The Scream Murder, Episode 5: Brian vs Torey

Hi, this is Connor McCarthy. Today we're back with another episode of. The Scream Murder, a true teen horror. story. Remember, if you can't wait for. more, you can listen ahead to the entire. series right now, ad-free, when you. subscribe to 20/20 True Crime Plus. Just. click the link in the description to. sign up. Terms apply. Now, here's the. next episode. >> 11 months after being arrested for. killing Cassie Stoddart, Tory Adamchik.

and Brian Draper prepare to go to trial. on first-degree murder charges. Their. lawyers plan to pit the accused killers. against each other. >> The only person that confessed to. stabbing Cassie was Brian. >> My theory was that Tory was the main. actor and Brian was less culpable. >> And 20 years after Cassie's murder, Brian Draper and Tory Adamchik [music]. speak. >> Is there anything that's off-limits for. you?

>> No, because like, literally the only. shameful thing that I've really done. with my life is stabbed Cassie. So, I mean, I can admit to that now. >> This is The Scream Murder, True Teen. Horror Story podcast. So, in the last episode we talked about. who was more to blame, Tory or Brian? Who was the leader? Who was the. follower? And that debate takes on a.

different tone in this episode because. in this episode we dive deep into the. trials of Brian and Tory. Now, remember, Cassie Jo Stoddart was murdered in. September of 2006. Fast forward to April. of 2007, that's the first trial, and. that's Brian Draper. He goes first. And. he pleads not guilty despite all this. evidence that against him. >> The Drapers were standing by Brian. They. had a public defender represent him. And.

we spoke to that public defender by the. name of Dave Martinez. And this is what. he had to say about his defense, his. approach with all this damning evidence. and that tape. How do you represent a client like Brian. Draper? [music]. >> Brian had had been involved in soccer, had been involved in church, was a. [music] talented musician. I don't know. Tori's entire background. I don't. pretend to. [music].

But I think that the. interest in horror movies and things. like that, I [music] think that came. from Tori. I felt like Tori was a controlling part. of this relationship. And that a lot of. his interests had become Brian's. interests. >> [music]. >> I felt that had Brian not met Tori, this. never would have happened. >> Brian's defense chose to go first. So, each trial was going to be a week, three.

to four days long. So, Brian's trial is. going to be week one at the end of April. and then immediately after is going to. be Tori's trial. >> And remember, this was the biggest thing. in Pocatello. >> Biggest. >> I mean, all eyes were on this trial. >> One of the biggest trials ever, I would. say. Probably pretty safe to say in. Pocatello. I think one one point about the trial. that should be noted, there were cameras. in the courtroom covering each day. And in the footage, you can see.

on the left side of the fences, Brian Draper's parents, Carrie and Pam. They're to support. On the other side, you see Cassie's. family. >> Anna was there every day. Her brother. >> Her sister, aunts, uncles, grandfather, they were all there. So, we have Brian Draper's parents. supporting Brian. And then you have Cassie's family. advocating for her. Like, these guys.

need to get the most severe punishment. for what they did. The focus of the prosecution's case. would be the tape Brian and Tory made. This is prosecutor Mark Hydeman. >> But on that tape, you'll see. where this defendant, Tory Adamcik, conspired. and planned. Heather Smith to die. You'll see where they. eagerly anticipate carrying out that.

plan. to kill her. You'll see. at the beginning of this tape, uh there's a section where. the murder has just been accomplished. It's moments after the murder. And you'll hear a voice on the tape. It's Brian on the tape. You can't see, but you'll hear a voice, and the voice. is that of Brian Draper. This defendant. And I want to tell you what that voice. says.

That voice says, and I quote, "We just killed Cassie.". >> [music]. >> Obviously, the prosecution, who we. haven't talked about, had a mountain. They had all this evidence. They had the. tape. They had the clothes. They had. Brian's statement. Here is what Dave Martinez said about. how he would defend Brian Draper. >> And my theory was that. that. Tory was the main actor, and Brian was.

less culpable, although still part of. something horrible. And that. I believed that Brian assisting the. police. in locating. the videotape that would. become essential to the state's case, and the masks and everything, demonstrated his remorse. and desire to to come clean. >> Remember,

Brian was the one who confessed. And. Brian was the one who led them to the. evidence. So, this is also another. element of the defense. Maybe Brian. because he had cooperated to the extent. that he had, he deserves a break. He had confessed already. They had the. tape. They had the evidence. >> [music]. >> So, Dave Martinez a very difficult job. here. >> This is the first time that a jury sees. the tape and the town of Pocatello. >> Right. >> will see this tape. How do you undo.

that? When they see it, when they hear. what Brian both Brian and Tory had to. say on that tape, how do you get past that? >> Local reporter Jimmy Hancock was in. court when the jury saw the tape. >> The first time we saw that was during. the Draper trial. And it was. it was uh silencing. >> [music]. >> In my mind as I'm watching it in the. courtroom, I'm shocked.

I'm shocked at what I'm seeing. It was something that made you just. you what could you say to it when you. saw it? I mean, it it. it just held so many. affirmations of what prosecution and law. enforcement was saying. >> Once Brian's trial was over, it was time. for Tory's. And again, the tape was the. biggest piece of evidence for the. prosecution.

Here's prosecutor Mark Heitman. >> The video tape. is a very compelling piece of evidence. On the video tape is a defendant and his. friend Brian Draper. conspiring. and planning. the murder of Cassie's daughter. >> They're both on tape. They both were. planning Cassie's murder. They both. talked about killing other classmates. But there were some differences in the. way they were uh defending themselves or.

their lawyers were defending them. And. in Tory's case, his attorney Bron Ramo. said, "On that tape, you don't hear my. client say, I killed Cassie. You hear. Brian say, I killed Cassie.". "Tory," says Bron Ramo, "never. confessed. Brian confessed.". Says Bron Ramo, "Also, the physical. evidence. points right at Brian.". The prosecutor, meanwhile, said that. Brian and Tory shared the guilt equally.

>> And Bron, again, set the tape aside. Let's look at the hard evidence, the. physical evidence, that's what we like. The mask, the knives, what was collected. at the scene of the crime that can tie. Brian and tie Tory to the actual murder. of Cassie. And this is what he had to. say. >> One of the most important parts of our. defense and argument to the jury was. that. the only person that confessed to.

stabbing Cassie was Brian. Cassie's DNA. was found on one mask. That mask was. also connected by DNA to Brian. Cassie's. DNA was found on one knife. That knife. was connected to Brian. Cassie's DNA was found on one shirt. That DNA was connected to Brian. Those were all, in my opinion, very. compelling pieces of evidence to show. that Brian was the one that was there.

And it's again [music] important to note. that no DNA connected Tory to Cassie's. DNA. >> The prosecutors claimed that even. without the DNA connection, there was. more than enough to convict Tory. Adamcik. And besides, both of them tried. to conceal their guilt. >> They left her there. >> Yeah. >> For 2 days for someone to discover, and. that someone was a family member, which. makes it all the more traumatic. So, now it's going to be up to the jury.

to decide. >> Both trials conclude, and they go to the jury, and the. expected verdict comes down. Brian Draper, [music]. guilty of first-degree murder. Torey. Adamcik, guilty of first-degree murder. >> When those verdicts were read, you hear. two different reactions. [music]. You hear some. like better word. >> joy. >> Yeah. >> and, you know, exhilaration from. Cassie's family. Justice is served. And then you hear.

sorrow and shock and sadness from the. Drapers and [music] the Adamciks. Here's Pam Draper about the verdict. >> I was at that trial every day. I heard. >> [music]. >> and saw. every piece of evidence. >> I think um. during the trial, we knew what was going. to happen. As a parent, um.

I watched the tape. I know what was on. it. >> [music]. >> As an outside person, it it's very hard. to understand or look past that. But as the parent [music]. of the. young 16-year-old boy. sitting there in that room every day. during trial, I will say that. I understand fully because I was at that. trial every day.

>> And this is what Torey's mother Shannon. said about Torey's guilty verdict. >> So, both boys were there, both boys were. guilty. You know, both boys played a part. So, but. I really can't talk too much about the. trial. Um. They had experts just. putting their theory of the case [music]. together. What. I was upset about is that we did not. talk about any distinction between Torey. and Brian.

or. as much about the physical evidence and. the character witnesses. So, one of the things that was very um very. difficult is during the trial. Pocatello. is a very small community and the. courtroom was very small and. I would see the Stoddart family and we. could never talk to them. So, I've never. been able to apologize [music] to them. or talk to them. >> In August of 2007, Torey and Brian came.

back before Judge Peter McDermott for. their sentencing. And it was at that. moment we hear from Anna Stoddart, Cassie's mother. And she, as you are allowed to do as a. relative of the victim, gave a victim. impact statement at the sentencing. And. we're going to play a portion of what. she had to say right now. >> On September 22nd, 2006, my beautiful daughter.

was brutally. murdered by Brian Draper and Torey. Adamcik. Little was I to know that that was going. to be the last time I seen her alive. To this day, [snorts] I will never. understand why two of her so-called. friends would do this to her. and something so terrible could happen. in Poca- Pocatello, Idaho. She never deserved what happened to her. that night. And I can't believe that you two boys. would do this. Friends don't kill friends.

>> She made sure to say friend multiple. times. >> Yeah. >> Just to. punctuate and highlight how horrendous. [music] this crime is. It's not just a. murder, it is a betrayal. that. Cassie. probably in her final seconds of her. life knew. >> Who was there? >> Who was there? >> Yeah. >> She had to have known it was Brian. She. had to have known it was Torey because.

Brian said they talked to each other. Um. she's still alive. She's not dying. Whoever said what, she knew. >> Who was there? >> even though if they were masked, she knew who was killing [music] her. >> It makes it all the more terrifying for. her, Cassie. Let's hear a little bit. more from Anna. >> I let you come to my house. I let you take Cassie to the movies. I never knew you were going to kill her. >> [snorts]. >> I guess when two sick minds get together.

and plan something so evil, it didn't. matter to you. Now I have to live every. day of my life without her. I don't get to see her graduate from. high school, go to college, become the. lawyer she wanted to be, get married, have children, and live all the big. dreams that she had. And I know she would have accomplished. them all. You have destroyed the trust of. everybody in this town. You just don't. realize how this has affected everybody. that loves Cassie. Not a day goes by that she is not.

thought about and missed. Now that you are found guilty of the. crime, I hope that you really start to. realize that you can just not go out and. kill someone. You will pay the price, and I truly hope. that God will judge you in the end. Life in prison is not enough, but that. will assure me and my family and the. community of Pocatello. that you can never hurt anyone again. >> So, Anna talks there about wanting them, Brian and Torey, to spend the rest of. their lives in prison. And in August 2007,

that's exactly what Peter McDermott, the. judge in this case, determined would. happen. He sentenced both of them, at age 16, to life in prison without. parole, meaning that they will die in. prison for a crime they committed when. they were 16 years old. >> A life sentence is fixed without the. possibility of parole. You both have been convicted of murder. in the first degree. Cassie was savagely stabbed many times.

Disguise yourselves with masks. and darkness, which made it even more. frightening for her. You both were excited about the killing. The killing was a cold-blooded, horrific. act. >> And Anna Stoddart said it, and I think a. lot of people in Pocatello would agree. That's exactly where they belong, and. for how long they belong there. >> Yeah, there's an interesting moment when. when Judge McDermott addresses Brian and. Tori after he gave him the sentence that.

essentially you're going to die in. prison. And he said, "You had a list. You had. plans to harm. >> You know, I. Guys, I'm I'm sorry. You know, you guys were. Like I said, you guys were kids, but. I'm convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. that if you were released. that you'd kill again. >> Obviously, Cassie's side was relieved. with the outcome that they are never. going to be out in society again. The. Drapers and the Adamchicks, I think it.

would be safe to say that they were. shocked that juveniles, 16-year-old. kids, can be sentenced to life without. parole. And this is what Pam Draper. said. >> As a parent. 16. life without parole. is cruel. at 16. That's my take as a parent, and it. probably would have been my my take as a.

parent. no matter who it was. I believe that even Tori. Brian asked me this when I said I do. because we're the only country in the. world that. that throws our juvenile children away. for life and never have a possibility of. parole. A juvenile does not have They can't even. vote. They can't even drive till they're 16. He was barely responsible enough.

according to the court system and. according to our laws to even have a. license. >> And here's what Shannon Adamchick, Tori's mother, had to say about the. sentence. >> I thought they're going to get a very. long prison sentence. They were both found guilty. They're. being sentenced together. This is going. to be a long prison sentence. [music]. And. at that time in my mind. a 30 years was a long prison sentence.

Life was without parole is was. incomprehensible. >> She's reacting in [music] human terms, but this theme that she's talking about. is this fair? Life. >> [music]. >> in prison without parole for a juvenile. We're going to get much deeper into that. later on. >> [music]. >> But that is a very emotional reaction. from a mom who doesn't want her son to. be in prison till the day he dies. Um I think there's you know, on Cassie's.

side obviously they think he's in the. right place. And there were friends of. uh all of the parties, Tory, Brian, Cassie who had their own opinions. >> I think Tory and Brian are right where. they belong. And I think that they should stop. bringing things up trying [music] to. appeal their sentences, trying to act. innocent. trying to portray themselves [music] to. their own families as innocent. Um I think that they should just.

sit down, shut up, [music] and take your. punishment. That's what you did. something wrong, and you deserve to pay. the price just like [music]. you did to Cassie. She doesn't get a second life, and. neither should you. >> Sums it up. You know, I think most people in. Pocatello would agree with that. sentiment. Um you know, that the that. the punishment fits the crime. >> There weren't many in opposition. >> Yeah. of the sentence. >> One thing we wanted to do when we set.

out to make the the documentary [music]. originally was so often with these. crimes people believe that the story. ends at the sentencing. Perpetrators are locked away. Everyone. is supposed to just go back to their. lives as they were. Um so in the eyes of. the court. >> [music]. >> the story is over, but. 20 years has gone by, and there is no. way that people can just. go forward with their life. Cassie's. family has to continue. Cassie's brother.

was a year younger than Cassie. He had. to finish high school with with this. trauma that had been inflicted on his. family. The Drapers, they had to go back. They had younger. children they still had to raise. You. know, you do have to go back to a life. >> The other thing that that struck us both. when we went to Pocatello to do this. documentary, everyone we talked to, they. knew all the circumstances of the case. [music]. and they they would also say like, "Oh, my cousin went to school with Cassie.". Or.

my my nephew took art class with with. Cassie. Or I remember Brian They knew it. like it would happen. >> town. It's impossible to not have a. connection to it. So, Josh, Brian Draper's high school. buddy, skate partner, he took me to the. skate park that's still there today that. he and Brian Draper went to all the. time. And there's a new generation of. skaters out there. They're 14, 15, 16. years old and they say, "Hey, what are. you What are you doing? What are you. doing? You got a big camera.". >> [music]. >> And we tell them and they said, "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah." They they all knew.

who Cassie was and they weren't even. alive in 2006. So, this crime is being. passed down generation generation. It's. always going to be a part of. unfortunately of the fabric of. Pocatello. >> [music]. >> I was talking to the Drapers and the. Adamcheks, how do they move on? And I. asked Pam about the days after the. trial, after the sentencing. Brian's. gone. and she actually had a run-in with one. of Cassie's family members and it was I.

found it was a it was quite profound. >> After the trial, my daughter and I went to lunch. >> [snorts]. >> at a new restaurant in town. We sat. down, got the menus, and. people were talking and pointing and. looking and I was used to that by then. But the waitress came up and said, "I just need to let you know, I'm.

Cassie's family.". And she. she said, "I just want to thank you. for the kindness and the respect you've. shown my family.". And I've heard that from a couple of. family members. And it doesn't relieve the guilt. at all. Cuz I will live with that forever. But that's all I can do. is.

show my daughter at that point when she. was so young. >> [snorts]. >> how we could still live. our lives. in that community. and try not to be hated. because we were. But her family. was very kind to us. >> That's a really powerful thing to talk. about the siblings because you can we.

can lay blame anyone can lay blame on. the parent who you weren't there enough, you were there too much, you know, I'm. sure they're just constantly spinning in. their head, "What did I miss? What did I. do? What I didn't do?" Um but there are. siblings that just get taken down with. everyone everyone else because of the. action of their of their brother. Um but the fact that Cassie's family. said, you know, like actually showed her. some empathy is uh as you said wholly. unexpected and and and quite powerful. For Brian's dad uh was um.

an experience I wasn't expecting. The. physical first I want to say is the. physical transformation. When I met him. in person, he was unrecognizable to the. person we saw at trial, the person we. saw sitting next to Brian in the police. interview room. He had shed probably 75. 100 lb. >> I couldn't believe. from when I first encountered this story. the change in him physically to when I. saw him when we did the the documentary. I I couldn't believe it was the same. guy. >> Different person.

>> wasn't the same guy. >> He really He wasn't. He wasn't the same. guy at all. He'd grown his hair long. He. had now had a long red ponytail. You. could see the grief in his eyes of what. his family, as he took ownership, of. what his family had done. But listen to. this. This is him talking about. that very thing, the transformation, the. before and the after. >> Yeah, we had a lot of money. >> [music]. >> Um yeah, I mean the house that we lived. in at the time was a 5,500 square-foot. house on a hill with.

RV storage and. four car garage on the house and another. seven car garage sitting next to it with. a giant BMX track in the backyard and a. stream running through the yard and a. mountain behind us. And we'd have deer. in our backyard and moose in our. backyard. It was. It was. And we lived on the right street in. Pocatello. All the rich people lived. [music] And we had the biggest house in. the neighborhood and I drove a Mercedes.

and my. wife drove a Lexus. We traveled. anywhere we wanted to go. We had plenty. of money. Feels so unimportant now. And when we left Pocatello, I didn't. even try to sell stuff. I literally gave everything away. Gave it away.

And things that weren't paid off, I just. stopped paying bills. >> [music]. >> Stopped paying bills. I lost well over a. million dollars in real estate alone. I wanted to. to leave. I wanted to give all I could. away and disappear. >> [music]. >> You feel for the guy. You do. Cuz he didn't He didn't put on. that mask and he didn't walk up those. stairs and stab Cassie to death. His son. did. He's paying [music] the price. He's.

doing time. right alongside his son almost. >> Yeah. Yeah, we're going to get deeper. into that, but he. he was very aware of Cassie the entire. time we're talking to him and never. wanted to forget Cassie, didn't want to. just brush it aside. And the first time. I reached out to him, he said, "I will do this. I will talk to you. I'll sit down and tell you my story if. in any way it [music] can just help ease.

the suffering." And he takes ownership. the suffering caused by my family. and caused by. Tory Adamshack. >> So, it's pretty clear listening to. Carrie Draper that he is in a sense. serving this sentence alongside Brian. He's outside the walls. Brian's inside. the walls. And uh we've heard from pretty much. everybody uh except for the guys inside. the walls, Tory and Brian.

But you spoke to both of them. >> Mhm. >> um. at length. Now, I've talked to killers. before in my career, but not in quite. the way. you did. Many, many times over and over. Lots of interviews with them. >> Mhm. I think we made the decision to reach. out to Brian and Tory if we were just. going to go there and just really tell. the story and get as many people, as. many perspectives as we could on why. this happened, how it happened. And there wasn't a way to do it without.

talking to Brian and Tory themselves. Now, they are 35, 36-year-old men. They're nearing middle age. Um hair's. thinning. >> They look totally different. >> They grew up incarcerated from 16 on. Um. and so I thought that was going to be a. unique perspective of like how are they. looking back to this crime. And so I. conducted a series of interviews both. video and phone calls with Brian and. Tory over a course of three months. >> What's it like. you know, that first icebreaker? You're.

talking to a sadistic. knife-wielding killer, you know, and. picking up the phone like. you know, what's the uh. strategy or you just let it fly? How. what what do you do? >> So, I I just I wanted to make sure that. I and that I I had to connect them on. some level so I could actually get. honest answers out of them and how these. two kids got to the point where they. were. you know, they decided to murder. someone. >> And. Brian Draper was first.

>> Talked to Brian Draper first and then. this is what he had to say. >> Growing up, pretty normal everyday. childhood. My friends in the neighborhood, we used. to play hide and seek and just doing. like normal everyday stuff. I was always empathetic and emotional. when I was a kid, but. I wasn't connected with it. I didn't. understand why I felt so intense about. the world around me. And so, it just scared me and haunted me. and tortured me. I had all these crazy dreams about being. this amazing skateboarder or.

it was just a need to feel important and. special. As I got older, that got. polluted and. twisted and distorted into something. that was terrible. >> But then, he said around seventh grade. is when this something dark began. invading inside of him. And this is this. is what he says. >> I'd go to school and then nothing I did. mattered. Like nothing I did made an. effect on anybody around me. And I felt.

like I was disappearing in my school. And I was desperate to have a. girlfriend. I was I was so obsessed with. the idea of doing something that would. allure girls to me and I thought that. that was through. violence. And. over time and like getting older in. here, I just realized how stupid that. was, but that's how I thought. And I. thought that because movies and TV and. the internet and online and. and everyone respects a villain. Everyone thinks villains are cool in. movies. So, I thought, well, I could be. a. villain in real life and everybody would.

think I was cool. >> You know, he's talking about villains in. movies being cool. And this goes back to. what we were talking about earlier, how. he and Tory Adamchek were just steeped. in horror movies, watching them over and. over, obsessing about them. [music] The. Scream series in particular. Um. and he found a couple of real-life. villains. >> [music]. >> that he kind of patterned himself after. >> Not Billy and Stu from Scream,

but Columbine. >> That shooting opened up a path for kids. like me to follow. I thought that I could emulate those. shooters. I wanted people to think of. Columbine when they saw me to be free to. me. Because I identified with them. I went. online and I constantly chatted online. people who worshiped these kids. They thought they were the coolest. things on the planet. I watched everything, all their home. videos. I. watched those things every day, every.

day. And that's how I identified. I bought a trench coat and I wore it. like it was a jersey. >> I mean, that's really shocking to hear. somebody had. sort of hero worship. Not just him, he's. online with other kids talking about. this, about how he saw Klebold and. Harris, the Columbine shooters, as like. a model. He bought a trench coat because. they had one. >> That's the first time I've ever heard. that, that these guys were viewed as as. heroes. There's a lot more of the conversation.

with Brian I had, but I want to move. over to Tory, who was a bit more of a. mystery to me because he had never fully. admitted to participating in in Cassie's. crimes. Tory was a little more difficult to get. to agree to do an interview. So, when I finally got him on a phone. call, he started off the conversation in a way. that I was not expecting at all. >> Hello, you have a call at no expense to. you from.

>> Tory Adamchek, >> an inmate at Idaho Maximum Security. Institution. To accept this call, press. five. >> Before my arrest, I had an. uneventful life. I didn't read. There was nothing particularly good or. bad worth mentioning up until September. 22nd. Uh no one. including me could have predicted that. this would have happened. I had started uh.

dark thinking patterns or started. getting into a dark place. >> Is there anything that's off limits for. you? >> No, because like literally the only. shameful thing that I really done with. my life is. stab Cassie. So, I mean. I can admit to that now, so it's like. everything else seems petty.

>> [music].