Murder of Elizabeth Olten

Alyssa Bustamante is an American woman who at the age of 15 was convicted of the murder of her 9-year-old neighbor Elizabeth Olten in St. Martins, Missouri.” History: Elizabeth Olten, aged nine, lived four houses down from Bustamante. On October 21, 2009, Bustamante convinced her younger sister to bring Olten to the forest by their homes to play. Upon Olten's arrival, Bustamante strangled young Olten, slit her throat and stabbed her in the chest. Bustamante then buried Olten's body in a grave that she had dug 5 days before in the woods behind her house, and covered the grave with leaves. Perpetrator: Alyssa Dailene Bustamante's grandparents took legal custody of her and her three younger siblings in 2002, since her mother Michelle had addiction issues and father Caesar was serving time in prison. Friends started noticing changes in Alyssa starting around 2007 when she was hospitalized after a suicide attempt. On her YouTube profile, she listed "cutting" as her hobbies. After the murder, Bustamante wrote in her journal: I just f****** killed someone. I strangled them and slit their throat and stabbed them now they’re dead. I don’t know how to feel atm. It was ahmazing. As soon as you get over the “ohmygawd I can’t do this” feeling, it’s pretty enjoyable. I’m kinda nervous and shaky though right now. Kay, I gotta go to church now…lol. She then attended a church dance (Bustamante was actively involved in her local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) while police searched for Olten. Trial and conviction: Bustamante first appeared in court on November 17, 2009, where she pled not guilty and was indicted on first-degree murder and armed criminal action (due to using a knife in the murder). In January 2012, she took a plea deal to the lesser charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. A few weeks later, she was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of conditional release. In popular culture: On October 19, 2012, a thriller film loosely based on the case called My Name Is 'A' by Anonymous was released.