Dateline is revisiting one of its most disturbing cases. The NBC news program’s latest episode, “The Secret in Black Rock Canyon,” focuses on the 2006 murder of 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart. The case gained national attention because the killers were inspired by the horror movie Scream.
This is not the first time Dateline has covered this story. The program previously aired an episode about the case in 2024. But the network has chosen to return to this 20-year-old case as it continues to disturb the community of Pocatello, Idaho.
The episode airs on August 9, 2026. It examines how two teenagers turned their love of horror films into a real-life nightmare for their classmate.
Trigger Warning: This article contains violence that might disturb some readers.
The Murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart
Cassie Jo Stoddart was a 16-year-old high school student from Pocatello, Idaho. She was known as a bright student with a cheerful personality who enjoyed making friends.
On September 22, 2006, Cassie was housesitting for her aunt and uncle, Frank and Allison Contreras, at their home on Whispering Cliffs Drive. Her relatives were on a trip, and she agreed to take care of their dogs.
That evening, Cassie invited her boyfriend, Matt Beckham, over to watch movies. She also invited two classmates, Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik. The four teenagers were watching Kill Bill: Volume 2 when Draper and Adamcik said they were leaving to catch a movie at a theater.
But the two boys never actually left the property.
The Killers’ Plan Inspired by Scream
Draper and Adamcik were both fans of the Scream horror franchise. They had discussed their plan beforehand and even recorded a video of themselves talking about it.
After pretending to leave, the two boys sneaked back into the basement of the Contreras house. They found the circuit breaker in the basement and began turning the power off and on repeatedly. Their original plan was to lure both Matt and Cassie into the basement so they could scare them before carrying out their attack.
But Beckham and Stoddart did not go downstairs. The power outages made Cassie uncomfortable, and Matt noticed her anxiety. He called his mother to ask if he could stay the night with Cassie. His mother offered to let Cassie stay at their house instead, but Cassie declined because she felt responsible for watching her relatives’ home.
Matt left the house after his mother came to pick him up.
Once Matt was gone, Draper and Adamcik turned off the power again, went upstairs, and attacked Cassie. They stabbed her nearly 30 times. The murder scene was later described as resembling a sequence from the 1996 movie Scream.
The Investigation and Arrests
Police initially struggled to find the killers. The crime scene showed no signs of forced entry or robbery.
Detectives first suspected Cassie’s mother’s romantic partner because his fingerprints were found on the circuit breaker door. However, he had a solid alibi. He had done electrical work at the Contreras house, which the family confirmed.
Matt Beckham was also considered a suspect. But his mother told police she heard Cassie’s voice when he left the Contreras residence. Matt passed a polygraph test and had a consistent alibi.
The investigation turned toward Draper and Adamcik when they could not provide consistent details about their supposed trip to the theater. They initially claimed they were watching a movie, then changed their story to say they were just driving around.
Brian Draper eventually confessed to killing Cassie, though he initially tried to downplay his role. He led investigators to Black Rock Canyon, where the boys had partially buried their masks, clothing, and weapons. Police also found a partially burned VHS tape that showed the two boys planning the murder.
The Sentences and Aftermath
Both Draper and Adamcik were charged with murder within a week of the killing. They were tried as adults.
Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik were both convicted and sentenced to life in prison. They have become known as the “Scream Killers” because of their obsession with the horror franchise.
During the earlier Dateline episode, Draper spoke with host Keith Morrison from prison. He expressed regret for his actions, saying, “I regret it every day of my life”.
The case has also been the subject of an ABC News Studios docuseries called “The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story,” which examines how the two teens selected their victim and carried out the killing.
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What to Expect from the New Dateline Episode
The new Dateline episode, “The Secret in Black Rock Canyon,” promises to take a fresh look at this disturbing case. The official logline states: “When police retrace the final hours of 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart, they uncover evidence including a homemade horror film that points to her killers”.
The episode airs on NBC as part of the long-running Dateline series.
Viewers who want to watch can check their local NBC listings for the exact air time. The episode may also become available for streaming on Peacock after its initial broadcast.
This case remains one of the more disturbing examples of how entertainment can influence real-world violence. Two teenagers who loved horror movies turned their fascination into a deadly plan that ended the life of their classmate. Two decades later, the story continues to captivate and disturb audiences.
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