Cassie Jo Stoddart

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Torey Adamick and Brian Draper killed Cassie Jo Stoddart in 2006 trying to emulate their favorite horror movie.

You’ve heard of the Scream movies, but did you know that in 2006 two teenagers tried to emulate one of their favorite movies?  Listen to how Cassie Jo Stoddart paid the ultimate price when two boys wanted to become more famous than the movies and killers they idolized.

Torey Adamick and Brian Draper killed Cassie Jo Stoddart in 2006 trying to emulate their favorite horror movie.
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Discovery

This episode came about while watching an old episode of Cold Justice from season three that took place in Pocatello, Idaho.  Kelly Siegler, a former Texas prosecutor, and Yolanda McClary, a former crime scene investigator were reviewing the evidence from the murder of Nori Jones who was murdered in September 2004.  Nori was found murdered in her first-floor bedroom having been stabbed and her throat cut.  She was found lying face down on her bed with no clothes on.  It didn’t appear at the time that she had been sexually assaulted. Over two hundred and fifty pieces of evidence were collected and processed with the technology at that time, but no one was arrested and brought to justice. 

Now, if you’ve watched Cold Justice you know that Kelly and her team along with local investigators get together and discuss possible suspects.  There were three suspects in Nori’s murder.  One was Robert Spillett, a parolee who became somewhat obsessed with Nori at her place of employment.  Nori worked for a government job placement program. The other was a man, Brad Compher, who had left a fingerprint on her back door and one other was a 14-year-old neighbor by the name of Torey Adamick.  What put him on the suspect list was his involvement in the murder just two years later and that is the episode we are going to cover today.   

We’ll get back to Nori Jones’s murder at the end of our episode.  

Location

Pocatello, Idaho is located in Bannock County in the southeastern part of the state.  It is named after the 19th-century Shoshone tribal chief, Chief Pocatello.  Pocatello became known as the “Gateway to the Northwest” as settlers traveled along the Oregon Trail which ran just south of the town.  In 2007, Pocatello was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the best small places for business and careers.  Pocatello is also home to Idaho State University and its mascot Benny the Bengal.

Discovery

On the afternoon of Sunday, September 24, 2006, the aunt and uncle of 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart returned to their home on Whispering Cliffs Drive.  Cassie had been house/pet sitting for her relatives since Friday evening.  Their home on Whispering Cliffs Drive was a raised ranch-style of home with an exposed basement with an entrance and outside stairs that lead up to the main door and living area.  Cassie was discovered lying on the floor of the living room in a large pool of blood.

Investigators arrived on the scene after being notified by the 911 dispatcher as did Cassie’s mother, Anna.  Anna would tell investigators that she dropped Cassie and her boyfriend, Matt Beckham, off Friday evening around 5:30 pm.  Anna last talked to Cassie around 9:30 pm that evening to just check in.  Cassie told her they were just watching a movie and she was okay and would talk to her tomorrow.  Anna sadly would go on to say that she had gotten sidetracked through the weekend and didn’t get a chance to call Cassie, but not worrying about her as she was a responsible young woman.  

Questions

State Police Lieutenant Robert Rausch was one of the first investigators on the scene.  In examining the property and home he could see that there was no forced entry.  He could also tell that Cassie had been up on hell of a fight due to her defensive wounds including the loss of a finger. She had several deep lacerations and stab wounds. There were no murder weapons found at the scene.  Captain John Ganske of the Idaho State Police was called in.  Investigators were left to wonder what was the motive for Cassie’s murder.  It didn’t appear to be a burglary or home invasion.  Cassie also didn’t appear to be a victim of sexual assault.    

Cassie’s autopsy would show that she had been stabbed close to thirty times with twelve of those wounds potentially fatal.  A second examination would show that two different knives had been used. One knife with a serrated blade had inflicted 11 of the 12 potentially fatal stab wounds.  The second knife, a single blade non-serrated, inflicted one of the potentially fatal wounds and other non-fatal wounds.  

Investigators began by piecing together the last hours of Cassie’s life starting on Friday, September 22, 2006.  Cassie’s mother would tell authorities that she dropped Cassie off at Pocatello High School at 8:00 am.  Cassie was a junior described as a good student who was well-liked and didn’t appear to have any problems with anybody.   Cassie would be captured on video camera by two of her classmates around 8:30 am while she was at her locker.  She would go on to follow her schedule the rest of the day and be picked up by Anna at 3:45 pm along with her boyfriend, Matt.  

Drop Off

Anna would take both Cassie and Matt to Whispering Cliff Drive house around 5:30 pm so Cassie could take care of the two dogs and two cats her relatives owned.  Anna made sure to remind Cassie and Matt of the rules and that she would check in later that evening.  Matt was not going to spend the night as his mother would be picking him up later in the evening.  At 9:30 pm Anna called and Cassie told her they were watching Kill Bill II and she would call her mom the next day.  Cassie never made any calls on Saturday or Sunday and no one could reach Cassie after Friday.    

So investigators decided to talk with Matt Beckham as he may have been one of the last people to see Cassie alive.  While they were doing this the forensic team was going over the home looking for any evidence that might lead them to Cassie’s killer or killers.  It was during their first conversation with Matt that he told investigators that around 10:00 pm the electricity had gone off for several minutes.  Neither he nor Cassie wanted to go to the basement to check out what was going on as they were scared, especially with the family dogs standing at the top of the basement stairs growling down into the darkness. 

Fuse Box

Investigators informed the forensic team to check the fuse box as they didn’t understand the reason for the electricity going out as there were no community outages.  Forensics would find a fingerprint on the fuse box that would match someone close to Cassie that of her mother’s boyfriend, Victor.  Victor would tell investigators that he had done some electrical work at the home so you would expect to find his prints there.  Victor’s alibi was checked.  He was at a neighbor’s house that night playing video games which were verified.  

Investigators in their conversation with Matt found out that he had been picked up by his mother around 11:00 pm on Friday.  He had called his mother and asked if he could spend the night after the electricity had gone out for a time, but she would not allow it.  However, she did offer to have Cassie spend the night at their house and she would bring her back the next morning.  Cassie declined as she felt she needed to stay as it was her responsibility to watch her aunt and uncle’s home and their pets.  

Matt would also tell investigators that he had tried to call Cassie around 12:30 am and got no answer.  All of his attempts would go unanswered into that next day.  Although investigators thought Matt was not being deceitful they asked him to take a polygraph examination which he agreed to.  Matt passed his examination showing no signs of deception.  It was during his post-polygraph interview that Matt would give investigators two more names of persons that had contact with Cassie Friday evening.  

House Guests

Matt told investigators that two of their friends, Torey Adamick and Brian Draper had come over to the Whispering Cliffs Drive home around 8:30 pm to watch movies with the couple.  The pair had watched the movie with them and had taken a tour of the house and had left around 9:30 pm saying they were going to a movie in town. 

Captain Gaske contacted Adamick and his father and conducted an interview at their home.  Adamick told detectives that he and Draper had gone over to Cassie’s relative’s house around approximately 8:30 pm for what they thought was a party.  It turned out it was just them, Cassie, and Matt watching a movie so they left around 9:30 pm to go to a movie.  Afterward, the pair went back to Adamick’s house where they remained for the rest of the night. 

Investigators turned their attention to Draper who agreed to talk to the police.  Draper confirmed he and Adamick did go to the Whispering Cliff Drive home and watch movies with Cassie and Matt. They left around 9:30 so they could make it in time to see the movie Pulse which was playing at the theater.  

 Investigators would go to the local movie theater in Pocatello and talk with a classmate of Adamick and Draper who was working on the evening of Friday, September 22nd.  She would tell investigators that the pair was not there that night.  

Second Shot

It was during Draper’s second interview on the evening of September 26th that when asked to describe the plot of the movie Draper was unable to do so.  When confronted by police that they didn’t believe his story he admitted that they didn’t go to the movies, but instead was breaking into cars.  Draper denied hurting Cassie and even agreed to take a polygraph.  This was set up for Wednesday, September 27th.  Prior to the polygraph detectives went to Draper’s residence where his parents consented to a search.  In Draper’s bedroom they found a knife sheath, but no knife.  Draper told detectives that it belonged to a friend and he didn’t know if his friend had the knife or not.  

Third Interview

Draper’s third interview occurred on Wednesday, September 27th at the station with his parents, where he again was read his Miranda rights.  This time Draper admitted that he and Adamick had unlocked a door in the basement when they went on their tour with the plans of returning and scaring Cassie and Matt.  They had turned the power off hoping Matt and Cassie would come down to the basement, but they didn’t.  They would turn the power back on a few minutes later.  

The pair then stayed in the basement until Matt left around 11:00 pm. They once again turned the power off and on, but Cassie still didn’t come downstairs.  That is when the pair went upstairs wearing masks, black clothing, gloves, and carrying two knives.  Draper stated he thought they were just going to scare her.  He then tells detectives that “things got crazy” when Adamick started to repeatedly stab Cassie.  Draper denied stabbing Cassie putting all the blame onto Adamick.  Afterward, he said the pair went back downstairs and left through the basement door.  

Next, Draper told detectives that they went to Black Rock Canyon and buried the evidence of their crime.  

Evidence

Draper, along with his father and detectives drove out to Black Rock Canyon approximately fifteen miles south of Whispering Cliffs Drive.  Detectives recovered the following items, a pair of black boots, stick matches, a pair of rubber gloves, a pair of fingerless gloves, a melted brown hydrogen peroxide bottle, a multi-color mask, a large dagger-type knife with a sheath, a silver & black-handled knife with a signature of “sloan” written on the side, and a small dagger-type knife with a sheath.

They also recovered a damaged Sony videotape, a black-handled serrated folding knife (later DNA testing would reveal Cassie’s blood was present), partially burned piece of paper with writing on it, a red and white mask (later DNA testing would show Adamick DNA), a pair of partially burned Puma brand gloves that appeared soaked in blood, a blue plastic garbage bag, a partially burned Calvin Klein black dress shirt (Cassie’s blood would be found on the cuff), a partially burned black long-sleeved Haggar brand dress shirt, a white & gray sock and a small piece of black cord.

Brian Draper was placed under arrest on September 27th and imprisoned in the Bannock County Jail with a bond set at one million dollars.    

Co-Conspirator

Torey Adamick and his parents were asked down to the police station for a formal interview which they agreed to.  Adamick didn’t know that authorities had gotten a confession from Draper nor the evidence that was collected at Black Rock Canyon.  When detectives started asking Adamick questions about being seen at the Common Cents convenience store or traveling out to Black Rock Canyon Adamick asked for an attorney so the interview was over.  If Adamick thought that he would be going home he would be wrong.  Detectives placed Adamick under arrest and charged him with 1st Degree Murder.  His bond was also set at one million dollars.

Video

Authorities were hoping that the crime lab would be able to repair the damaged videotape. They had no idea what they were about to discover.  The tape starts out at 8:28 am on September 22, 2006, with Cassie standing at her locker.  Draper is heard on the tape talking to her.  Draper and Adamick would skip their fourth-period class and go to the library around 12:12 pm.  There they would record themselves making a death list of victims and solidifying their plans for the night.  They were looking for a victim that would be alone and unfortunately Cassie was that victim.

Draper can be heard on tape stating “as sad as it may be, she’s our friend, but you know what, we all have to make sacrifices.”  He goes on to say “our first victim is going to be Cassie Stoddart.  She’s going to be alone in a big dark house out in the middle of nowhere.  How perfect can you get?  I mean like holy shit, dude.”  Adamick added, “I’m horny just thinking about it.”  

Hyped!

The video would also show Draper and Adamick in a car after having left Whispering Cliff Drive. This was around 9:50 pm.  This part of the tape shows the two killers talking about returning to the residence and killing their two friends. Draper states, “we’re here in his car.  The time is 9:50 pm on September 22, 2006. Um…unfortunately we have a grueling task of killing our two friends and they are right in – that house just down the street.”

Had Matt not left he would have been the second victim.  At 11:31 pm another recording, this time the pair talked about having just killed Cassie and how hyped up they were.  Draper is heard saying, “I just killed Cassie, we’ve just left her house.  This is not a fucking joke”.  Adamick added, “I’m shaking.  I stabbed her in the throat.”  Draper goes on to say “and I saw her lifeless body just ….disappear.  Dude, I just killed Cassie.  That felt like it wasn’t even real.  I mean it went by so fast.”  Adamick says “shut the fuck up!  We gotta get our act straight.” 

After these last statements, the pair would stop at a convenience store to purchase matches and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and make their way to Black Rock Canyon where they set a fire thinking it would destroy all the evidence.  

Another Interview

Draper would have a fourth interview with detectives on Thursday, September 28th.  Draper was read his Miranda rights again and agreed to talk to the detectives.  During this interview, Draper repeated that Adamick was the only person to have stabbed Cassie, but then admitted that Adamick ordered him to stab her and he did stab Cassie four times in the leg and chest areas.  Draper claimed that Adamick said “you need to stab her, you need to stab her” and “it’s not going to work; she has to die.”  This interview ended when Draper asked to see his parents.  

Trials

Draper and Adamick would be tried separately each charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Each was placing the blame for Cassie’s murder on the other. At both of their trials, the medical examiner who performed Cassie’s autopsy testified to the number of stab wounds Cassie had and that it was the stab wounds to her trunk and torso that caused her death with a wound to the right ventricle of her heart believed to be the fatal blow.  A forensic pathologist testified that there were at least two knives used and that the serrated knife caused a majority of the fatal wounds.   

The murder weapons used had been purchased at a pawn shop by 18-year-old Joe Lucero who Adamick had called on August 31, 2006, asking him if he would buy knives for him.  The pair along with Draper went to a local pawn shop with Adamick picking out one knife and Draper selecting three others paying a total of $45.  

Fantasy Plans

At Draper’s trial, prosecutors would reveal that Draper was inspired by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold the Columbine High School mass killers.  Draper would give an interview on Dateline’s “The Last Day” episode The Case of Cassie Jo Stoddart in July 2022, that would back up the prosecutor’s theory.  Draper told Dateline that he and Adamick were two teens living a horror movie fantasy and that before meeting Adamick he was always surfing chat rooms related to school shootings, especially Columbine.  The goal he said was to emulate his idols.  

Draper goes on to say that in middle school he felt like a loser and had a stutter that made him a target for bullies.  When he met Adamick after moving to Pocatello they started talking about committing murder similar to the Scream movie franchise as Adamick was a horror movie fan.  Cassie’s murder is also known as the Scream Murder for this reason.

Draper was convicted on both counts on April 17, 2007, and Adamick on June 8, 2007.  Both received mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole plus 30 years for the conspiracy charge.  

Appeals

Both Adamick and Draper filed appeals with Draper’s conviction for conspiracy vacated in 2011 due to erroneous jury instructions.  However, life imprisonment without the possibility of parole was not vacated.  In July 2015, Adamick sought post-conviction relief on claims of ineffective counsel.  That was denied as was his appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court in December 2017.  

Adamick then filed a writ of habeas corpus in January 2018, seeking a new sentencing hearing in light of the United States Supreme Court decision that juveniles convicted of offenses, including murder, should not receive death sentences or life without the possibility of parole as that would be unconstitutional.  That decision came down in 2012 in Miller vs. Alabama.  In 2016, in Montgomery vs. Louisiana, the US Supreme Court said that their 2012 decision had to be applied retroactively.   

In November 2019, that writ was denied.  The US District Court ruled that evidence supports Adamick’s murder conviction and that the Idaho Supreme Court did not err in affirming his life sentence without parole in December 2017.  Adamick then appealed to the 9th district court of appeals which upheld his original sentence as of March 24, 2022.  This decision was unpublished so no explanation was given. 

Adamick still has the right to appeal to the US Supreme Court. 

Cold Case Solved

So getting back to Nori Jones’s case from September 2004, just two years before Cassie’s murder.  Their cases were similar in that they were both killed by nighttime intruders, with no apparent enemies, and the murder weapon was a knife.  With advancements in DNA testing, Kelly’s team was able to find that  DNA taken from under Nori’s fingernails matched Brad Compher.  In re-examining the sexual assault kit taken at the time another match was made to Compher.  

Brad Compher was arrested and charged with felony first-degree murder.  Investigators believe that Brad had seen Nori at her job, as he had used job placement services, followed her home, and then tampered with her porch light before breaking into her home on September 28, 2004.  Compher’s jury trial is to begin on January 23, 2023.  He has been in jail for over eight years due to his competency level.

In Idaho, courts must prove that a defendant has criminal intent and that they can understand the charges against them.  Compher remained in custody until he was deemed competent to stand trial.  However, he will not be eligible for the death penalty as he was found to be intellectually disabled by Judge Stephen Dunn.  

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