How a horror movie became partly an inspiration for a real-life crime?  This was what may have happened in the chilling case of Cassie Jo Stoddart from 2006. The crime left the entire nation shocked and devastated. Even nearly two decades later, the case and its disturbing details continue to be talked about. 

Over the years, the incident has been explored in multiple documentaries, each trying to unpack more details about the murder. Here is a rundown of the documentaries that shed light on the case.

Several documentaries have covered the story of Cassie Jo Stoddart, who was found dead while house-sitting alone in September 2006. Much later, two of her classmates, Torey Adamcik and Brian Draper, were identified as being involved in the case. The crime was explored in the February 18, 2024, episode of Dateline: The Last Day.

The episode focuses on the entire weekend during which the incident took place and is available to stream on Peacock, Hulu, and Apple TV. The show focuses on exploring the victim’s final day and the crucial clues uncovered by investigators. However, this is not the only program to cover the story of Cassie Jo Stoddart.

The second episode of the first season of Killer Connections: The Murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart focuses more on the day of the crime. It is available on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Teen Killers: Life Without Parole, which is available on BBC Three, also explores the case. This show focuses on five individuals serving life-without-parole sentences for crimes committed when they were 17 or younger, as they recount their stories. These shows revisit the incident and shed further light on the crime.

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However, what continues to shock viewers is the question of whether the murder was inspired by a horror movie.

The infamous case of Cassie Jo Stoddart involved Torey Adamcik and Brian Draper. Stoddart, a junior at Pocatello High School, was just 16 years old when the incident occurred. The two teens reportedly wanted the crime to resemble Scream, the famous horror movie franchise.

For those who are not familiar, Scream is a well-known horror film franchise. The story follows a masked killer called Ghostface who terrorizes the small town of Woodsboro, California. As high school students start getting murdered, a group of friends is forced to rely on their knowledge of horror movie tropes to figure out who is behind the mask. There are more movies after the first, released in 1996. 

While the story is fiction, this movie has no connection with the case. However, the documentaries explore the real incident. 

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Will you watch any of these documentaries that delve deep into the case of Cassie Jo Stoddart? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.