Murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart

Brian Lee Draper (born 1990) and Torey Michael Adamcik (born June 14, 1990)^[1] are American men who were convicted in Idaho as juveniles of the first-degree murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart on September 22, 2006. Each aged 16 when they committed the crime against their high school classmate, they received mandatory sentences of life in prison without parole.^[2]

In Montgomery v. Louisiana (2016), the United States Supreme Court ruled that such a mandatory sentence for a crime committed as a juvenile was unconstitutional, even for a person who committed murder, as it did not allow for what is scientifically known about juvenile brains, nor for mitigating factors, and cut off the possibility of reform that might lead to freedom. It directed state courts to review sentences for all persons covered under this ruling, an estimated 1200 to 1800 nationwide.^[3] Draper and Adamcik are among the inmates whose sentences will be reviewed by state courts under this ruling.

Because of their youth and the premeditation of their crime, the two young men have been studied during and since their convictions. They were covered in the 2013 documentary Lost for Life, about persons convicted and imprisoned as juveniles who are serving mandatory life sentences.^[4][5][6] Their stories have been featured on BBC Three's Teen Killers: Life without Parole, originally shown on April 21, 2014. The pair of young men were also featured on Investigation Discovery's Your Worst Nightmare, which premiered in October 2014. Adamcik was interviewed as a potential suspect in a separate murder as part of the Cold Justice episode, "Still of the Night", which aired in January 2015. They are featured in a documentary entitled CopyCat Killers, shown on the Reelz channel. They are also featured on Investigation Discovery's Murder Among Friends, which premiered July 20, 2017.

Background

Brian Draper spent most of his childhood living with his family in the state of Utah. He and his family moved to Pocatello, Idaho. He attended local schools and met Idaho native Torey Adamcik when they were both students at Pocatello High School. They were both interested in films and started recording their own.

The murder

Cassie Jo Stoddart (December 21, 1989 - September 22, 2006) also attended Pocatello High School; she and both boys were juniors. Cassie had an older sister and a younger brother.

On the night of September 22, 2006, Cassie was house sitting for Allison and Frank Contreras, her aunt and uncle who had moved from California with their children the year before.^[7] She was visited that evening by her boyfriend Matt. Later, Draper and Adamcik showed up. The four decided to watch a film together, until Draper and Adamcik said they would prefer to go to a film at a local movie theater, leaving Cassie and Matt at the home. At one point when Cassie and Matt were alone, the electricity suddenly went out. It was restored before Matt was picked up by his mother.

Unbeknownst to Stoddart or Matt, Draper and Adamcik had returned to the house before Matt's departure (roughly 10:30 p.m). Having never gone to the theater, they were both lying in wait. They later confessed to purposely shutting the power off. They entered the house and stabbed Stoddart approximately 30 times; 12 wounds were potentially fatal.^[8]

Through the investigation of the murder, police found that Draper and Adamcik had recorded their plan to murder Stoddart in advance on video tape while they were at school.^[9] This was shown at their trials.

Trial and sentencing

Draper and Adamcik were arrested on September 27, 2006 and charged with first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.^[10] During the interrogations, each teen blamed the other. Draper claimed he was in the same room with Adamcik when Stoddart was killed but denied stabbing her. He later admitted stabbing her allegedly under commands from Adamcik. He led the investigators to Black Rock Canyon where the youths had disposed of the clothing, masks, and knives they used for the murder.^[11][12]

At the trial, the prosecution revealed that Draper had said he was inspired by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who committed the Columbine High School massacre. Later Adamcik was said to have been inspired by the Scream horror film franchise. On April 17, 2007, Draper was found guilty. Adamcik's trial started on May 31, 2007; he was convicted on June 8, 2007. On August 21, 2007, based on being convicted of first-degree murder, each received a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility for parole, and 30 years-to-life for being convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.^[9] Adamcik and Draper are both serving their time at Idaho State Correctional Institution. It is located in unincorporated Ada County, Idaho, near Kuna.^[13]

Appeals

Their attorneys filed separate appeals at the State Supreme Court in September 2010 for Adamcik^[14] and in April 2011 for Draper. Draper was seeking to have his conviction vacated or to be given a limited life sentence that would allow for his release on parole (if approved) after 30 years.^[10][15][16] The first appeal for both Adamcik and Draper was denied in a 3/2 decision. The high court vacated Draper's conviction on conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, saying that jurors were given erroneous instructions on that charge, but they affirmed his conviction for first-degree murder and life sentence without parole.^[17]

In July 2015 Adamcik gained a hearing for post-conviction relief with state Sixth District Magistrate Judge Mitchell W. Brown. He claimed that testimony from character witnesses could have changed the outcome of the sentencing, but that his former attorney, against Adamcik's parents' wishes, chose not to call upon these witnesses. Adamcik said that his attorney believed that the prosecution would have submitted even more damaging evidence.^[18] In March 2016 Judge Brown denied his request for post-conviction relief.^[19] Adamcik appealed Judge Brown's decision to the Idaho Supreme Court. A hearing was held on November 9, 2017, and on December 26, 2017, the Idaho Supreme Court rejected Adamcik's appeal for post-conviction relief, upholding the district court decision.^[20][21]

Civil suit by Stoddart family

In 2010 the Stoddart family filed a civil lawsuit against the Idaho School District. They claimed that the school was negligent and should have known that Draper and Adamcik posed a threat to others. Both the civil court and the State Supreme Court dismissed the case, saying the actions of the killers were not foreseeable.^[22]

US Supreme Court and mandatory life sentences

In Miller v. Alabama, 567 U.S. 460 (2012), the United States Supreme Court ruled that mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole are unconstitutional for juvenile offenders, even in cases of murder.^[23] It ruled that the youth of the convict had to be considered.

In 2016 the Supreme Court ruled in Montgomery v. Louisiana that this doctrine had to be applied to cases retroactively, and directed a review of all such cases, potentially 1200 to 1500 nationwide. Given juveniles' brain immaturity, the Supreme Court ruled that there had to be an opportunity to consider mitigating factors, as well as for later review of the sentences of such inmates, with possible relief for persons who had reformed. It said that "children who commit even heinous crimes are capable of change."^[3] Draper and Adamcik are among the cases that the state courts will review under this ruling. Some 1100 cases are found in the states of Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Michigan, where state courts had ruled that the Supreme Court's Miller v. Alabama (2012) decision overturning mandatory life sentences for juveniles was not retroactive.^[3]

References