I think you all need to quit raggin on her about what she did and take a look at yourselves for a moment. what she did was not right.

There is too much forgiveness in this country! Penalties are not harsh enough. If I was King and could do whatever I wanted, I would kill every person who has illegally killed someone else. No mercy at all!! Death penalty! Anyone who has been sentenced to life in prison or who is on death row gets killed this week! Harsher penalties will make people more afraid to commit awful crimes. Some people are saying that she is a victim. That may be true, but it is not an excuse for committing her actions.

people.
stop being mean.
she is very ill.
and she couldnt really help her problems
she was on prozak.
seriously.
i am just like her in everyway
but i dont wanna know what it feels like too kill.
i miss her dearly
we used too hang out almost every weekend.. =[

To everyone who sympathizes with this so called "child," let me remind you of a few key facts... As one earlier post stated, by the age of 15 your mental capacity leans much more towards that of an adult than a child, by this age you know about the rule of LAW and CONSEQUENCES, RIGHT and WRONG.. regardless wether or not you had parents to look after you. By the way, the whole "oh she didn't grow up with a perfect family" thing is such BS... a majority of the families in the US are not the typical husband wife two kid model anymore, and plenty of the kids brought up in unconventional homes don't murder their nine year old neighbor in cold blood... Yes, no one can deny this person is and will always be very troubled... However, you must not forget the brutal nature of the crime. What does it take to SLIT a little girls throat? To repeatedly STAB your neighbour, someone who you and your siblings played with? Not to mention strangulation... These specific methods of killing are all slow, extremely messy, and grousome, and a child does NOT possess what it takes to carry these actions out. No amount of therapy can help someone who is this far gone. Besides, another good point was brought up earlier... the fact that she was found mentally CAPABLE of standing trial. First of all, I trust the court appointed therapists of doing their job... Secondly, in my opinion, someone who truly is suffering and dealing with demons does not write about how their hobbies are cutting a killing people on their stupid myspace and facebook pages for attention. This girl sounds like she was attention starved and bored, and ruined a TRULY innocent child's life.

This girl is a victim as well, what she did was not right but who are any of you to judge? are you god? so stop preaching then...
This girl grew up without parent almost her whole life, because they themselves were in prison....so, i wonder why she got the wrong idea to start with. Her mental condition was simply the straw that broke the ca,els back. I have grown up in similar circumstances (without the violent crime part) but with issues... Life is not jelly beans and pink balloons for all children

So glad this premeditated cold blooded child murderer will meet justice in adult prison for the rest of her life where she belongs. Two graves?? THAT says it all people.

My heart goes out to Elizabeth's mother & family & the community.

This is truly a sad event, and you are exactly right, everyone wants to stone this 15 year and are so quick to judge they automatically want to put themseleves in the shoes of the victims parents and family but it could just as easily be the other way around.

Im very sorry for the families of both children. They are living through hell . My heart goes out to you all. . I am saddened to at how nearly everyone jumps on the band wagon to judge . WOW. You would have her stoned to death. This could be anybodies child. Really ...

What is a shame is that the Murderer did not die when she tried commit suiside when she tried to in 2007, she is a waste of life and now all the taxes and money that will be spent to house this scum will fall on us. I pray only for the family of Elizabeth, may God be with them.....

To WWJD:
if i recall correctly an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was stated in the Old Testament, we no longer abide by that rule but by The New Testament which states that we we turn the other cheek. Now by no means am i saying that she should not be punished but i am in no place to judge how harshly. i love children and yes she is a child, i have a 14 year old and their mentaltality is not that of an adult. she clearly has mental issues and nobody asks to be cursed with those problems. i pray that the courts will do what is nessacary and just. both families are hurting right now as well as the child who murdered. we never know whats going on in someones life until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Judge lest you not be judged. "In God We Trust"

someone needs to read their bible a little better. and eye for an eye came from the old testament. these "laws" were outdated and put aside with the birth of Christ. forgiveness is what he taught. be that as it may, forgive, but put her away so she cannot kill again. she may be a mental case, but medicines are not going to keep her from killing again. so many mental patients go off their medications for one reason or another and if this little girl were to be released in future and went off her medicines, then someone will likely die in future. as a former mental health officer, i have seen it time and time again. she needs to be put away for life. mental conditions do not go away. i was not there, but the cold blooded way she dug two graves and carried out the murder make my blood run cold. i would not want her in my neighborhood even 50 years from now.

My condolences to the family of the victim. May her soul RIP! I'm glad the 15 yr old is charged as an adult. She broke the law,she needs to face justice and pay the price. She will need some psychiatric help while in prison. She deserve life in prison or the electric chair. Do you know how much pain she's caused to the victims family? Some of these minors know that if they commit a crime, they will be charged as a minor and their punishment is not as severe as an adult. This killing wasn't in self defense, it was premeditated murder, people should stop feeling sorry for her.

A 15 year old is not child, but nearly an adult! People talk about her as if she was a toddler. She is not. She is one year away from driving. Knowing that killing is wrong is part of trivial knowledge and can be expected at a much earlier age.
Killers aren't born at 25 and we need to stop them in the beginning of their "career"!

....it was reported that Alyssa had to go through physiatric evaluations & such BEFORE the judge made the ruling! So apparently she was deemed "ok" enough to get charged with 1st degree murder & NOT 'by reasons of insanity'.....the FACTS are what they are & it's NOT hate that generates the feelings towards Alyssa's demise....it's JUSTICE.

It's shocking to believe that a 15 year old could kill a 9 year old. She strangled her, cut her neck, and stabbed her?! This is crazy and horrifying! Form the imformation, it's clear that Bustamente has some mental issues. She's still a child, yet she committed such a horrible crime and the Olten family will never see their daughter again! I think Bustamente should be put on effective medication and locked up. How do we know if she won't kill again? And she dug 2 graves!!! Someone posted that Bustamente has 9 year old twin brothers and they said she probably was going to kill them. She probably was. Why would she dig 2 graves. One wasn't for herself because she surely can't bury herself! She planned on having 2 victims. My condolences goes out to both families; one who lost a daughter to violence and the other who lost their daughter to mental instability.

As i was reading all of these comments i kept thinking to myself that this is a child you people are damning. I dont in anyway condone her actions and it is very very sad. But our rights as citizens protects us against certain punishments and life in prison for a MENTALLY challenged 15 yr old who in the eyes of the law is still a child and will be for another 3 years, is cruel and unusual punishment. Her mental capacity has not yet reached the potential, not to mention she has mental problems to begin with. I 'm not sure of the laws exactly in MO but in most states if she were tried and convicted of murder on the first chances are she might be relaesed. If she is in prison for 50 years chances are she has not got any sort of rehabilitation and when she is released she is no better of then when she was sentenced. Sentence her to prison yes, but get her the help that she needs. And to all of you "lock her up, stop wasing tax payers money" people, its costs a lot more in the long run for her to saty locked up then it would to get her the help she needs so that she has the chance to become a productive member of society

......you did NOT act on your thoughts....Alyssa DID....huge difference.

...would you want a "rehabilitated" living next to you are any of your family members? Easy question!

From what I've heard this girl has had mental problems for some time and has seen counselors or someone in the past. I dont think she lived with her parents but maybe grandparents. One of the biggest problems is that parents- especially moms are not taking responsibility for their kids, the grandparents or someone else is having to raise them and many parents who are around just dont want to deal with situations so they blow off so much of their kids and behaviors. It is very difficult to raise kids that have been around/ in such messed up situations. However, I do feel that Alyssa should be treated as an adult and face the same outcome an adult would. She did commit MURDER not just a kid fight. I do feel for her family it is such an embarrassment for them I am sure and what this families friends feel about them. We cannot blame the family completely just Alyssa. You can't know or be around your kids all the time. For all you parents who think your child does no wrong you really should open your eyes wide now. You will never know every thing they do. Just do what you can to parent the very best you know how and if things dont work out you at least know you did what you could. I am very sorry for the Olten family and hope they get the justice they need for the lose of their daughter.

Either deport her or send her to the gas chamber. One less sicko wasting our tax dollars.

I THINK ITS PLAINLY SPELLED OUT IN THE BIBLE WHAT JESUS WOULD DO, EYE FOR AN EYE TOOTH FOR A TOOTH! THO SHALL NOT KILL.

"She would be in an adult prison where she will not be able to protect herself from other inmates and herself."

All I can say to that comment from the attorney is, "GOOD! Hopefully some other prisoner gives her what she deserves...she's a waste of tax payers' money!"

You said i know better than most. No, I do not know better than most. I have never been in trouble like this girl is: but i certainly do know that she seriously needs some help and who is one to say she can not be rehabilitated or she can. I just know that it is unfair for anyone to try her in the press. We do not know all the facts, just the media hype and rumors so far and yet everyone is so willing to assume things. Ok,I know the poor Olten girl was killed and it hurts to know a childs life is taken by another child and they "why "is so senseless. This girl is a troubled person and may well even be a socio-path and I am certainly not saying that she should go free i am just saying there are mental institutions where she could get the help she needs, and IF she oould be rehabilitated then maybe she would have a chance at some type life. I know the other little girl will never have that chance and that is so sad. So,don't get me wrong I am not condoning her actions and all i am saying is let's all try to remember that in this sad time we need to pray for the little girl who died and her family and also for the girl who is being charged and her family.

To the person who asked for speculation of who the other grave was for.

Alysa has twin nine year old brothers (same age as Elizabeth)

My speculation would be that (like serial killers) she had a plan to murder them, however when the opertunity didn't arise quickly enough, she got impatient and took the first availiable prey (Elizabeth)

Excuse me religious freaks but not everyone can be helped. Some people have their brain wired to want to kill the same way your brain is wired to want to convert criminals to your religion. You can convert/save this girl to Christianity and make her the Sunday school teacher but she will still try to kill the children. There are bad seeds among us and there is nothing you or anyone can do about it.

Yep, now that they cut her nails short, poor ol' Alyssa can't defend herself against the other gals in prison. My heart just bleeds for her.

This comment is to you in San Antonio "I can't believe this"......There are so many kids in this world that have gone through the pain that you have and I'm very happy that you did recieve help, but that pain does not give any right to take another childs life!!! I am sure that Alyssa was hurting for many reason but she choose her path and there were many signs that someone could have stepped in to help her but for whatever reason that did not happen. When in that mind frame and making the choose to take another human life there is no rehabilitaion...no turning back!

As far as im concerned the other grave that was dug was for herself!
ok...seriously. this is scary..who was the other grave for? any speculations? This is a horrible thing for someone to do. When I was 15...I would never of thought to do somethign like this!

Seriously?! All of you accuse this 15 year old so harshly. True, what she did was horrible and she did plan out the whole ordeal, and she does need to serve some time, but who's to say whether she was thinking clearly or not? Maybe she's hurting so much inside that she was hoping for the death sentence. I know from my own personal experiences that, hurting enough to cut yourself, nothing seems clear or even make sense for that matter. All you want is the pain in your life to end. I have the scars to prove my point, and it's something I never want to go through again. I myself thought about commiting many horrible things and I almost did, but I found help, so who's to say that she can't?

I don't see how any of us are supposed to feel any sympathy that she will not "be able to protect herself from other inmates or herself". TOUGH DOOKIE.

Elizabeth wasn't able to protect herself from this monster. No one was around to help her, the VICTIM of this, so it is laughable that I am to somehow feel sympathy for the suspect that committed un-provoked, brutal, PREMEDITATED, cold blooded murder, regardless of her age. Especially when no sympathy was present in the suspects mind for the child she killed.

Advice: if you don't want to go to prison- don't kill people.
simple enough.

If sentanced to prison, she will be kept in a seperate facility for minors until she turns 18 at which time she will be placed in General Population along with any other 18 year old and older legal adults. After this time, if Protective Custody is deemed necessary, there are facilitys for this type of segregation itself. The Missouri Department of Corrections is formost for the protection of Public Safety as well as it's residents.

To those who think Alyssa should/could be rehabilated.....IF after such treatment...would YOU want Alyssa living next to or anywhere near you? Would you feel 'safe'? Would you feel your children or grandchildren would be safe? What Alyssa did was as bad as it gets & she knew she was going to do it! There were not one but TWO graves dug....so obviously there was to be a 2nd victim....she was a serial killer in the making! Still feel safe with 'rehabilitation'?

I just read all the comments and personally I believe that when it comes to this, everything was done in the right manner. Due to the fact that she is defined as a child that needs some SERIOUS amount of help. She has already tried to commit suicide in 2007 and then when she was being held in custody. Not to mention incase you haven't read, IT WAS PREMEDITATED, so she knew exactly what she was doing and how to do it. She obviously had no sympathy for the little girl and she does deserve everything that she gets. Ok so she won't be able to defend herself but did Elizabeth, did she have anyway to defend herself. As far has the families go my sympathy goes out the the Olten family. Although the murder's family may be going through a tough time as well, what I would like to know is how come they couldn't gete more help for their daughter because it was obvious that she needed it. And there had to be some sign that something would have happened that fateful night that this all happened, wouldn't they have noticed something. We all need to start paying more attention to our children and actually talk with them especially if we notice problems with them. It all boils down to the girl knew what she was doing by commiting a crime and she should deal with what she has done for the rest of her life.

This is insane to me! I can't believe a child so young could do that. My prayers go out to both families. No one wants a murderer for a child and no one wants their child murdered. I am in complete & total shock. I'm glad to hear that she is being tried as an adult, she chose to make an adult decision.

ok, fear that the 15 year old might get harmed in an adult prison?!.. what about if she was too be in juvinal detention. I would fear for the kids that she would be put in with. She should be tried as an adult! She does not need to be around other kids to harm. I would check her mental status first of all.

You know better than most that if you do the crime, you will do the time! The Missouri Department of Corrections has become experts at housing the insane, and making sure they get their psych meds everyday! She dug two graves for crying out loud! She can go to med-lines like the rest for the rest of her life in D.O.C.!!!!!!!

the sad thing here is, yes she will be protected from other inmates in adult prison until she turns 18 - then she will be released to general population. Where was little Elizabeth's protection?? She put on BIG girls pants and committed a herandeous crime so she can put on her BIG girl pants in the BIG girl prison for the rest of her life!!!

I am glad to hear she is being tried as an adult. What she did took planning and intelligence. Her actions were in no way the actions of a child. It is a very sad situation all the way around my heart goes out to the victims family.

This little girl is no little girl let her find out what it is like to spend time in prisons with other people just like her Murders. She better hope she gets a good Jury trial and if she even makes in prison. She should get the Max sentence. You take a life they should take yours.

You are exactly right Linda. Nobody wins in this case. This is a horrible tragedy all the way around. I have a 15 yr old daughter and a 9 year old daughter. It is really hard to look at my girls and think anything like this could happen, but unfortunately in this day in time it is becoming all too familiar. My heart and prayers go out to BOTH families involved. I'm sure there were warning signs with Alyssa but what parent really wants to see any bad in their children.

"She would be in an adult prison where she will not be able to protect herself from other inmates and herself."

Poor Baby!

She will have the same experience little Elizabeth had.
Fair is Fair!

Look there are a lot of children in the world with emotional issues that does'nt give them a permit to kill. Fair trial she will get a fair trial,as fair as what she deserves. wwjd eye for an eye thats all there is to it she should have thought of that before she drug a little girl into the woods and killed her FAIRNESS has nothing to do with all this thats whats wrong with this world today nobody has to own up to what they do its crap. You do the crime you should have to pay dearly for it. How do you rehabilate a 15 year old who is so far gone I don't really think that you can that child is long gone. She does'nt deserve to ever get out and walk the same streets that my children do

Excuse me, she would be put in harms way in an adult facility? Well then I guess she shouldn't have destroyed a family and killed a little girl. Viciously at that. She deserves what she gets and then some!

Bout time somebody finally stated the obvious. All I've heard is how quick everyone is to crucify! Kudos to you.

You are right nobody wins in this situation. WWJD indeed!!

It is obvious this child had emotional issues and yet people are so quick to judge her. I am not condoning what she did in any way. It is a tragedy but the fact is prison does not rehabilitate it warehouses and a child will be even worse to live through it. you have tried and convicted the child already and though there is no good excuse for murder why not let her have a fair trail and if she is convicted perhaps when it all comes out then a court can decide what the best punishment would be. Prison, a mental institution or treatment or perhaps all three and no one who is "normal" kills to see what it feels like. That should be a first clue that she has major issues.
I am sorry for what the Olten family went through and i am sure this girls family is suffering too. It is not a win or lose issue everyone loses in this. WWJD

All o got to say is i hope she gets the maximum sentence. there is NO excuse for this at ALL!!!!!!