“The Secret in Black Rock Canyon”: Dateline NBC Reports on Cassie Jo Stoddart Homicide August 8 2026

Dateline NBC returns to one of Idaho’s most disturbing teenage murder cases with “The Secret in Black Rock Canyon,” airing Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 10/9c on NBC. Reported by Keith Morrison, the Weekend Mystery examines the September 2006 murder of 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart and the evidence that revealed how two of her classmates planned and carried out the killing.

At the center of the case is a homemade videotape created by Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik, two teenagers who attended Pocatello High School with Cassie. The recording captured discussions about murder, references to horror movies and statements made before and after Cassie was killed. Investigators recovered the damaged tape from Black Rock Canyon after Draper led police to the location where evidence had been burned and buried.

The footage gave detectives evidence created by the suspects before the killing took place. Combined with physical evidence, witness statements, interrogation records and the recovery of weapons and clothing, it helped prosecutors establish that Cassie’s murder was not the result of a sudden confrontation. Authorities argued that Draper and Adamcik had planned the attack and selected Cassie as a victim.

• Who Was Cassie Jo Stoddart & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Profile
• Who Is Torey Adamcik & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile
• Who Is Brian Draper & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile

Cassie Jo Stoddart Was a 16-Year-Old High School Student

Cassie Jo Stoddart was born on December 21, 1989, and was a junior at Pocatello High School in Idaho. Friends and relatives described her as a teenager who performed well in school, formed friendships with ease and had a close relationship with her family. She was 16 when she was killed.

During the weekend of September 22, 2006, Cassie agreed to house-sit and care for the pets of her aunt and uncle, Allison and Frank Contreras. Their house was located on Whispering Cliffs Drive in northeast Bannock County. What began as a routine favor for relatives became the setting for a planned attack.

Cassie invited her boyfriend, Matt Beckham, to spend part of the evening with her. Two other classmates, Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik, also came to the house. All four teenagers knew each other through school, and nothing about the visit appeared to suggest that Cassie was in immediate danger.

That appearance concealed what prosecutors would later describe as a murder plan. Draper and Adamcik had developed an interest in making films and were fascinated with violent movies. According to evidence presented during the criminal cases, their interest had developed into discussions about committing real acts of violence.

Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik Had Discussed Murder Before Cassie’s Death

Draper and Adamcik met while attending Pocatello High School. Both teenagers had an interest in movies and began making videos together. Investigators later discovered that some of those recordings contained discussions about murder and comparisons between themselves and fictional or real killers.

The teenagers expressed particular interest in the film Scream, which centers on masked killers who murder people while following conventions associated with horror movies. Evidence also showed an interest in Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

Draper wrote material referring to Harris and Klebold as his heroes and expressing a desire to follow their example. Prosecutors used evidence of this nature to establish the defendants’ state of mind and to counter claims that Cassie’s death had resulted from an unplanned confrontation.

The teenagers also discussed other possible victims. Evidence described a “death list” containing the names of people they considered targeting. Cassie and her boyfriend were among those connected to their discussions.

Their preparation included obtaining knives. A friend named Joe Lucero later testified that he purchased four knives for Draper and Adamcik. The weapons included both serrated and non-serrated blades. Lucero testified that Draper identified one of the serrated knives as his.

A Movie Night Became the Beginning of Cassie’s Final Hours

On the evening of September 22, Cassie and Matt Beckham were at the Whispering Cliffs Drive house when Draper and Adamcik arrived. The four teenagers spent time together and began watching Kill Bill: Volume 2.

Draper and Adamcik left before the movie ended, telling Cassie and Beckham that they planned to see another film at a theater. Investigators later determined that this explanation was false.

Before leaving, Draper unlocked a basement door. The unlocked entrance allowed the teenagers to return without using the main door and without alerting Cassie or Beckham.

After leaving the house, Draper and Adamcik went to their vehicle, obtained dark clothing, gloves, masks and weapons, and returned to the neighborhood. They parked away from the house and entered through the basement.

Cassie and Beckham remained upstairs, unaware that the two classmates who had appeared to leave were inside the house.

Draper and Adamcik Hid in the Basement

Once inside, Draper and Adamcik attempted to frighten Cassie and Beckham and draw them toward the basement. They made noises and manipulated the electrical system inside the house.

The power went off, causing concern upstairs. One of the dogs in the house also focused on the basement area, barking or growling toward the stairs.

Cassie became frightened. Beckham called his mother and asked whether he could remain at the house overnight. His mother refused but offered another solution. Cassie could leave with Beckham and stay at their house, and she could return the next morning.

Cassie declined because she had agreed to remain at her relatives’ home and care for their animals. The decision left her alone after Beckham was picked up at approximately 10:30 p.m.

Neither Cassie nor Beckham knew that Draper and Adamcik were waiting inside the house.

Cassie Was Left Alone After Her Boyfriend Went Home

After Beckham left, he called Adamcik’s cellphone. Beckham later recalled that Adamcik spoke in a low voice. At the time, Beckham believed Draper and Adamcik were at a movie theater.

They were not.

Draper and Adamcik remained inside the house and waited until Cassie was alone. They again turned off the electricity in an effort to bring her toward the basement. When Cassie did not come downstairs, the teenagers went upstairs.

Draper carried a dagger-type knife, while Adamcik had a hunting knife. According to the prosecution’s reconstruction of events, the teenagers confronted Cassie in the living room.

Cassie was stabbed about 30 times. Medical evidence showed that several wounds could have caused her death. Investigators determined that more than one type of blade had been used. Most of the wounds were associated with a serrated weapon, while a non-serrated blade caused the wound that penetrated her heart.

Cassie’s Body Was Found Two Days Later

After the killing, Draper and Adamcik left the house. Cassie remained undiscovered until her relatives returned on September 24, 2006.

The discovery transformed the Whispering Cliffs residence into a major crime scene. Investigators had to determine who had been inside the house, when Cassie had last been seen alive and whether the person responsible had entered by force or had access to the residence.

Police examined the people known to have been around Cassie during her final hours. Her boyfriend, Matt Beckham, became an important witness because he had spent much of the evening with her.

Investigators also examined fingerprints found near the electrical panel. The boyfriend of Cassie’s mother was considered during the early investigation after his fingerprints were located on the circuit breaker door. He had performed electrical work at the house several months earlier, however, and the homeowners confirmed his explanation.

Attention then shifted to the teenagers who had visited Cassie on the night she died.

Police Questioned Matt Beckham About Cassie’s Final Night

Beckham told investigators about the unusual electrical problems inside the house and the behavior of the dog near the basement. His account helped detectives understand that someone may have been inside the residence before he left.

His mother also provided important information. She confirmed picking her son up and said she heard Cassie’s voice when Beckham came out of the house. This helped establish that Cassie was still alive when Beckham left.

Beckham passed a polygraph examination and had an alibi supporting his account. He also told police that Draper and Adamcik had visited earlier.

That information placed Draper and Adamcik among the final people known to have seen Cassie alive.

Detectives then began examining the story the two teenagers provided about their activities after leaving the house.

Their Movie Theater Alibi Began to Fall Apart

Draper and Adamcik initially claimed they had gone to see the movie Pulse at a theater after leaving Cassie’s house. Investigators questioned them about the film.

The teenagers were unable to provide convincing details about a movie they claimed to have watched. A theater employee and fellow student also indicated that the boys had not been at the theater that night.

Their explanation changed.

Draper and Adamcik began claiming that they had instead spent time breaking into or searching vehicles. That account placed them elsewhere but created another inconsistency in their version of events.

Detectives continued questioning them. The changing stories increased suspicion and placed greater pressure on the teenagers to explain their movements during the period when Cassie was killed.

Draper eventually began providing information about what had happened.

Brian Draper Led Police to Black Rock Canyon

During questioning, Draper attempted to minimize his responsibility. He claimed that what happened at Cassie’s house was intended as a prank and initially placed much of the blame for the actual stabbing on Adamcik.

His statements changed during later questioning. Draper eventually admitted stabbing Cassie but continued arguing that Adamcik had played the greater role.

Draper then provided investigators with one of the most important breakthroughs in the case.

He led police to Black Rock Canyon, a recreation area outside Pocatello. Draper showed investigators where he and Adamcik had attempted to destroy and conceal evidence after the murder.

Police recovered clothing, masks, knives and other evidence. Some items had been burned. Others had been buried.

Among the recovered material was a damaged videotape.

The Homemade Video Became One of the Case’s Most Important Pieces of Evidence

Investigators restored enough of the recording to view footage made by Draper and Adamcik before and after Cassie’s murder.

The video transformed the criminal case.

Instead of relying only on conflicting statements made during police interrogations, investigators now possessed recordings made by the teenagers themselves. The footage showed that discussions about murder had taken place before Cassie was attacked.

On the recording, Draper and Adamcik spoke about killing people and discussed their plans. They referred to potential victims and compared themselves to killers they had seen in films or studied through media coverage.

The recordings also showed an awareness that Cassie could become a victim. At one point, Draper referred to the task of killing friends located inside the house.

The significance of the recording was not based only on its disturbing content. Prosecutors could use it as evidence that planning and preparation existed before the attack.

The Recording Captured Statements Before and After Cassie’s Murder

One portion of the footage was filmed after Draper and Adamcik had left Cassie’s house during their initial visit but before they returned through the basement.

The teenagers discussed what they intended to do.

Another recording was made after Cassie had been killed. Draper stated that they had killed Cassie and had left the house.

Those statements placed the teenagers at the center of the crime without investigators having to rely only on later confessions or accusations made by one defendant against the other.

The videos also contradicted attempts to describe the killing as an unexpected act committed by only one person. Prosecutors argued that both teenagers had participated in the planning and shared responsibility for what happened.

Physical evidence provided additional support for the prosecution’s case.

Investigators Built a Murder Case Against Both Teenagers

Draper and Adamcik were arrested on September 27, 2006, five days after Cassie’s murder. Both were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Although they were 16 when the killing occurred, both were prosecuted as adults.

During interrogation and later court proceedings, each defendant attempted to place greater responsibility on the other. Draper initially claimed he had been present but had not stabbed Cassie. His story changed as questioning continued.

Adamcik maintained that Draper was responsible for the murder and disputed claims that he had participated in the stabbing.

Prosecutors did not need to prove that both defendants had inflicted the same number of wounds. Their case was built around the allegation that the teenagers jointly planned the killing, entered the house together, remained concealed while waiting for Cassie to become isolated and participated in the events that led to her death.

Brian Draper Went to Trial First

The defendants were tried separately. Draper’s trial began in 2007, with prosecutors presenting the video recordings, physical evidence and statements he had given investigators.

The prosecution argued that Draper had been involved from the beginning. His action in unlocking the basement entrance during the initial visit helped establish preparation before the attack.

Jurors also heard evidence about the weapons and the teenagers’ effort to conceal evidence at Black Rock Canyon.

Draper’s own statements created major problems for the defense. He had changed his account and ultimately acknowledged stabbing Cassie.

On April 17, 2007, Brian Draper was convicted of first-degree murder. He was also convicted at the time of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, although that conspiracy conviction would become an issue during later appeals.

Torey Adamcik Was Also Convicted of Cassie’s Murder

Adamcik faced a separate trial several weeks later. His defense centered on the argument that Draper had committed the killing and that Adamcik should not be held responsible for murder.

Prosecutors relied on the recording and other evidence to challenge that position.

The footage showed Adamcik involved in discussions surrounding the crime and supported the prosecution’s argument that the killing resulted from a joint plan rather than the independent action of Draper.

Jurors rejected the defense argument.

On June 8, 2007, Adamcik was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

The convictions meant that two teenagers who had entered Cassie’s relatives’ house as classmates and friends had been found criminally responsible for her death.

Both Defendants Received Life Without Parole

Sentencing followed in August 2007.

Both Draper and Adamcik received life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder. They also received additional sentences connected to the conspiracy charge.

The punishment generated later legal challenges because both defendants had been juveniles at the time of the crime.

Their attorneys pursued appeals through Idaho courts and the federal judicial system. Those proceedings addressed questions involving the convictions, jury instructions, legal representation and whether constitutional rules concerning juvenile life sentences should affect their punishment.

Despite years of litigation, the first-degree murder convictions and life sentences remained in effect.

Draper Challenged His Conviction and Sentence

Draper appealed his case to the Idaho Supreme Court. His attorneys sought either a new trial or changes to his sentence that could have created the possibility of parole after a set period.

The Idaho Supreme Court upheld his first-degree murder conviction and sentence.

The court did, however, vacate Draper’s separate conspiracy conviction because of an error involving jury instructions. That decision did not overturn his murder conviction or remove his life-without-parole sentence.

As a result, the central punishment imposed for Cassie’s murder remained unchanged.

Draper has remained incarcerated within the Idaho prison system.

Adamcik Pursued Years of Appeals

Adamcik also challenged his conviction and sentence through multiple proceedings.

His first major appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court was unsuccessful. He later sought post-conviction relief, arguing in part that his attorney had failed to present character witnesses who might have affected the sentencing decision.

A state judge denied the request.

Adamcik appealed again, but the Idaho Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision in December 2017.

His attorneys then pursued federal habeas corpus relief. They argued that problems existed with the way his earlier appeal had been handled and that Supreme Court decisions involving juvenile sentencing should entitle him to another sentencing hearing.

A federal judge denied the petition in 2019.

Federal Courts Upheld Adamcik’s Life Sentence

Adamcik’s federal case continued to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

His attorneys cited developments in constitutional law involving defendants who committed murder as juveniles. The United States Supreme Court had ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles raised constitutional concerns and later addressed the retroactive application of that principle.

Adamcik sought to use those decisions to challenge his punishment.

The federal courts rejected his argument for relief. In March 2022, the Ninth Circuit upheld the denial of his petition.

The decision left Adamcik’s life-without-parole sentence in place.

Cassie’s Family Filed a Lawsuit Against the School District

Cassie’s family also pursued a civil case connected to her death.

In 2010, the family sued Pocatello School District No. 25. The lawsuit argued that school officials had been negligent and should have recognized that Draper and Adamcik posed a threat.

The case raised questions about what school employees knew, what warning signs existed and whether Cassie’s death could have been prevented through intervention.

The courts rejected the family’s claim.

The Idaho Supreme Court concluded that the actions of Draper and Adamcik were not sufficiently foreseeable to hold the school district legally responsible. The civil case was dismissed.

Cassie’s Family and Community Continued to Honor Her Memory

Cassie’s funeral was held on October 1, 2006. About 500 people attended, reflecting the effect her death had on relatives, classmates and the Pocatello community.

Her family later helped establish an event known as Pumpkins for Cassie.

The annual effort connected Cassie’s memory with support for community organizations. People could make donations benefiting groups including the Pocatello Animal Shelter and Idaho Food Bank and receive a pumpkin.

The project provided Cassie’s relatives with a way to focus public attention on the life she lived rather than only the circumstances of her death.

It also preserved a connection between Cassie and the community almost entirely absent from descriptions centered on Draper and Adamcik.

The Case Became a National Example of Juvenile Life Sentences

The ages of the killers made the case part of a wider debate about juveniles sentenced to life without parole.

Draper and Adamcik were featured in the 2013 documentary Lost for Life, which examined people serving life sentences for crimes they committed before reaching adulthood.

Adamcik and members of his family continued arguing that he had been treated unfairly and that Draper had been the primary force behind the murder. His mother, Shannon Adamcik, published a book titled The Guilty Innocent presenting arguments about her son’s case.

Draper presented a different public response during later interviews.

Speaking years after the killing, he expressed regret and discussed the desire for recognition that had influenced his thinking as a teenager. He said he had felt insignificant and believed committing an extreme act could make him somebody.

Nothing about those later statements changed his conviction or sentence.

Draper and Adamcik Became Connected to Another Pocatello Murder Case

The names of Draper and Adamcik resurfaced years later in connection with the 2004 murder of Nori Jones, another Pocatello homicide.

Defense attorneys in that case raised questions about alternative suspects and sought testimony from Draper and Adamcik.

Both men were called in connection with the litigation but did not provide testimony that changed the case. The defendant being prosecuted for Jones’ murder was later convicted.

Their involvement reflected how the Cassie Stoddart case continued to influence criminal investigations and legal arguments in the Pocatello area decades after the 2006 killing.

Cassie’s Murder Has Been Examined in Documentaries and Crime Programs

The unusual amount of recorded evidence associated with the murder has made the case the subject of extensive media coverage.

Programs including Dateline, Your Worst Nightmare, CopyCat Killers, Murder Among Friends and other crime series have examined the killing. Draper and Adamcik also appeared in Lost for Life.

In 2026, the case received renewed attention through the docuseries The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story.

The renewed coverage has introduced Cassie’s story to viewers who were too young to remember the original investigation. It has also raised continuing questions about the way violent media, fantasies about notoriety and teenage decision-making became connected in the minds of Draper and Adamcik.

The evidence, however, showed that their crime required actions beyond watching violent movies. They obtained weapons, discussed victims, prepared disguises, created access to the house, returned after appearing to leave, waited for Cassie to become isolated and attempted to destroy evidence afterward.

The Horror Movie Connection Became One of the Case’s Most Discussed Elements

Draper and Adamcik’s interest in Scream became a defining part of public discussion surrounding the murder.

The teenagers compared themselves to fictional killers from the movie series and recorded comments about making murder real. Their fascination with Columbine also appeared in writings and recordings introduced during the legal proceedings.

Those influences provided context for their thinking but did not form a legal excuse for their conduct.

Prosecutors focused on their choices and preparation. The teenagers did not encounter Cassie by chance during an unexpected conflict. They entered a home where she trusted them, created a way to return without detection and waited for circumstances that left her vulnerable.

The homemade footage made those facts difficult to separate from the defendants’ own words.

The Black Rock Canyon Evidence Helped Reveal the Full Plot

The title “The Secret in Black Rock Canyon” reflects the importance of the location where Draper led investigators after his interrogation.

Draper and Adamcik had traveled there after Cassie’s murder and attempted to burn and bury evidence. The isolated area appeared to offer them a place where masks, clothing, weapons and the videotape could disappear.

Their effort failed.

Police recovered the items and restored portions of the damaged recording. What had been intended as concealed evidence became the material that helped explain the planning behind the crime.

Without the tape, prosecutors still possessed substantial evidence. With it, however, they had the defendants documenting their thinking in their own voices.

Few murder investigations produce evidence of that kind.

Dateline’s “The Secret in Black Rock Canyon” Returns the Focus to Cassie

Dateline NBC’s “The Secret in Black Rock Canyon” revisits the case through Keith Morrison’s account of Cassie Jo Stoddart’s final night, the investigation into her classmates and the discovery that transformed the case.

The episode follows detectives as they moved from the people closest to Cassie toward Draper and Adamcik, whose stories about going to a movie theater began to collapse under questioning. Draper’s decision to lead police to Black Rock Canyon then provided investigators with the physical and recorded evidence they needed to understand how the crime had been planned.

Both defendants were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Years of appeals did not overturn those murder convictions or provide either man with a path toward release.

Nearly two decades after Cassie’s death, the case remains disturbing because of the amount of preparation documented before the attack. Two classmates entered a house where Cassie believed she was among friends, returned through a door they had prepared in advance and waited until she was alone.

Behind the recordings, court battles and references to horror movies remains the central fact of the case: Cassie Jo Stoddart was a 16-year-old girl whose life was taken by two people she knew and trusted. “The Secret in Black Rock Canyon” returns to the investigation that exposed what happened while placing Cassie and the consequences of her murder at the center of the story.

More “The Secret in Black Rock Canyon”

• “The Secret in Black Rock Canyon”: Dateline NBC Reports on Cassie Jo Stoddart Homicide August 8 2026
• Who Was Cassie Jo Stoddart & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Profile
• Who Is Torey Adamcik & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile
• Who Is Brian Draper & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile