Teen Charged as Adult in Elizabeth Olten Case
A 15-year-old Missouri girl has been indicted and will be tried as an adult in the murder of a 9-year-old neighbor. Alyssa Bustamante faces first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges for the death of Elizabeth Olten.Bustamante has been held in juvenile detention since her arrest on Oct. 23.
Prosecutors said that Bustamante (pictured above) confessed to investigators that she killed Olten and led them to her body in a wooded area near the neighborhood where they both lived in St. Martins.
During a hearing this week, prosecutors said Bustamante dug holes in the ground to be used as a grave as she plotted for a week to kill Olten. On October 21, Bustamante strangled Olten, cut her throat, stabbed her and concealed her body in the woods.
What was the motivation for the murder?
"Ultimately, she stated she wanted to know what it felt like," Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. David Rice testified at the hearing.
The identity of Bustamante was released to the media only after the judge ruled that she would be tried as an adult.
Body Was Well Concealed
On Wednesday Oct. 21, Elizabeth Olten (left) disappeared while walking home from a friend's home about a quarter-mile from her house. A massive search by hundreds of volunteers for two days turned up no trace of the nine-year-old. When her body was found it had been "well concealed" police said.
Also during the hearing, it was revealed that Bustamante tried to commit suicide when she was 13 and has been treated for depression and cutting herself. After her arrest Bustamante tried to cut herself with her own fingernails while in juvenile custody.
Kurt Valentine, Bustamante's attorney, argued that she should be kept in the juvenile system.
"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."
See Also:
Police: Mo. Teen Dug Grave Anticipating Murder
Earlier Article:
15-Year-Old Female Arrested in Girl's Murder
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Photo: Family Photo
Comments
LIKE WDF ARE YU SERIOUS A NINE YEEAR OLD … SHE MADE YUH THAT MADD THAT YUH HADD TO KILL HER, HER LIFE HAVENT EVAN STARTED YET I HOPE YUH REALLY LEARNED YO LEASON AND SUFFER ALL CONSEQUISES…. YUH ARE A SICK GURL I HOPE YUH BURN IN HELL REAL TALK DUMB A**
How could anyone do this to a nine year old??? Alyssa is a very sick. But my heart really goes out to Elizabeth’s family. I know they are devastated right now.
I agree that this is such a sick tragedy. Like the Davis girl case. There are some sickos out there or just plain EVIL.
I have one objection and that is the association with Depression and Suicide. As one who has suffered Depression and Suicide ideation, I have not nor will I kill someone because of it. This is like stating someone had Cancer and attempted Suicide. What is the connection? The press loves these angles. Let someone be in the news for whatever and the press will dig up a shoplifting charge 10 years earlier for example to add to the article.
This is truly sad, one child is dead and another faces 1st degree murder. My heart goes out to Elizabeth’s family for their loss of a child. One has to wonder how Alyssa Bustamante could possibly believe what she did to Elizabeth Olten was okay. What happened to Alyssa that led her to commit murder? There are not any reasons good enough to explain what Alyssa did, however psychopatic behavior at age 15 cannot be common place behavior in our society, at least not to my knowledge. Alyssa’s background I would think should tell her story and why she commited cold blooded murder other than she wanted to know what it felt like. There has to be more than meets the eye here, Alyssa didn’t just wake up one morning and decide this is a lovely day to murder a nine year old. I realize knowing why will not help Elizabeth’s family regarding closure, (which I believe only exist in the minds of people who have never lost a loved one to violence) however knowing how Alyssa got from point A to point B might be useful in assessing as well as intervening with budding teens who commit murder for no other reason than “I wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone.”
Alyssa is clearly insane. My view is that alyssa had previous problems and should’ve been under superviosion. Where are her parents? They should be held just as acoutable because apparently they knew she was crazy. The should’ve kept an eye on her or had her admitted to an alysum before something like this happened. My heart does go out to Elizabeth’s family no one should have to burry a kid that young to something like this.