Cassie Jo Stoddart: The Scream Murder: Part 2

The murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart took place in Bannock County, Idaho, on September 22, 2006, when Cassie, a student at Pocatello High School, was stabbed to death by classmates Brian Lee Draper and Torey Michael Adamcik.

We would like to provide a warning that this episode includes actual audio of the murderous teens plotting and carrying out their sinister plans.
-listen at your own discretion.

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Transcript

 [Underscore Music]

Previously on The Secret Sits, Cassie Jo Stoddart was house sitting for her aunt and Uncle when two of her high school friends secretly crept into their house and then viciously attacked her, and that is where we find ourselves while we pick up our story today.

 [Theme Music Start]

Welcome to The Secret Sits, I’m your host John Dodson.  Join us every Thursday as we uncover the Secrets behind the world’s most fascinating true crime cases.  You can find all episodes of The Secret Sits for free on Apple Podcast, Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.  And if you like what you are hearing, reach out to us on Instagram and Facebook @The Secret Sits Podcast or on Twitter @SecretSitsPod. Now, on with our story.

[Theme Music Play Out]

[Under Score Music]

Two days went by and no one had heard from Cassie, everyone knew she was house sitting and they figured that she was just taking care of the animals and enjoying her time.  No one in Cassie’s circle could have even imagined what was waiting on Allison and Frank Contreras as they returned from their weekend trip away.  

Allison and Frank pulled into their driveway and everything looked perfectly normal.  Their 13-year-old daughter was the first person out of the car, and the first person to enter the house.  The young girl screamed as she walked in to find Cassie laying in a pool of her own blood, her body covered in lacerations and stab wounds.

Cassie’s younger brother Andrew was just 15 and he was staying at a friend’s house for the night, at some point Andrew did not feel right and he decided that he would rather go home and sleep in his own bed, he called his mom to come pick him up, but she did not answer.  He attempted to call her again several times, but still, no answer.  Still convinced that he should head home, Andrew asked his friend’s parents to just drive him home themselves, rather than his mother coming to pick him up.  As they arrived at Andrew’s home, he noticed that no one seemed to be home, the feeling in his stomach sank deeper.  Andrew waited at his home until his uncle Frank arrived to pick him up, this was strange, Andrew’s stomach plummeted even deeper.

Frank drove young Andrew out to his home on Whispering Cliffs and as they arrived at the house, Andrew could see police lights everywhere, there were neighbors and some of his family standing outside of the house, huddled together, some crying, some consoling.  And the sinking feeling in Andrew’s stomach, took over his entire body.  As Andrew exited the car, people standing around outside, diverted their attention toward the young boy who had just arrived at the scene.  Andrew slowly moved through the crowd, until he found a face he recognized, his stepdad, the man was also just standing there sobbing.

One of the other mourners present walked over to the man and told him that he needed to tell the young boy what had happened.  Andrew’s stepdad, struggled through his tears and told Andrew that someone had done something terrible to his sister Cassie.

The police began their investigation into this heinous crime where they always do, by interviewing the boyfriend, Matt Beckham.  Matt told the police everything that had occurred on the last night he had seen his girlfriend Cassie Jo Stoddart alive.  In his description of the evening, he told police about Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik coming by the house to watch the movie and that they had left early.   Because their names were brough up by Matt, and because the two had also been some of the last people to see Cassie alive, police decided that they had to interview these two boys as well.

Police detectives went to Torey’s house on September 24th and did an informal interview there.  Torey’s father Sean Adamcik was present for this interview with his son at his home.  Torey told the detectives that he and Brian Draper had gone to the Whispering Cliffs home expecting a real party, but there was no party, just Cassie and Matt watching movies, so they left the house to go see a movie at the movie theatre.  Torey said that they went to watch the movie Pulse, a horror movie starring Kristen Bell and Ian Somerhalder, but he was unable to describe the movie or its plot.  He then stated that after the movie, he and Brian went to his house for the rest of the night.

Next, police detectives went to speak with Brian Draper.  Brian told the detectives that he and Torey had gone to see a movie after leaving the house on Whispering Cliffs, but they had arrived too late to see the movie they really wanted to see and instead they chose to watch Pulse, once again, Brian could not explain what the movie was about nor its plot points.

Brian Draper had a follow up interview with police on the evening of September 26th.  During this interview, Brian attempts to maintain his original story, but the investigators get into a lot more details during this interview, details that Brian is having a hard time skipping past.  Brian then told the detective that he and Torey had gone through the parking lot at the theatre attempting to steal items that they could find in the cars.  The detectives did not believe this story either, but they allowed Brian to leave with his parents after this interview.

An officer was dispatched to the Draper home and they searched the house, looking for any items they could connect to the murder, such as gloves, or knives.  The officer found an empty knife sheath and he asked Brian where the knife was?  Brian told the officer that the knife belonged to a friend and that the knife was likely at his friend’s home.

The following day on September 27th, police conducted a third interview with Brian Draper, his parents were present for this interview at the police station.  During this interview Brian admitted that he and Torey had unlocked the basement door, so they could sneak back into the house later that night.  

But Brian was adamant that they had only done this so they could scare Cassie.  He affirmed that they had brought dark clothing, masks, gloves and knives with them to the house.  He stated that they figured they needed the whole get up for maximum scare value.  And then Brian continued, he told the investigators that once they ascended the basement stairs and entered the living room, Torey began actually stabbing Cassie.  He said that at first, he thought Torey was just messing around, but then he realized the sinister act that was taking place right in front of him.  Brian stated that he never stabbed Cassie, but he stood there and watched as Torey stabbed Cassie to death.

[Audio Clip] 2:10:00

Brian went on to claim that, earlier in the day, Torey had threatened to kill him if he told anyone about their upcoming plans.  And in a last-ditch effort to save his own ass, Brian agreed to take investigators to the location where he and Torey had hidden all of the evidence. 

Several investigators joined Brian Draper and his father as they traveled to Black Rock Canyon and Brian pointed out the spot where he and Torey had attempted to get rid of evidence.  The items recovered from this spot included:

·         a book of matches

·         a melted hydrogen peroxide bottle

·         1 pair of blue gloves

·         1 pair of black boots

·         1 pair of fingerless gloves

·         1 multi-colored mask

·         1 large dagger-type knife with a sheath

·         1 silver and black-handled knife with ‘SLOAN’ written on the blade; (notice this knife does not have a sheath)

·         1 small dagger-type knife with a sheath

·         1 Sony videotape

·         1 black-handled serrated folding knife; (later DNA testing revealed that Cassie’s blood was present on this knife)

·         A partly burned piece of paper with writing in pencil

·         1 red and white mask

·         1 single black glove

·         A pair of partially burned black Puma brand gloves; (later DNA testing revealed that Cassie’s blood had soaked into these gloves)

·         1 blue plastic garbage bag

·         A partially burned black long-sleeved Haggar brand dress shirt

·         A Calvin Klein black dress shirt. Later DNA testing revealed that Cassie’s blood was present on the shirt cuff

·         1 white and grey sock

·         A small piece of black cord

The note which was partially burned was difficult to read, but some of the note’s more legible parts had mentions of killing both Cassie and Matt.  

Next, the detectives contacted Torey Adamcik and his parents and asked them to come to the police station for a second interview with the boy.  

During this interview Torey recounted the same story he had told during his first interview, but with more clarity.  

[Audio Clip]

Time line with mother. 

Torey claimed that he and Brian arrived at the house on Whispering Cliffs at 8 or 8:30, they toured the house and then began watching Kill Bill: Volume II.  They left the house around 10PM and from there, they began to break into cars.  Torey said that he called Matt several times before he picked up, when he finally answered, Matt told him that his mother was driving him home.  Around 11:30PM he and Brian traveled to Torey’s house and they stayed there for the rest of the night.

By this point some witnesses had come forward stating that they had seen Brian and Torey at a local convenience store after 11:30 PM, when the detectives confront Torey with this information, he quickly changes his story and says that they had to go back out to the store later to get matches for Brian, who smoked cigarettes.

At the conclusion of this interview the detectives revealed to Torey that they had already recovered the evidence from Black Rock Canyon.  

[Audio Clip] 1:51:15

We found the evidence.

Investigators showed Torey the partially burned notebook paper and he admitted that it was his handwriting on the paper.  It was at this time that Torey Adamcik requested an attorney.  The detectives then concluded the interview.  The detectives left Torey alone with his father for a few moments and then they placed him in handcuffs and arrested him.

That day Brian Draper was taken into custody and transported to the Bannock County Jail.  The following morning, investigators wanted to interview Brian again, this would be the boys fourth interview in just a couple of days, but police were unable to contact Brian’s parents so they could come in and be present during the interview, Brian Draper then told police that he was open to speaking to the investigators without his parents present.  During this fourth interview, investigators were attempting to clarify Brian’s story, they wanted to piece together exactly how Brian had been involved in the actual murder.  At this point all blame for the murder rested squarely on Torey’s shoulders.  The investigator asked Brian if Torey had maybe forced him to participate in stabbing Cassie, to prove himself as a man, Brian began to wander down this path with the investigators and he told them that yes, Torey had forced him to participate, Brian claimed that Torey kept saying, “You need to stab her, you need to stab her.”

Brian said that he did in fact stab Cassie four times in her leg and chest, but the blows from his blade were not enough to kill the girl and Torey kept saying that Cassie had to die.  This interview, absent of parental supervision concluded 13 minutes later when Brian Draper finally asked to speak to his parents.

After the conclusion of this interview, both Torey Adamcik and Brian Draper were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Both boys would end up going on trial for the murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart, Dr. Steve Skoumal had performed the autopsy on Cassie after her death and he had concluded that Cassie died due to the stab wounds to her torso, there were 30 stab wounds, 12 of which would have been fatal on their own.  Forensic Pathologist, Dr. Charles Garrison found that, “There were at least two knives used, one of which was a non-serrated blade, and one of which was a serrated blade.”  Both men testified that one particular strike to Cassie’s right ventricle was likely the strike that ended her young life.  This wound was caused by the non-serrated blade.

During his trial, Brian Draper’s attorney attempted to have his fourth interview suppressed due to the fact that his parents were not present during the interview.  The judge denied this request, because Brian had waived his right to remain silent and he nor his parents had invoked his right to counsel.  Brian Draper’s trial concluded on April 17th, 2007 as he was found guilty on both charges.  After the trial, Brian went through a pre-sentence investigation or a PSI.  This investigation delves into a person’s social and legal background, before sentencing, to determine if there are extenuating circumstances which should influence the severity or leniency of a criminal sentence.  

The court allowed Brian’s parents to be present during this PSI, however; the investigator asked Brian’s parents to wait outside of the interview room because he believed that Brian could not be honest while under the watchful eyes of his parents.  After the PSI, Draper’s attorney attempted to have the findings thrown out, they believed that the investigator was biased and had overstepped during the interview.  The purpose of the PSI is to help the court and jury determine the most proper sentence, without explicitly recommending a specific sentence.  During the PSI interview, the interrogator stated that Brian, “made a choice to take the life of another human being, a choice the victim did not have…. This is the type of behavior that we, as a society cannot take a second chance at, because you cannot replace a life as you can a stolen television or broken window.”

The argument from Draper’s legal team was that, when the interrogator stated, “This is the type of behavior that we, as a society cannot take a second chance at”, they were no longer a neutral party because they had essentially recommended life in prison as the only option.  The court rejected this argument and said that everything was in compliance with the law.  The judge then stated that, he, himself believed that Brian Draper would kill again, without any doubt.

A few weeks after Brian’s trial, Torey went on trial for the same charges, on June 8th, 2007, Torey Adamcik was also found guilty on both charges.  Each of these boys were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the charge of first-degree murder, additionally the murderous teens received 30 years to life for the conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.  Both are now housed at the Idaho State Correctional Institute.  During their sentencing both boys made a statement in court, Brian Draper stated, “All I ask you is to give me the punishment I deserve for my part in this crime.  That is the only way I will be able to find some sort of closure by getting what I deserve.  She was scared and alone and she needed someone to protect her from harm, I did not do that, instead I didn’t do a thing to help her.”  Torey exclaimed in his statement, “I feel terrible for Cassie’s family and my family and friends and especially for Cassie.  What happened to her was monstrous.”

I usually do not end an episode with a quote from the perpetrator of a crime, but I think Torey actually said it best, what happened to her was monstrous, but Brian and Torey, you were the monsters.