They Wanted to Kill for Fun: The Chilling Case of Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik

In the quiet town of Pocatello, Idaho, two teenagers—Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik—turned their dark thoughts into a brutal and senseless murder.

They weren’t driven by anger or money—they simply wanted to kill for the fun of it. 

Tragically, their target was a kind, friendly and innocent classmate, Cassie Jo Stoddart. 

On September 22, 2006, the boys attacked her while wearing masks and stabbed her multiple times.  

Investigations later showed that before the attack, they recorded videos of themselves planning the murder, talking about it like it was just a game.

Let's get into the details.

Background of the Case 

Brian Draper was born on March 21, 1990, and had moved to Idaho from Sandy, Utah, while Torey Adamcik was born on June 14, 1990, in Pocatello. 

According to Wikipedia, the two boys met when they were in their second year at Pocatello High School.

They became close friends and often worked together on video projects because they both liked filmmaking.

Aside from filmmaking, Draper and Adamick were also fascinated with violence.

They wrote down their violent thoughts and even recorded videos where they talked about them.

They were very obsessed with violent movies, especially the Scream horror series where masked killers attacked people in their homes. 

Some classmates said the boys always talked about violence, but no one reported it or thought it was serious at the time.

Also, the boys often talked about how much they admired real-life killers.

In their videos and notes, they often praised Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two teenagers who carried out the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. 

Draper even wrote in his journal:

"I would give anything to go back in time and be part of Eric and Dylan’s lives. They are my heroes. I will follow in their footsteps."

Cassie Jo Stoddarts 

In the weeks before the murder, Draper and Achimik made a disturbing decision—they wanted to commit a crime even more shocking than the ones carried out by the killers from Scream and the Columbine school shooters.

They created a list with over a dozen potential victims, most of whom were their classmates. 

Tragically, Cassie Jo Stoddart became their first target.

This dangerous plan led them to carefully prepare for the murder of Cassie Stoddart—filming parts of it as if they were making a dark movie.

At the time of her death, Cassie Jo Stoddart was a 16-year-old student in her junior year at Pocatello High School in Idaho. 

She lived with her mother and was described by her teachers and friends as a responsible student with good grades.

Cassie, Brian, and Torey all went to the same school and had some of the same friends. 

Cassie was dating another student named Matt Beckham, who also became part of the case later on. 

There were no prior problems or disagreement between Cassie and the boys, which made the senseless murder even more shocking.

Cassie Jo Stoddart on the day she was murdered. 

What Happened To Cassie Jo Stoddart? The Day of the murder

On the evening of September 22, 2006, Cassie was house-sitting at her aunt and uncle's home on Whispering Cliffs Drive in Pocatello. 

Her aunt and uncle, Allison and Frank Contreras, were out of town and planned to return on Sunday, September 24, 2006.

Sadly, what was supposed to be a normal weekend for Cassie turned into one of the most infamous crimes in Idaho.

At 6 p.m., her boyfriend, Matt Beckham, joined her at the house to keep her company. 

Later that evening, classmates Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik came by to visit.

Cassie gave them a tour of the house, and the four teenagers spent some time together in the living room, watching Kill Bill: Volume 2.

However during the tour of the house, Draper and Adamcik secretly left a basement door to allow so that they could easily enter.later for their mission. 

However, during the tour of the house, Draper and Adamcik secretly unlocked a basement door, so they could easily enter later to carry out their plan.

Around 9:30 p.m., they told Beckham and Stoddart they were going to see another movie at a local theater, and then they left.

Torey Adamcik

Brian Draper 

After leaving, the pair drove to a nearby location where they changed into dark clothing and wore face masks.

They returned to the house on foot and entered through the basement door they had secretly left unlocked earlier.

Once inside, they found the circuit breaker and turned off the power

They hoped that the power outage would lure Stoddart and Beckham into coming downstairs. 

When that didn’t work, they turned the power back on and tried again several times, but the two never came down.

After the lights went off repeatedly, Beckham started to feel uneasy and scared.

He also noticed the family dog acting strange and barking toward the basement.

Feeling worried about leaving Cassie alone, he called his mother to ask if he could spend the night, but she said no and suggested that Cassie come over instead. 

However, since Cassie was house-sitting, she had to stay back and couldn’t leave the house.

At approximately 10:30 PM, Beckham's mother picked him up from the house and Stoddart remained alone.

Draper and Adamcik noticed when Beckham left, so shortly after, they cut the power to the house again. 

Then, they went upstairs with knives and attacked Stoddart as she lay on the living room couch.

According to forensic experts, they stabbed her about thirty times before fleeing the scene. 

Stoddart's body was discovered two days later when her relatives returned home on September 24, 2006.

The boys planning the attack

The Arrest of Cassie Jo Stoddart's Killers

An intensive criminal investigation into Cassie Jo Stoddart's murder began immediately after her body was found.

An investigation of the crime scene by detectives showed no signs of forced entry. 

This suggested that the killer or killers had either entered through an unlocked door or had been let inside.

One of the first persons of interest was the boyfriend of Cassie Stoddart's mother. 

His fingerprints were found on the circuit breaker panel—the same panel where the power had been tampered with during the attack.

However, he was quickly eliminated as a suspect when it was confirmed he had done electrical work in the home months earlier.  

Criminal investigators then turned their focus to Matt Beckham, Stoddart's boyfriend, as he was the last known person to see her alive.

Beckham fully cooperated with the investigation and explained how the lights had flickered while he was at the house.

Additionally, Beckham passed a polygraph examination "in flying colors," and his alibi was verified, according to Oxygen True Crime.

This made detectives to rule him out as a suspect and shift their focus to others.

While Beckham was being interrogated, he mentioned that Draper and Adamcik had visited earlier that evening, so detectives decided to speak with them.

When questioned, Draper and Adamcik first claimed that they went to see a movie after leaving Stoddart and Beckham.

However, their story quickly unraveled—neither could provide details about the film they allegedly watched.

Also, theater employees confirmed they had not been there that evening. 

When confronted with these inconsistencies, the pair changed their story and claimed they were stealing from cars in the area.

The inconsistencies in their statements, along with the fact that they had been at the house just hours before the murder, made Draper and Adamcik the primary suspects.

Detectives intensified their interrogation, and on September 26, Draper—under pressure and accompanied by his parents—confessed to being present during the murder.

However, he downplayed his role by saying that Adamcik was the main attacker and that he was just an unwilling participant.

Draper then led investigators to Black Rock Canyon, where he and Adamcik had buried evidence, including their bloodstained clothing, masks, and the knives used in the attack. 

Among the items recovered was a partially burned VHS tape that, after being restored, showed footage of the two planning the murder in disturbing detail.

With this evidence, police arrested both Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik on September 27, 2006. 

Justice For Cassie Jo Stoddart 

Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik, were charged as adults with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Prosecutors built their case on overwhelming evidence, including the killers' own videotaped confessions, the weapons and bloodstained clothing recovered from Black Rock Canyon, and their detailed premeditation documented in journals and videos.

Draper's trial commenced first in April 2007. 

The prosecution presented the disturbing videos where the defendants discussed their murder plans while specifically naming Cassie as their target. 

In one recording, Draper stated, "She has to be the one. We have to stick to the plan." 

The jury also heard how the pair had studied the house layout during their earlier visit, deliberately unlocking the basement door for later access. 

After just four hours of deliberation, Draper was convicted on April 17, 2007.

Adamcik's separate trial followed in June 2007. 

His defense team argued he was influenced by Draper, but the jury saw footage of Adamcik actively participating in the planning and aftermath. 

Adamcik was found guilty on June 8, 2007 after three days of jury deliberation.

On August 31, 2007, Sixth District Judge Peter McDermott sentenced both teens to life imprisonment without parole plus an additional 30 years for the conspiracy charge. 

Recent picture of  Brian Draper 

Recent picture of Torey Adamcik 

The judge noted their complete lack of remorse and the calculated nature of the crime. 

"This wasn't a spontaneous act," McDermott stated during sentencing. "This was planned, rehearsed, celebrated and recorded."

The Stoddart family found some solace in the verdicts but continued honoring Cassie's memory through "Pumpkins for Cassie," a charity supporting local animal shelters and food banks. 

All subsequent appeals by the killers, including Adamcik's 2019 attempt to argue ineffective counsel, were denied by Idaho courts. 

Both remain incarcerated at Idaho Maximum Security Institution, their life sentences ensuring they will never walk free again.

Source

If you're interested in delving deeper into this case, there are several books that offer additional insights. 

Shannon Adamcik, Torey’s mother, shares her personal story in her book The Guilty Innocent.

Also, Pamela Lillian Valemont examines the killers' backgrounds and the community's response to their actions in her book Mormon Sons: Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik.

If enjoy true crime, audiobooks can be a great way to experience these stories (or any story) while on the go. 

With Audible’s free trial, you can explore many more stories, all for free in your first month.

After your free first month, you can still listen to a limited number of books every month with the free trial. 

There is no commitment and you can cancel your subscription at any time, even during the free trial month.

As we reflect on Cassie’s story, let’s remember the importance of staying alert to warning signs of violence, while honoring the memory of a life taken too soon.

Sources

Wikipedia. 

Oxygen