Naman Shrestha
When Cassie Stoddart was brutally murdered on September 22, 2006, in the house of her relatives, her family’s worst nightmares had turned into reality. As detailed in NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Secret in Black Rock Canyon,’ her loved ones were worried about her whereabouts and well-being for a couple of days as they were not able to get in touch with her for a couple of days after she had been killed. The interviews with her loved ones that the episode includes serve as a reminder of how much Cassie was loved and cared for by her family and friends.
Who is in Cassie Stoddart’s Family?
Cassie Jo Stoddart arrived as a bundle of joy in the life of her mother, Anna Maria Sisneros Price, on December 21, 1989. After getting divorced, Anna married a man named Victor Price, who gave Cassie the fatherly presence that was somewhat missing in her life. The 16-year-old teen was also close to her younger brother Andrew, her older sister Kristi, and grandmother Josefina Cisneros, who talked about Cassie briefly to KSL after her tragic demise. Josefina said, “She had a lot of things on her mind for the future. She wanted to go to college. She wanted a career.” The entire family was caring and kind to each other, which was reflected in Cassie’s nature as well.
Frank and Allison Contreras were Cassie’s uncle and aunt, with whom she shared a close-knit bond as well. It was their house and pets she was taking care of in their absence when she got murdered by her classmates — Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik. Upon returning to their house on September 24, 2006, Allison found an unresponsive Cassie and desperately attempted to perform CPR, but much to her dismay, it did not work. When the news of Cassie’s death reached the rest of her family, it left everyone distraught and filled with grief.
The Stoddarts are Trying to Move Past the Tragedy by Keeping Cassie’s Memories Alive
The fact that Cassie Stoddart was extremely close to her family made it all the more difficult for them to cope with her death, as it affected them in different ways. For years, the family was not comfortable even talking about it. Out of all, her mother, Anna, seemed to have suffered the most. But as years passed by, her brother Andrew saw something positive about the tragedy. He stated that it had made him appreciate little things in life more and helped him realize how unpredictable life could be. After the culprits were brought to justice, the family got the closure they required to move forward with their lives.
A decade after the tragedy, in 2016, Andrew told AP News, “I know how to handle it now. It’s still a huge part of me. For me, every month of September is one I struggle to get through. It comes in waves honestly. There’s days when I’m fine and others I’ll just crumble. We love her. It’s always going to be a part of us. It’s not like it’s ever going to go away. It’s always on the back of our minds, but we focus on keeping our family strong instead of focusing on the bad.” Andrew added, “We focus on the good and when she was around still. Nobody should ever have to go through this.”
Unfortunately, on April 19, 2022, Cassie’s mother, Anna Maria Sisneros Price, passed away in the comfort of her home after bravely fighting against a long-term medical condition. The 57-year-old grandmother enjoyed embarking on vacations and spending time with her loved ones. As for Cassie’s brother and sister, they have chosen a life of privacy as they have kept themselves away from the spotlight and the prying eyes of the media to lead quiet and peaceful lives while moving on with their loss.
Read More: Cassie Stoddart Murder: Where Are Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik Now?
