Who Killed Who in the Original Scream? A Killer Breakdown
Wes Craven’s Scream (1996) didn’t just redefine horror—it made us all question who was behind the mask. With its clever mix of slasher thrills and meta-humour, the film became a classic. But beneath the pop culture references and genre-savvy teens lies a grisly mystery: who killed who? If you’ve ever wondered which Ghostface was responsible for each kill, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a fun, victim-by-victim breakdown of the original Scream‘s bloody body count.
Victim #1: Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore)
- Location: Her home, specifically the patio and backyard.
- Method: Stabbed multiple times and strangled, then disembowelled and hung from a tree.
- Killer: Billy Loomis and Stu Macher
- How We Know: The opening kill was a two-man job. While one killer made the creepy phone calls and chased Casey, the other killed her boyfriend, Steve, and ambushed her outside. Director Wes Craven confirmed that both Billy and Stu were involved.
Victim #2: Steve Orth (Kevin Patrick Walls)
- Location: Casey’s backyard
- Method: Bound to a chair and disembowelled.
- Killer: Stu Macher
- How We Know: As Billy was likely making the phone calls to Casey inside the house, Stu would have been free to execute Steve outside. Again, the tag-team approach makes this possible.
Victim #3: Principal Arthur Himbry (Henry Winkler)
- Location: His office at Woodsboro High
- Method: Stabbed repeatedly
- Killer: Billy Loomis
- How We Know: The timing of this kill allowed Billy to sneak off from the main group at school. Stu was already preparing for the party, making Billy the likely murderer. Behind-the-scenes notes support this timeline.
Victim #4: Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan)
- Location: Stu’s garage
- Method: Crushed in the garage door while trying to escape through the pet flap
- Killer: Billy Loomis
- How We Know: Stu was inside, hosting the party and keeping up appearances. Billy wasn’t seen during this time, making him the likely culprit. Plus, would Stu really kill his own girlfriend so brutally?
Victim #5: Kenny (W. Earl Brown)
- Location: Outside Stu’s house in the news van
- Method: Throat slit
- Killer: Stu Macher
- How We Know: Stu had access to the video feed and knew when Gale and Sidney weren’t watching. Billy was faking his injuries inside the house, making Stu the killer in this case.
Victim #6: Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich)
- Location: Stu’s house
- Method: Initially stabbed by Sidney, then shot in the head by Gale
- Killer: Sidney Prescott (with a final assist by Gale Weathers)
- How We Know: Sidney fought back like a final girl boss, and Gale delivered the iconic last shot.
Victim #7: Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard)
- Location: Stu’s house
- Method: Hit with a TV to the face and electrocuted
- Killer: Sidney Prescott
- How We Know: In a fight for her life, Sidney turned the tables on Stu and gave him a shocking end.
Final Thoughts
Scream thrives on the twist that there are two killers, which made the “who killed who” game a lot trickier—and a lot more fun. Whether you’re rewatching or just brushing up on your horror trivia, now you can point to the screen and shout, “That one was Billy!” with confidence. Stay safe out there… and never say, “I’ll be right back!”
