Two teenagers murdered their classmate in a real-life reenactment of a horror movie

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 2006, two Idaho high school students orchestrated a calculated killing of a friend, driven by a morbid desire for fame and inspiration from the slasher film Scream. They documented their planning in chilling videos, eventually ambushing their victim in a home where they had been guests just hours earlier.

On September 22, 2006, 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart was petsitting at her aunt and uncle’s home in Pocatello, Idaho. Two classmates, Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik, visited the house earlier that evening to watch a film. Unbeknownst to Stoddart and her boyfriend, Matt Beckham, the two boys had already planned an attack. Before leaving the house under the guise of going to a movie, they unlocked a basement door to ensure they could re-enter undetected.

The perpetrators were motivated by a desire for notoriety and a fascination with violence. Draper, who felt like a social outcast, expressed an obsession with the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, while Adamcik was captivated by the 1996 horror film Scream. The pair recorded themselves on video, creating a list of potential victims and discussing their intent to commit a crime similar to the movie. They even purchased knives specifically for the act, with Draper later claiming ownership of a serrated blade used in the assault.

After Beckham left the house that night, the two boys returned, wearing masks and dark clothing. They cut the power to the home in an attempt to lure Stoddart into the basement. When she did not descend, they moved upstairs and ambushed her. Stoddart was stabbed approximately 29 to 30 times, with fatal wounds linked to the weapons they had acquired. Following the murder, they hid evidence, including the incriminating videotape, near Blackrock Canyon.

Both Adamcik and Draper were arrested after investigators linked them to the crime through evidence and statements. Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in August 2007. Two decades later, they remain incarcerated, having unsuccessfully challenged their convictions while continuing to speak about the event in documentaries.

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