Elizabeth Olten -- Found Deceased 10/23/09 -- Alyssa Bustamante Sentenced To Life With The Possibility Of Parole

Search under way for 9-year-old mid-Missouri girl


An undated photo provided by the Cole County Sheriff's Department shows Elizabeth Olten, who went missing Wednesday evening near her home on Route D near St. Martins, just west of Jefferson City.


ST. MARTINS, Mo. | Dozen of people were searching a rural, wooded area in central Missouri today for a 9-year-old girl who did not return home a night earlier after visiting a friend.

Cole County Sheriff Greg White said Elizabeth Olten left the friend’s house about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday and was supposed to walk a quarter mile to her home in St. Martins, just west of Jefferson City. She was reported missing around 7 p.m.

Elizabeth was listed as an “endangered missing person” and the FBI had joined the case, White said. The sheriff said it did not appear that the girl had run away from home, but no Amber Alert had been issued because there was no evidence of an abduction or foul play.

The Jefferson City News-Tribune reported that Elizabeth’s family members said she is afraid of the woods and the dark, so she wouldn’t normally be out at night.

Elizabeth, who has long brown hair and brown eyes, is about 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 102 pounds. She was last seen wearing a pink scarf, sweater and T-shirt with butterflies, blue jeans and white shoes.

The search focused on a section of woods several hundred yards in diameter, which police had narrowed by triangulating the girl’s cell phone location, White said. But the battery had died by this morning. An uneven terrain, high brush and soaking weather hampered the search effort.

“If you go to Iowa and look at a flat piece of farmland that’s 140 acres, you go, well it’s not that big.’ You translate that to Missouri and you use the same thing, you walk a long time to cover that same amount of land,” White said. “It’s muddy out there now. It’s difficult terrain, it’s difficult weather.”

On Wednesday night, the Missouri State Highway Patrol searched for Elizabeth using a helicopter with a thermal imaging radar. But White said fall foliage hindered that effort.

When the full search of about 60 people resumed this morning, a team with dogs used by the Department of Corrections joined officials from nearby fire departments and numerous state and local police agencies.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MO_MISSING_GIRL_MO_MOOL-?SITE=MOSTP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Search under way for 9-year-old mid-Missouri girl

Onna Adrian, whose daughter-in-law is Elizabeth's older sister, said Elizabeth generally walked home from the friend's house through neighbors' yards rather than along the two-lane county highway that runs past their houses.

Adrian said Elizabeth did not normally hide out and, if confronted, would have screamed and tried to run away.

"She is very shy," Adrian said. "She's not the type to get in a vehicle with anybody."

Elizabeth, who has long brown hair and brown eyes, is about 5-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 102 pounds. She was last seen wearing a pink scarf, sweater and T-shirt with butterflies, blue jeans and white shoes.

Adrian said the girl's mother did not want to talk to a reporter Thursday. Elizabeth's father, Dale Olten Sr., has been in a Missouri prison since April serving a four-year sentence for drug possession.

What is interesting is the father was a suspect in the disappearance of Jasmine Haslag, missing June 18th 2007.

Another horrible ending. HLN is reporting that she has been found dead. What is this world coming to? I just don't get it.

Body of Missing Missouri Girl, 9, Found in Woods

The body of a 9-year-old Missouri girl who vanished walking home from a friend's house was found in a heavily wooded area Friday.

An "older juvenile" suspect led authorities to Elizabeth Olten's body, deep in the woods near where an exhaustive search for the child was under way for much of the day.

Elizabeth disappeared just after she started walking home from a friend's house Wednesday night.

"There's been no contact with her since then," Cole County Sheriff Greg White told Fox News earlier Friday, before Elizabeth was found dead.

White said Elizabeth spoke with her parents on the phone before she left her friend's house.

"Her parents said she should leave and get home," he told Fox.

About 70 investigators worked on leads Friday and another 70 people spent the day scouring woody, uneven terrain west of Jefferson City, Mo.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569338,00.html

What the hell is wrong with people? I hope the "older juvenile" is charged as an adult and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

I don't know what this world is coming to. My nine-year-old daughter wonders why I won't let her walk down the street and around the corner to her grandma's house, but I just don't trust letting her out of my sight when she is outside.

I feel the same way J4A. My grand daughter wants to walk to school with her friends. There is no way in hell I will allow that to happen. Not even one time. That's all it take. People are crazy. There hasn't been an age released (or any further information) about who this "older juvenile" is, but I feel just like you do. They should be tried as an adult if they take a life. PERIOD. It just breaks my heart to keep hearing these stories, day in & day out. What is it that goes through these peoples heads? What makes someone want to kill?

I was also reading a story today, about a father who stabbed his own baby, numerous times. The baby is in critical condition. He also, stabbed himself & the police had to tear gas the house & get him out. He too, has life threatening stab wounds (self inflicted). They took him to the hospital. Now, maybe it's just me, but why not let the sick bastard just bleed to death? Seriously? Someone please give me one good reason why they risked their own lives for this sick bastard??? And what a HUGE WASTE of taxpayer money to not only treat him at the hospital, but if he makes it, taxpayers will foot the bill for feeding & housing him as well! All I can think of is WTH??

Video:

http://www.fox2now.com/ktvi-elizabeth-olten-missing-dead-102309,0,5282062.story

 

I wish that more parents would realize the importance of ALWAYS watching their children. No phone call, TV show or other activity is more important than the life of their child! This means that parents have to take the time, and make the time to be with their children whenever they are outside playing. This also means that they have to take them to school, and bring them home. Predators are always looking for just the right moment, "that window of opportunity" when a child is unsupervised by an adult. No nap can possibly be more important than making sure that one's child is safe. Children are totally defenseless against an adult. That's why it's imperative that an adult is ALWAYS with children when they are playing.

Oh, no. My heart is broken. These children have no impulse control, no sense of right and wrong. What have we done?

Unbelievable. You know, we are hearing this stories of kids being taken, missing and murdered at an alarming rate. I am no longer even wondering if this is happening more or if we are just hearing about it more because of 24 hour news. I am convinced this IS happening more! Period.
And I agree with ALL of you. I have a 13 year old daughter and 15 year old son. They are at the age now where they are wanting more freedoms and privacy. I say TOO BAD! They can get glad in the same pants they get mad at me in. Because I am not allowing them to walk alone. I have always driven them and picked them up from friends houses and will continue to do so.
However, I have been talking to my daughter about these cases a little more (probably even than I should) because it's all I've had on my mind lately. And even she has said, it makes me not want to run. She does competitive cheer leading and is just starting to like to run for exercise. Well, that is now an activity she can share with me or not do it. There is NO more ANYTHING my kids will be doing outside alone.
My decision is not a popular one. Hail, even Eric (my bf) and I used to argue about this because he would let his 15 year old son walk everywhere alone and AFTER dark. Now, that he is living with his mom, I am even more sure than ever, he is allowed to do this all the time. Some people just refuse to "GET IT". So sad!

Tracey, nobody can blame you for being protective of your kids. It is not safe for them to walk the streets by themselves. This case proves that it's not even safe to let a children walk a quarter of a mile home from a friend's house by themselves.

There are plenty of examples of why you need to be overprotective. Nevaeh Buchanan and Sandra Cantu were both playing outside unsupervised when they were kidnapped and murdered. Victoria Stafford and Somer Thompson were both walking home from school when they were kidnapped and murdered. Lindsey Baum was walking home from a friend's house when she disappeared, and Elizabeth Olten was walking home from a friend's house when she was grabbed and murdered.

Murder charge sought against teen suspect in Elizabeth Olten's death

Cole County Juvenile authorities have asked the Cole County Juvenile Court to charge a 15 year old with first degree murder for this week's death of Elizabeth Olten, whose body was found Friday.

Sheriff Greg White and Juvenile Authority Director Michael Couty declined to say whether the suspect is a boy or girl.

The authorities have asked for a certification hearing to determine if the 15 year old can be tried as an adult or juvenile.

If courts determine in a closed hearing that the child should be tried as an adult, more details will be made available to the public.

Read more: http://www.newstribune.com/articles/2009/10/24/news_local/068local02olten09.txt

I have no problem with a 15 year old being charged as an adult. He is old enough to know the difference between right and wrong.

Heartwrenching news.....again. I do believe it is happening more at an alarming rate. And the suspect is 15!
Being overprotective is the only way to be. All of these cases show you how quickly children are snatched and murdered

I apologize for assuming the 15-year-old was a he. There is a strong rumor going around that it was a 15-year-old girl who lived in the house that Elizabeth was visiting.

Warrant served on slain Mo. 9-year-old's neighbor

10/27/2009

By CHRIS BLANK / Associated Press

Police served a warrant at a neighbor's house hours after finding the body of a missing 9-year-old girl in a heavily wooded area of central Missouri.

Records reviewed Monday show the Cole County Sheriff's Department served the warrant late Friday night just several homes south of where Elizabeth Olten lived in St. Martins. Police records do not indicate the type of warrant, and the department declined to elaborate Monday.

Authorities are seeking a first-degree murder charge against a 15-year-old who is in custody of the juvenile justice system, but police have not released the teen's name or gender and have provided few other details about the suspect.

A phone number registered to the house where the warrant was served was disconnected, and there was no answer at the door Monday.

Cole County Sheriff Greg White previously has said that the suspect lived in the same area as Elizabeth, which is just west of Jefferson City, and was acquainted with Elizabeth but not a relative.

Police say Elizabeth on Wednesday was to walk home from a friend's house that was about a quarter-mile away. After she was reported missing, several hundred people searched through soaking rain in a heavily wooded area near her home.

White said the 15-year-old on Friday led police to Elizabeth's body, which he said had been in the primary search area but was "very well concealed."

Police focused the search on a tract of woods after they were able to trace the general location of Elizabeth's cell phone. The phone's battery had died by Thursday morning. White said police found the phone near Elizabeth's body.

Cole County Juvenile Court Administrator Michael Couty said Monday that a hearing to determine whether the teen should be treated as an adult or juvenile is likely to occur within 30 days. Couty said that the suspect would undergo a background and psychological check.

Under Missouri law, children as young as 12 can be charged as adults with first-degree murder. But the case must start in the juvenile court system while a hearing is held on whether to transfer it to an adult court. Juvenile court records generally are closed under Missouri law unless a judge grants an exception.

http://www.kmov.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D9BJ3N380.html

This story really saddens me. I know this person is a juvenile, but, he or she should be punished as an adult. This person made the decision to take this little girl's life. Since it's highly unlikely that they'll receive the Death Penalty, they deserve to be locked up for the rest of their life. Why should they be allowed their freedom when a child is dead, because of their deliberate actions? That's certainly not justice. I have no sympathy for child killers.

The most she would get would be life without parole because Missouri law does not allow anyone younger than 16 years old to receive the death penalty.

http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=367984

A neighbor who spoke on condition of anonymity said a 15-year-old girl lives at the house where Elizabeth was last seen.

http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=367986

This girl must have some serious mental problems. In any case, she needs to be locked up for the rest of her life.

If it is the girl that is "rumored" to have done this, I have seen her myspace & twitter pages. Seems that she is an addict" of some sort, and yes, she also seems to have her "demons". Though it does sicken me that this girl (rumored) is the one who took little Elizabeth's life, it is also very disturbing to know that a child took the life of another child. Every day, it seems to get worse & worse. Not that it's any better for a sex offender to do something like this, but at least it's more comprehensible. If that makes any sense. But for a 15 yr old child to take the life of another child, it's almost beyond being.....?? I can't even think of the correct words to describe it. BOTH families must be in turmoil. BOTH families must be grieving their children, etc. What is this world coming to?

Hearings set for Mo. teen accused of killing girl

A 15-year-old accused of killing 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten is to appear in a Missouri court Wednesday.

Cole County Juvenile Court Administrator Michael Couty (koo-TEE') said Tuesday the hearing is to determine whether the teen should continue to be detained. Couty says the 15-year-old would appear by videoconference, and a hearing is scheduled for Nov. 18 to determine whether the teen should be tried as an adult.

Read more: http://www.kmov.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D9BJHR701.html

Do they really need a hearing to determine whether she should be detained? Am I missing something? As for the second hearing, I think she should be tried as an adult.

The hearing on whether or not to continue detaining her is BS. There shouldn't even be a question about it. She IS charged with first degree murder for goodness sakes! What a complete waste of time, energe & money. How crazy is that? As far as the second hearing, IMO, there shouldn't be a question of whether or not she should be tried as an adult either. If she can kill, she deserves to be tried as an adult. JMHO.

I was watching Nancy Grace tonight and saw the update on this. So the first thing I did was come here and read the thread. As I got to your post J4A, I immediately thought, interesting, it is assumed this was a boy. Now let me say, I certainly don't think an apology was necessary because I never even considered it was a girl myself. When i read the thread the first time, it hadn't even struck me as anything when I saw you said, "he". Only after seeing NG and hearing it was a girl did it even compute with me, hey yea, we assumed it was a boy.
Sorry, for that long explanation here. I just found that interesting in myself too. However, now hearing this is a girl, I am furious! Furious that the media and LE seems to be treating "HER" differently. Would we even be having this concealment, if it was a boy? I think not! Remember the little boy who was I think 7 or 8, who shot his father and his friend? I mean, damn, his entire interview with the police was ON the tv. We not only knew who he was, but saw who he was. This girl is NO different than any other murderer who kills our children and should be treated no differently. I'm so angry about this whole thing. As you have all said here too, what is happening in our world today? Now not only are there adults preying on our kids, we have to worry if their friends are wacko's too! Geez!

The suspect's attorney waived her detention hearing. It looks like her attorney realized that it was pretty obvious that she would not be going home. The Judge did hear arguments on whether the public should be allowed at the November 18 hearing to determine whether the 15-year-old girl should be tried as an adult, but did not issue a ruling.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,570055,00.html

Judge Jon Beetem has ruled that the November 18 hearing will be open to the public. I think that is the first of many setbacks for the defense. IMO, the next setback for the defense will probably be November 18 when they decide to try the 15-year-old girl as an adult.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/teen-girl-charged-year-olds-murder/Story?id=8931780&page=1


Teen Girl Charged in 9-Year-Old's Murder
Elizabeth Olten, 9, to Be Remembered in Funeral Service Today, Suspect to Appear in Court
By LEE FERRAN and KATE McCARTHY
Oct. 28, 2009

A Missouri town is gathering in mourning today for the funeral services of a 9-year-old girl who, according to investigators, was killed by a 15-year-old female acquaintance.

15-year-old is suspected of killing her 9-year-old neighbor.

The child, Elizabeth Olten, vanished Oct. 21, sparking a massive search expanding from the girl's home outside St. Martens. The unnamed suspect, who has been charged with first degree murder, reportedly led police through the woods near Olten's home to the child's body Friday after she was fingered as a person of interest.

"We were able to obtain some physical evidence and through some analysis of some of the evidence and in all honesty some written evidence, we were able to develop a person of interest," Cole County Sheriff Greg White has said. "Once we reached that person and interviewed them, ultimately, they led us to where we've recovered Elizabeth's body."

There's a video here too. See more at link above

This is information regarding the 15 year old who allegedly killed Elizabeth Olton... quite an interesting read. She is still, as of yet, unnamed since she is a minor...

http://marinadedave.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/elizabeth-oltens-killer-identified/

I've known the suspect's real name since Monday, but I didn't feel I should reveal it since nobody in the media has revealed it yet.

This crime is even worse than I thought if some of the rumors published at Marinade Dave's site turn out to be true. Supposedly, she told friends that she wanted to kill somebody to see if she could get away with it. Some are saying that she dug the grave a week before the murder. There is also a rumor going around that her boyfriend helped her bury the body. If that is true, I don't understand why he hasn't been charged with anything.

This is just a horrifying story. J4A, you've been doing some extensive sleuthing to know her name. I shudder to think of the terror this girl put Elizabeth through. They have named all of the minors in the 15 yr old's rape case in Richmond, CA. And they are going to be tried as adults, and rightly so.

I think the 15 year old will be named if they decide to try her as an adult. I think she definitely deserves to be tried as an adult.

I think she should not only be named, but she should also have her photo plastered all over the media, just like any other cold blooded killer. 15 yrs old or not! It angers me that her identity is being held back. When Hulk Hogans son (17 yrs old at the time) had his racing accident, severely injuring the 22 yr old riding with him, his photo was plastered all over the place. He, too, was a minor. IMO, the 22 yr old should have been held even more accountable than Hogans son. He WAS the ADULT in the car, was he not? Nick wasn't old enough to purchase beer but the 22 yr old was. Even if Nick DID buy the beer, should the 22 yr old not have been the "responsible one" and said no? Maybe even taken the beer away from "Nick the minor"?? I just don't get why LE seems to be protecting a KILLER.

FystyAngel wrote:I think she should not only be named, but she should also have her photo plastered all over the media, just like any other cold blooded killer. 15 yrs old or not! It angers me that her identity is being held back. When Hulk Hogans son (17 yrs old at the time) had his racing accident, severely injuring the 22 yr old riding with him, his photo was plastered all over the place. He, too, was a minor. IMO, the 22 yr old should have been held even more accountable than Hogans son. He WAS the ADULT in the car, was he not? Nick wasn't old enough to purchase beer but the 22 yr old was. Even if Nick DID buy the beer, should the 22 yr old not have been the "responsible one" and said no? Maybe even taken the beer away from "Nick the minor"?? I just don't get why LE seems to be protecting a KILLER.

Hi, Fysty! From what I've read about Nick Hogan's accident, it was Nick's dad, Hulk Hogan, who provided the beer for Nick & his friend John. He was the one who thought it was "macho", and he even encouraged it. I guess he thought he was impressing Nick's friend, John Graziano, who was a Marine, & war veteran. I think Hulk Hogan should be held accountable. I say this because Nick Hogan was stopped before for speeding, while Hulk Hogan was in the car with him. Beer was found in the car on this occasion too. After the accident both Nick & Hulk Hogan were talking badly about John, who was supposedly Nick's "best friend", a "best friend" who was in the hospital after having had a portion of his brain removed from a horrific accident. This poor man, who bravely served our country, will be a vegetable for the rest of his life. All the while, Nick & Hulk Hogan will go on with their lives as if nothing happened. I'm sorry, but, I just had to say this, because, everyone needs to know what role Hulk Hogan played in this horrific, life altering, alcohol related accident. That being said, I have to wonder about this 15 year old girl's parents. Could they have the same "parenting skills" as Hulk Hogan & his ex-wife, Linda? I am not defending this girl's actions at all. I'm just saying that the next time Nick Hogan crashes his car, and possibly kills someone, how will his dad, Hulk Hogan, the "Hulkster" ~ "Mr. Role Model", (BROTHER) handle it then? I also think this juvenile's picture, and name should be released to the public, along with a picture of her parents. I have to also wonder if this girl's parents have even bothered to contact Elizabeth Olten's parents. I believe this girl should spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Tweets, Video Paint Picture of Teen Murder Suspect

Though police have released few details about the alleged killer of a 9-year-old Missouri girl, a grim portrait of the 15-year-old female suspect has begun to emerge based on dark writings on the Internet including a YouTube profile in which "killing people" is listed under the girl's hobbies.

Several messages on what is believed to be the suspect's Twitter page, which have now been erased, poetically discuss "addiction," "terrors" and the feeling of being caged and "buried." Another post talks about pain and the author's search for a reason for it.

On the girl's YouTube page, a video appears to show the suspect with her brothers purposefully shocking themselves on an electrified fence

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/tweets-video-paint-picture-teen-murder-suspect/story?id=8970645

http://www.singsnap.com/snap/watchandlisten/interstitial/c5e1806a?perpage=9c1ab

I had found this link of Elizabeth Olten's, accused killer, singing on a site. It gave me the heebie jeebies. Here's something interesting though. Yesterday, I had pm'd Fysty to ask the protocol on being able to post this and there were only 2-3 comments. Now today, when you click the link, it gives you a warning that what you are about to view is offensive. The only thing different about the two days, are the amount of comments. So, the site is either warning you that this girl being what she is accused of, could offend. Or is could be the comments. Hmmm...

I wanted to add, I am upset that it seems to me, this accused killer, is being treated very different than other juveniles we have seen. I don't think it has anything to do with the fact she is a juvenile. It think it is absolutely because she is a female. We are hearing she is a "cutter". Now, I don't know the statistics on who is more likely a cutter, girls or boys. However, I have a young niece who is a cutter. I know the reason she gave us, was she does it because she feels so much pain inside, that she would cut to feel outside of her head. She needed to feel outside, physical pain to escape the pain in her head. She said, seeing the blood and then having to dress the wound, etc would allow her to take care of that and she wouldn't feel the internal pain for just a little bit. But once she would fix it, she would have to repeat the process and do it over and over. It was hard for all of our family to understand. It still is.
I don't know what it means, in regards to this girl. I just think it's going to be something her defense attorney uses, along with a million other excuses to try and keep this in juvenile court. And will he be successful? I feel, if he is, a big, big part of it will be because this IS a GIRL! And to me, that is WRONG! Then at 21, it is very, very likely, she will be walking the streets again!

Mo. teen charged with murdering 9-year-old girl

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri grand jury has indicted a 15-year-old on a charge of first-degree murder in the slaying of her 9-year-old neighbor.

Alyssa Bustamante is accused of killing Elizabeth Olten by strangling the girl, cutting her throat and stabbing her on Oct. 21.

Bustamante also is charged with armed criminal action for allegedly using a knife in the attack.

The indictment Wednesday came hours after a judge ruled Bustamante should stand trial as an adult. She is being held without bond in Cole County jail.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Bustamante could be sentenced to life in prison.

http://www.q13fox.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-missouri-girl-slain,0,6999030.story

Alyssa Bustamante told a police officer she killed Elizabeth because she wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone. I'm glad she is being tried as an adult. She deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison.

Amen, J4.

This picture provided on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009 by the Cole County Sheriff's Department shows Alyssa Bustamante. On Wendesday, Nov. 18, 2009, a judge entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of the 15-year-old-girl charged as an adult in the strangulation and stabbing death of 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten. (AP Photo/Cole County Sheriff's Department) (AP / November 18, 2009)

Police: Mo. teen dug grave anticipating murder
By AP News
Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Blessed with a Friday off school, 15-year-old Alyssa Bustamante dug two holes in the ground to be used as a grave, authorities said. For the next week, she attended classes, all the while plotting the right time for a murder, they said.

That time arrived the evening of Oct. 21, when Bustamante strangled 9-year-old neighbor Elizabeth Olten without provocation, cut the girl's throat and stabbed her, prosecutors said. Why?

"Ultimately, she stated she wanted to know what it felt like," Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. David Rice testified Wednesday during a court hearing over the slaying.

Rice, who interviewed Bustamante in the days after Elizabeth's disappearance, said she confessed to investigators and led them to the fourth grader's well-concealed body in a wooded area near their neighborhood in St. Martins, a small town west of Jefferson City.

A Cole County judge ruled Wednesday that Bustamante, who has been held in Missouri's juvenile justice system, should be tried as an adult. Hours later, the teen was indicted on adult charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action for allegedly using a knife to kill Elizabeth. A judge later entered a not guilty plea on Bustamante's behalf and referred her to the public defender's office.

The court proceedings marked the first time that the suspect in Elizabeth's death had been publicly identified since a two-day search for the girl by hundreds of volunteers. When they found Elizabeth's body Oct. 23, authorities only said that a 15-year-old had led them to it and was in custody for the slaying.

Bustamante remained largely expressionless as she sat with her hands shackled around her waist in court Wednesday. She occasionally looked down beneath the brown bangs that covered her eyes and swallowed hard as a judge read the charges against her.

On one side of the courtroom sat her mother and grandmother, who has been Bustamante's legal guardian for about half of her life. On the other side sat Elizabeth's mother, relatives and friends, several of whom wore pink _ Elizabeth's favorite color.

Bustamante was ordered held without bond pending her trial. If convicted of first-degree murder, she would be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Witnesses at Bustamante's adult certification hearing described a girl who was bright yet depressed and clever in a sometimes sneaky sort of way. She ranked in roughly the top third of her class at Jefferson City High School, the principal said, and had been in no trouble at school or with the law.

Yet Bustamante had tried to commit suicide at age 13 and had been receiving mental health treatment for depression and cutting herself, said David Cook, the chief juvenile officer in Cole County. Once, she led her family to believe she was attending a local church event when she instead sneaked off to a concert in St. Louis, about two hours away, Cook said. On one or two other occasions, Bustamante spent the night in the woods without permission, he said.

After her arrest, Bustamante tried to cut herself with her own fingernails while being held in juvenile custody, said her appointed juvenile defense attorney Kurt Valentine.

He argued Bustamante should remain in the juvenile system, where she could potentially be rehabilitated before being set free by age 21. Valentine warned that Bustamante would either kill herself or be assaulted and killed by others if she were placed in an adult jail cell or prison.

"We are throwing away the child and we are signing a death sentence for Alyssa," Valentine said. "She is not going to survive her time in the Cole County jail."

Cole County Sheriff Greg White said later that Bustamante would be held at a different, undisclosed location.

Cook recommended Bustamante be tied as an adult. Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem agreed, saying the killing was vicious and that the state had no adequate facilities or services to treat Bustamante if she remained in the juvenile system.

Bill Heberle, with the Missouri Division of Youth Services, testified that the state has no secure facilities with fences for female juveniles. Youths in Missouri's juvenile system generally are housed in group settings and are not typically watched by staff 24 hours a day, he said.

http://www.710knus.com/article.aspx?id=7f66dbec-6bb8-4977-ab03-c13e8cf677dc&catid=0

Thanks for posting this Fysty. This young girl has a troubled soul...her eyes are vacant and cold...RIP Elizabeth

Bustamante Allegedly Dug Graves Before Murder
Missouri Judge Determines That Teen Will Be Tried as an Adult

Fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bustamante aged considerably Wednesday when a Missouri judge ruled that she should be tried as an adult for allegedly strangling a 9-year-old neighbor a week after digging a grave for the girl.

The judge also entered a not guilty plea on her behalf after she was indicted on charges of first-degree murder. She is being held without bond.

The teenager had told state police that she wanted to know what the experience was like, a highway patrol officer said.

"Ultimately, she stated she wanted to know what it felt like," Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. David Rice testified in court Wednesday.

She also allegedly cut the girl's throat and stabbed her.

"She committed the murder after deliberation, which means cool deliberation or cool reflection on the matter for any length of time," Cole County prosecutor Mark Richardson told the court Wednesday.

Elizabeth Olten's body was found in a wooded area near her home in St. Martins Oct. 23 after the suspect led police to it, after which she was arrested, authorities said. The girl had vanished Oct. 21, but it wasn't long after that police found what Cole Country Sheriff Greg White called "written evidence" that led them to Bustamante.

If convicted, Bustamante could be sentenced to life in prison.

The suspect did not have a prior criminal record, police said

Suspect Spoke of 'Pain' and 'Terrors'

But there were signs of a troubled past.

On the teen's YouTube page, a video appears to show the suspect with her brothers purposefully shocking themselves on an electrified fence.

On what appears to be her Twitter page, her messages speak of "addiction" and "terrors."

One Tweet: "& all I want in life is a reason for all this pain."

A grim portrait of Bustamante emerged earlier based on writings on the Internet, including a YouTube profile in which "killing people" is listed under the girl's hobbies.

In court, officials said the teenager had attempted suicide in 2007 and has been taking an antidepressant ever since.

"If one of the priorities or focus of her life everyday is pain, then it would be natural to pull people into it, to inflict pain upon them," said Brad Garrett, a former FBI profiler and ABC News consultant.

Lawyer Says Suspect Is a 'Child'

Kurt Valentine, Bustamante's attorney, said the teenager had recently tried to harm herself while in custody by cutting herself with her fingernails.

Valentine had urged officials to be cautious with their judgments of the suspect.

"I would ask that they wait, that they listen to the facts as they come out and not judge quickly," Valentine said. "Learn about this person, learn about this child. You're dealing with a child."

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/bustamante-allegedly-dug-graves-murder/story?id=9121653

Mo. Teen Charged In Death Of 9-Year-Old Girl

ROGERS, Ark. -- A 15-year-old Missouri girl has been indicted in the slaying of her 9-year-old neighbor.

Police said the teen confessed to the killing, saying she wanted to know what murder feels like.

A police investigator said Alyssa Bustamante confessed to strangling and stabbing her neighbor Elizabeth Olten after digging multiple graves to hide the body.

Officials said the teenager attempted suicide in 2007. Her attorney said she recently tried to harm herself again while in custody, by cutting herself with her fingernails.

Bustamante is being tried as an adult. A not-guilty plea has been entered on her behalf.

If convicted, she could be sentenced to life in prison.

http://www.4029tv.com/news/21667540/detail.html

I'm sure that I am going to sound "cold" with this post but oh well. Does ANYONE really care that this kid is disturbed? Does that excuse her for killing Elizabeth?? Seriously, does anyone think it's ok to kill if you are a disturbed child? I doubt much that Elizabeths mother or any other family thinks it's ok. Also, does anyone think it's better to charge her as a child?

I'm glad she is being charged as an adult. I don't think being disturbed is an excuse to kill.

Teen murder suspect said hobby was 'killing people'

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - On an Internet site, 15-year-old Alyssa Bustamante listed her hobbies as "killing people" and "cutting." It may have sounded like a teenage exaggeration, but authorities say she fulfilled her words.

Even as new details emerge about the teenager charged with killing 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten, many facts about the crime continued to be kept secret Thursday - and may never be released by authorities unless Bustamante goes to trial for murder.

Bustamante, who had been in juvenile custody since leading police to Elizabeth's body Oct. 23, was certified Wednesday as an adult and indicted on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. She is accused of strangling Elizabeth, cutting her throat and stabbing her.

Online court records showed Thursday that a public defender assigned to represent Bustamante filed a motion seeking to have her placed in a state hospital for immediate mental health treatment.

On a YouTube profile viewed by The Associated Press, which has since been taken down, Bustamante listed her hobbies as "killing people" and "cutting." A year ago, Bustamante posted a video to the site in which she appears to intentionally shock herself on an electric fence near her home, then goads her two younger brothers into doing the same.

Read more: http://www.kimatv.com/news/national/70622067.html

Missouri teen murder suspect sent to mental hospital

JEFFERSON CITY | A teenager accused of killing a 9-year-old neighbor was sent to a mental hospital after her attorney said she showed signs of severe depression and anxiety.

A judge ordered 15-year-old Alyssa Bustamante to be taken to the Fulton State Hospital for up to 96 hours, but it was unclear exactly when that clock started. The order by Cole County Circuit Judge Patricia Joyce is dated Thursday but did not have a time stamp; it was released Friday.

Bustamante had been held at the Morgan County jail since being indicted Wednesday as an adult on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the Oct. 21 death of Elizabeth Olten.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1582628.html

It looks like her lawyer is gearing up for the insanity defense.

J4a... it sure does... but then again, what other possible defense could they have???? This is indefensible......

Insanity is the only thing he has. And to be honest, just from what little we have seen, she MUST have something wrong in her brain....short circut someplace. This is one of the most cold blooded cases I've ever read.

True, JAG, very true. Killing just to see how it would feel??? She has to have something wrong in her head.... not that I think that excuses her crime by any means....

She surely must have been showing signs of having something wrong with her for some time.....

I believe this girl is truly disturbed, something is not right with her. You know how they say serial killers start out killing animals in their youth. She doesn't have a soul, a lot of evil lurks within her. I am glad she is being tried as an adult. I don't want to see her released at the age of 21, just because she's 21.

I agree with both of you! Snaz, I don't want her to have a pass either. I'd never trust her in society again.

With that said, I do have a tiny bit of sympathy for a young child who has obviously had mental issues for a while and the adults in her life should have picked up and acted on it.