A Time To Kill is investigating the disturbing murder of teenager Cassie Jo Stoddart by two classmates, Torey Adamcik and Brian Draper, in the small town of Pocatello, Idaho.
The shocking details of this murder would not look out of place in a script for a Hollywood teen horror slasher movie and are the stuff of nightmares for teenagers and parents across the country.
Cassie Jo was just 16-years-old when she agreed to house sit for her aunt and uncle. She was tasked with looking after several cats and dogs for a few days at a house near Pocatello, Idaho.
On the night of September 22, 2006, Stoddart was joined by her boyfriend, Matt Beckham, and two classmates, Adamcik and Draper, both also 16 years old. The four settled down to watch a movie until Adamcik and Draper stated they wanted to leave and said their goodbyes.
Stoddart and Beckham went back to their movie, unaware that the two teenage killers later returned dressed in dark clothing and masks and sneaked back into the house through a basement window. They had also armed themselves with knives.
Adamcik and Draper then proceeded to make noises and mess with the house’s circuit breaker in an effort to entice Stoddart and Beckham down to the basement. The pair didn’t come downstairs, but Stoddart was getting increasingly creeped out by noises and lights going on and off. One of the dogs kept staring at the basement door, which didn’t help calm the nerves.
Beckham phoned his mom to ask if he could stay the night with Stoddart to help calm her nerves, but his mom refused and came to pick him up.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelAfter Beckham had left, Adamcik and Draper emerged from the basement and attacked Stoddart as she lay on the couch. They stabbed her approximately 30 times.
The police soon concluded that Adamcik and Draper were among the last people to see Stoddart alive, and their suspicions piqued when the boyish murderers clearly lied about their alibi. They claimed they were at a movie but could not recall any details about the movie when asked by detectives.
Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik filmed themselves confessing to murder
In the end, the two killer boys more than incriminated themselves when the police discovered they’d made a home movie of themselves planning to murder Stoddart. In the film, they joked about recreating the plot from Scream and becoming notorious serial killers.
And a second recording made just after the murder featured Draper admitting to the killing. He is heard exclaiming: “I stabbed her in the throat, and I saw her lifeless body. It just disappeared. Dude, I just killed Cassie.”
In 2007, Adamcik and Draper were convicted of first-degree murder and were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Subsequent appeals to have their sentences reduced have so far failed.
More from A Time To Kill
Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on A Time To Kill.
Police Officer Steven Rios began having a secret affair with 23-year-old student Jesse Valencia after he’d arrested him while breaking up a college party. When Valencia threatened to expose their relationship, Rios responded by slashing the student’s throat.
Kaitlyn Conley had argued with her on-again/off-again boyfriend and decided to exact revenge by killing his mother and her employer, Mary Yoder, with poison.
A Time To Kill airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.