Missing 9 year old's body found

[Charmed Hour]

I just re-read the article. Apparently, the murdered 9 year old's father is in prision...and was the last person to see a missing/presumed dead teenager before her death a few years back. Could this be retaliation for the father possibly being suspected in the teenager's disappearance.

[NicoleWasHere]

Development, this is the teen who did it:


Alyssa Bustamante

She will be tried as an adult for the nine year old's murder.


(picture source: Mo. Teen Will Face Adult Murder Charges - NBC Action News KSHB-TV 41)

[Nightdragon]

Good, she should be tried as an adult, what a fucking thing to do. I hope they lock her up and throw away the key!

[Laurent]

Teen certified as adult in Olten case

Published November 18, 2009 at 9:54 a.m.
Updated November 18, 2009 at 11:10 a.m.


Alyssa Bustamante

JEFFERSON CITY — Alyssa Bustamante, the 15-year-old charged in the murder of 9 year-old Elizabeth Olten nearly a month ago in St. Martins, was certified as an adult today in a Cole County hearing.

She was set to be arraigned at 1 p.m. today in circuit court.

A series of youth professionals testified this morning that the Division of Youth Services in Missouri is not equipped to handle the girl’s treatment and detention, given the severity and sophistication of the crime.

If Bustamante had remained in the care of the juvenile system, she would have been required to be released at age 21. There are no “secure care” high-security facilities in the state for girls, an official testified, and more than 600 juveniles have escaped from youth services facilities over the past 10 years.

“To say that I’m disappointed with the status of the Division of Youth Services is an understatement,” Judge Jon Beetem said before making his ruling.

During testimony, Bustamante — with pale skin and long brown bangs that hung over her eyes —sat shackled in an orange prison jumpsuit. She was described as an excellent student. It was also revealed that she attempted suicide in 2007 and had a history of cutting herself.

She has been on the anti-depressant Prozac since 2007, and after a 10-day stay at Mid-Missouri Mental Health Center after the suicide attempt, she was evaluated nearly daily on an outpatient basis.

Bustamante and her younger siblings are under the guardianship of their maternal grandmother and have been since 2002. David Cook, chief juvenile officer and director of court services staff for Cole County, testified that Bustamante received extensive supervision from her grandparents and other family members and intensive treatment for her depression.

Division of Youth Services legal counsel Samantha Green, in her closing statement, painted Bustamante as a cold, calculating killer unfit for the juvenile system.

“She did a premeditated murder, and she had all the services in place,” Green said. “Her grandmother did everything she could for her, and she chose to do this.”

Earlier, Sgt. David Rice of the Missouri State Highway Patrol testified that Bustamante admitted to digging two graves near her home four days before Olten’s death. When Rice asked Bustamante why she had committed the murder, “she stated that she wanted to know what it felt like,” Rice said.

Bustamante had dabbled in Goth culture but was thought by therapists to have moved beyond that, according to testimony.

Bustamante’s court-appointed defense attorney, Kurt Valentine, said the decision to send his client to an adult prison is a “death sentence.”

“We don’t throw away the child,” Valentine said. “And that’s what we’re going to do if we certify her as an adult today and send her to the Department of Corrections. We’re throwing away the child, and we’re signing a death sentence for Alyssa.”

Valentine said there are no girls in DOC custody ages 13 to 15 anywhere in the state. He argued that this unusual situation would force prison wardens to keep her in a solitary cell 24 hours a day for her own protection. This, he said, would heighten her depression and suicidal tendencies.

“We can’t pretend that a 15-year-old is magically transformed into an adult just so we can punish her,” Valentine said.

Members of the Olten family sat in the front row of the tiny juvenile courtroom wearing pink T-shirts bearing Elizabeth’s name. After Beetem made his ruling, several dabbed at tears.

Teen certified as adult in Olten case - ColumbiaTribune.com

[Sarzy]

That's one messed up girl. But who expected anything else really? That's bad there are no high security facilities for girls there.

[Mel1973]

good, fry that no good little murderer.

[McJag]

I don't care if she turns 50-would you want her for a neighbor-ever??

[Brookie]

Just wow. She wanted to see what it felt like? Guess she'll be finding that out for a long time.

[twitchy2.0]

Originally Posted by JadeStar70

It's to bad that this case didn't get the media coverage like Somer in Florida did. It was basically reported she disappeared on Wednesday, and then on Friday they reported they found her body, and had a juvenile in custody. Sad that her case was over looked.

Huh? Overlooked how? It's probably a good thing it isn't a media circus.

[cmmdee]

A series of youth professionals testified this morning that the Division of Youth Services in Missouri is not equipped to handle the girl’s treatment and detention, given the severity and sophistication of the crime.

Oh gosh. I am scared to know what she did to her.

Bustamante admitted to digging two graves near her home four days before Olten’s death. When Rice asked Bustamante why she had committed the murder, “she stated that she wanted to know what it felt like,” Rice said.

Try her as an adult. Total sociopath.

[sputnik]

yes, she's quite possibly a sociopath. but how does that make her an adult? if this had been a story about a 35 year-old sleeping with a 15 year-old people would be outraged and crying out 'paedophile!' and treating her like a child, but then a 15 year-old commits murder and suddenly she's an adult?
does not compute.

[cmmdee]

Originally Posted by sputnik

yes, she's quite possibly a sociopath. but how does that make her an adult? if this had been a story about a 35 year-old sleeping with a 15 year-old people would be outraged and crying out 'paedophile!' and treating her like a child, but then a 15 year-old commits murder and suddenly she's an adult?
does not compute.

It doesn't make her an adult. But she should be tried as one just for the sheer reason of murdering someone just to see what it "felt like" and the planning that went along with it.
Pedophiles and calculating murderers need to get locked up just the same. Both acts are completely reprehensible.

[sputnik]

i agree she needs to be tried and punished severely for her crime. i just don't think she should be put into a prison with actual adults. regardless of the crime she committed.
what's needed is a drastic rehaul of the whole juvenile system, instead of this retarded trend of trying minors as adults.

[sluce]

Originally Posted by sputnik

i agree she needs to be tried and punished severely for her crime. i just don't think she should be put into a prison with actual adults. regardless of the crime she committed.
what's needed is a drastic rehaul of the whole juvenile system, instead of this retarded trend of trying minors as adults.

You hit the nail on the head with this.

[cmmdee]

Sput, I get what you're saying. Sometimes when they are tried as juveniles, all they get is a slap on the wrist and are released at age 18. She needs a steep punishment. Maybe they could house her with the juveniles until her 18th birthday then send her over to an adult prison to serve out the remainder of her sentence.