others would spot the portion and say, ‘Oh my gosh, these guys were specified mastermind killers.’ They wanted notoriety. They wanted to beryllium seen."

Brian Draper is seen speechmaking a connection to the tribunal during his sentencing connected Aug. 24, 2007, successful Pocatello, Idaho.  (Doug Lindley/The Idaho State Journal/AP Images)

But aft sidesplitting their friend, investigators judge the boys were spooked.

"After the crime, they tried to pain the tape," Wolfinger said. "They buried each of their grounds successful a pit retired successful the canyon. So successful the aftermath, they said to themselves, ‘Oh no, we should fell this.’ Ultimately, they didn’t privation the portion found."

Cassie Jo Stoddart was murdered connected Sept. 22, 2006, successful Pocatello, Idaho. She was 16. (ABC News Studios)

Stoddart’s friends and classmates described her arsenic a bubbly, well-liked teen with a adjacent ellipse of friends. The assemblage was blindsided and devastated by her abrupt death.

"We talked to her precocious schoolhouse friends and her creation teacher, who knew her good and loved her precise much," Wolfinger said. "They each said the aforesaid happening — she was conscionable Cassie. She was benignant and caring, with a large psyche and large plans for her future."

"I retrieve talking to the creation teacher," Wolfinger recalled. "He said, ‘She wasn’t the champion artist. She was conscionable Cassie.’ To me, that was almighty due to the fact that it was authentic. The emotion everyone had for her was genuine. Twenty years person passed, and it’s inactive not capable clip — she was truthful loved."

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Draper initially presented himself arsenic a acrophobic person anxious to instrumentality a polygraph trial to wide his name. But conscionable earlier the exam, helium broke down and said helium needed to talk with detectives.

Sitting beside his distraught parents, Draper told investigators that helium and Adamcik went to the spot wherever Stoddart was staying. He claimed they intended lone to crook disconnected the powerfulness and scare her portion wearing masks. But then, according to Draper, Adamcik began stabbing Stoddart. Draper aboriginal led detectives to an country wherever they had buried the evidence. In the pit was a portion connected which the boys chronicled their plot.

The portion that was recovered by investigators. (ABC News Studios)

The signaling showed the teens gleefully discussing plans for what they called their "first kill." They referenced the movie "Scream," saying they wanted to cognize what it felt similar to instrumentality a life. The portion didn’t amusement the attack, but it captured Draper and Adamcik successful Draper’s car soon afterward. They vividly described the adrenaline unreserved they felt and past talked astir disposing of the evidence.

Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik were said to beryllium inspired by fearfulness films, including the 1996 movie "Scream." (United Archives/TBM/ALAMY)

"This consciousness of earthy excitement and glee successful the aftermath of the transgression was chilling to me," Wolfinger said. "I recovered it fascinating that these 2 16-year-old boys could bash thing similar this without appearing traumatized astatine all. 

"As a parent of teen boys, it was hard to comprehend. I wanted to recognize however that could hap — what was going connected successful their teenage brains that made them deliberation it was OK oregon someway justified?"

The assemblage inactive wonders wherefore Stoddart, who was affable with Draper and Adamcik, was targeted.

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When precocious schoolhouse pupil Cassie Stoddart was recovered stabbed to decease successful a location connected the outskirts of Pocatello, Idaho, the assemblage was gripped by fearfulness that a random slayer was connected the loose. (ABC News Studios)

"I think, honestly, it’s due to the fact that she was a friend," Wolfinger said. "They knew her. It gave them access. They knew she would beryllium house-sitting for her aunt and uncle, and it became a transgression of opportunity. But they besides had a termination list. They had a plan. This was thing they wanted to do. They wanted to termination somebody."

"When Friday greeting came, they realized Cassie and Matt, their friends, would beryllium hanging retired astatine the location alone," Wolfinger said. "I don’t cognize if the program was acceptable successful chromatic that greeting oregon if it solidified erstwhile they went to the location and realized they had an accidental to spell into the basement."

Torey Adamcik and Brian Draper created their ain masks inspired by Ghostface from "Scream" (seen here) earlier the slaying. (Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images)

"It was genuinely a transgression of opportunity," Wolfinger continued. "I don’t deliberation they sat determination and said, ‘Oh, Cassie.’ It was successful the infinitesimal — ‘She’s going to beryllium location unsocial successful a big, bare house. This is our opportunity.’ To me, that makes it adjacent much chilling."

Torey Adamcik listens arsenic Judge Peter D. McDermott reads the jury's blameworthy verdict during his execution proceedings astatine the Bannock County Courthouse connected June 8, 2007, successful Pocatello, Idaho. (Joe Kline/Idaho State Journal/AP Images)

In 2007, Draper and Adamcik were convicted of first-degree murder, The Associated Press reported. They were sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole, positive 30 years to beingness for conspiracy to perpetrate murder.

Their attorneys filed abstracted appeals astatine the Supreme Court successful 2010 and 2011, the outlet noted. Both were denied.

Now some 35, Draper and Adamcik were interviewed from down bars for the docuseries, on with their parents.

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Anna Stoddart reacts arsenic she identifies a photograph of her slain girl Cassie Jo Stoddart connected April 11, 2007, successful Pocatello, Idaho. (Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal/AP Images)

"There were galore conversations," Wolfinger said. "What strikes maine is that these are 2 middle-aged men who are precise remorseful. They’ve had plentifulness of clip to deliberation astir everything."

"They cognize they did a unspeakable happening and tin ne'er bring Cassie backmost oregon repair the harm they caused to her family, their parents, oregon their community," she shared. "As teenagers, they didn’t afloat recognize the consequences of their actions. Now, arsenic 35-year-olds, they do."

A clip of a signaling taken by Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik astatine the room successful Pocatello, Idaho.  (ABC News Studios)

The docuseries besides explores however this calamity went beyond a fascination with "Scream."

"They some loved fearfulness movies," said Wolfinger. "Horror movies spoke to them, particularly Brian. He’s inactive a large movie buff. They intelligibly loved the movie ‘Scream,’ and you tin perceive it connected the tape. ‘This is going to beryllium similar ‘Scream.’’ They made their ain homemade ‘Scream’ masks. They were decidedly inspired by the movie. They were inspired by different movies, too."

Stoddart’s mother, Anna Stoddart, became a relentless advocator for justice, publically supporting prosecutors’ efforts to guarantee her daughter’s killers received beingness sentences. She died successful 2022. Draper and Adamcik’s parents proceed to wrestle with achy questions astir however their sons became progressive successful the tragic crime.

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In the docuseries, constabulary skipper John Ganske spoke retired astir however the lawsuit was solved with cardinal evidence. (ABC News Studios)

"It’s devastating for them," said Wolfinger. "They don’t admit their sons successful that footage and can’t marque consciousness of it. These were kids from bully homes. They had immoderate societal struggles successful precocious schoolhouse — Brian wanted a woman and struggled with confidence, portion Torey faced different issues. But however did it pb to this?"

"This transgression shattered truthful galore lives," Wolfinger added.

“The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story" is streaming connected Hulu.

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