August 9, 2025 • 52 mins
In the small town of St. Martins, Missouri, when a nine-year-old girl vanishes, the entire community comes together to search for her. While investigators combed through the vast woods where it was believed she had last been, they discovered two small graves. The disturbing words found inside a teenager’s diary would lead homicide detectives to a shocking and very unusual suspect.
This is the case of Alyssa Bustamante and Elizabeth Olten.
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Research for Episode 56 includes:
Alyssa D. Bustamante, Appellant, v. State of Missouri, Respondent. (2015) | FindLaw
Alyssa Bustamante Interrogation Video
Alyssa Bustamante | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Alyssa Bustamante sentenced in child murder case - CSMonitor.com
Elizabeth-Olten-murder-Mother-sues-mental-health-clinic-Missouri-teen-killed-daughter
Evidence in Bustamante case detailed
Journal helps police find a 2009 Missouri teen thrill killer
Judge Grants Motion to Suppress Evidence in Bustamante Case | Fulton Sun
Teen killer had troubled family
Witness Testimony Key in Bustamante Sentencing | News | komu.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
In the small town of Saint Martin's, Missouri, when a nine
year old girl vanishes, an entire community comes together
to search for her. While investigators combed
through the vast woods where it was believed she was last seen,
they discovered two small graves.
The disturbing words found inside a teenager's diary would
(00:24):
lead homicide detectives to a shocking and very unusual
suspect. Who was this innocent young
victim, and what kind of monsterhad lured her into the woods to
die? Hello and welcome to Shades of
(01:11):
Murder. In this podcast, I discuss tales
of murder from around the world and throughout history,
attempting to unravel the layersof darkness, the hell make
humans and the monsters. This is a special warning for
anyone who may be extra sensitive to crimes against
(01:34):
children. This episode is a tough one and
listener discretion is strongly advised.
On the evening of October 21st, 2009, nine year old Elizabeth
Olton never returned home. When the little girl failed to
(01:54):
show up for dinner as she had promised after going out to play
with her friend, her mother knewsomething was terribly wrong.
Elizabeth always made sure to behome before dark because she was
terrified of the night, especially the woods, which was
right near her residence. She called the police at 7:00 PM
(02:17):
to report her child missing. Elizabeth had her cell phone on
her, but she was not answering. Law enforcement contacted the
cell phone carrier and requestedan emergency ping, which
collects the signals generated from the phone by the nearest
cell tower. All of the pings were centered
around the area of the woods. Law enforcement officers and
(02:39):
hundreds of volunteers scoured every.
Inch of the dense forest land near the house.
They promptly set up checkpointsfor anyone driving to or from
the area. Planes and helicopters searched
the immense woods. They launched dog rescue and
recovery teams. Divers searched the ponds and
(03:00):
nearby rivers. But neither the little girl.
Nor her phone was found. They launched dog rescue and
recovery teams. Divers searched the ponds and
nearby rivers, but neither the little girl nor her phone was
found. Every local registered sex
offender was tracked down and interviewed, but no one was a
(03:22):
suspect in this innocent child'sdisappearance.
Law enforcement was lost on who could have taken little
Elizabeth and why. Then Detective Rice remembered
the last person who was seen with her, her six year old
friend Emma Bustamante. When interviewed by the FBI, 6
(03:43):
year old Emma told him that she was playing with her and about
an hour later Elizabeth walked home.
Then Emma was outside playing and she got stuck in some thorn
bushes. This is when she began to scream
and cry out for her older sisterAlyssa to come help her.
The following day, officers interviewed everyone in the
(04:04):
neighborhood, but one of the kids wasn't around, 15 year old
Alyssa Bustamante, whose sister Emma was the last one to have
been seen with Elizabeth before she went missing.
The two girls have been playing together that day.
Emma had arrived unexpectedly attheir house around 5:00 PM,
asking to see if Elizabeth couldcome outside and play.
(04:26):
Her mother told the police that Elizabeth had been practicing
her lines and singing songs for a play.
She was just about to make dinner when the doorbell rang
and it was their neighbor Emma. She didn't really want her
daughter to go, but both girls were jumping up and down all
excited to go hang out together,so she let her go.
But insisted that she'd be home for dinner by 6.
(04:50):
Then Anthony, one of Elizabeth'sbrothers, told his mom that when
he was playing with Alyssa's twin brothers that day, he heard
Alyssa say to Emma, don't tell anyone.
When investigators called the high school, they were informed
that Alyssa Bustamante was not at school that day.
Busters realized they had to find the teenager.
(05:12):
When officers first talked to Alyssa Bustamante, she was
honest with them and admitted that she had skipped school that
day. She swore, though, that she had
no idea what happened to Elizabeth.
The girl was calm, open, and seemed to be honest, so they
didn't give her much more thought.
At the time. Mark Richardson, prosecuting
attorney of Cole County, Missouri, stated that she was
(05:33):
not and should not be considereda suspect.
Then, as local volunteers began exploring the woods behind
Bustamante's residence, they came across something very
bizarre. To them, it looked like an open
grave. Detectives were called in to
(05:55):
process the scene the whole for anything that may lead them to
Elizabeth, but they couldn't find her or her phone.
Around 3:00 or 4:00 PM that sameday, investigators arrived at
Alyssa Bustamante's residence, which was her grandparents home.
They were welcomed in by her grandmother, Karen Brooke, who
gave them consent to search the house, including Alyssa's room.
(06:20):
Officers found shovels in the garage that had fresh mud on
them. They also located muddy jeans
and clothing that appeared to have droplets of dried blood.
The items were tested and the blood was later identified as
belonging to 15 year old Alyssa Bustamante.
Agent Tricia Gentry of the FBI evidence team opened Alyssa's
(06:41):
bedroom. The room was a bit unsettling.
Alyssa was known to be gothic and a little punk so they
expected as much from her decor,but what was on the wall was
much darker then just some typical Moody teens room.
There were drawings, notes stuckto the wall and handwritten
(07:04):
words, some of which appeared tohave been written in blood.
There was also a poem about cutting, which is the form of
self injury using a blade or a knife.
On the opposite wall was a sketch of a person.
There were slashings made acrossthe head and the arm.
The picture was titled Emma. Cards and letters from a state
(07:28):
correctional institute were alsotaped to the wall.
They were from her father, then Agent Gentry found Alyssa's
diary hidden underneath a blanket.
There were some writings of concern, but when she came
across the last entry, she was silenced by the words she saw.
(07:50):
It was dated October 21st 2009 and was mainly crossed over in
blue ink. However, 3 words were so
legible, throat slit and killed.Then at the end of the entry was
a sentence that was partially untouched.
It's said now I've got to go to church lol.
(08:13):
In her hands laid what could be.A confession to murder.
They brought in Alyssa Bustamante for a formal
interview the following morning.Inside the small police room
with her was her guardian Karen Brooke and juvenile officer Toby
Meyer, along with head DetectiveRice.
(08:33):
The video of her then not publicly released interrogation
and subsequent confession is chilling on many levels over the
two hours that she's interrogated.
Elisa Bustamante is so calm, composed and personable both
with the detective and juvenile officer.
(08:55):
She talks openly about how she enjoys digging holes to bury
dead animals in and that she dugthe 2 graves they found.
She weaves in and out of the details of the day without any
visible signs of stress, anxiety, or fear.
This is when she displays true signs of being a psychopath.
(09:20):
Elisa Bustamante chats up both this seasoned detective and
juvenile officer, casually discussing the events of the
day. Detective Rice attempts several
times to trip her up, but she appears unshaken.
That is until he brings up her diary.
(09:40):
During the interrogation, the grandmother openly admits to
have read parts of this diary hementions, which Alyssa reacts to
in anger, knowing that her privacy was violated when the
detective tells her that they have her diary and they have
read it all, including her most recent entry.
(10:01):
Several minutes pass in the video as Alyssa Bustamante and
Detective Rice proceed to share what can only be called a stare
down with one another. Then the detective tells her.
We know something happened to Elizabeth and you need to let us
know. And if it was an accident, then
we can deal with that, but we need to know.
(10:25):
Alyssa finally breaks, feigning tears, sniffling through her
admission that she accidentally killed the little.
Girl A telltale sign of psychopathy is when an
individual emulates emotions based on what they know is
expected of them. Alyssa claimed they.
Were messing around and she felland died and she panicked.
(10:47):
But when the detective addresseshow an autopsy will be performed
and any injuries. Will be revealed, Alyssa
replies. Yes.
When he asks her if the girl's throat was cut, her grandmother
lets out a horrifying shriek at hearing this horrendous one word
(11:07):
and almost collapses, sliding off her chair before continuing.
Officers lead her grandmother out of the room because she just
can't take hearing this anymore.Alyssa Boussemante claims that
she came up from behind Elizabeth, cutting her throat,
stabbing her twice with a knife.She said that she burned the
(11:30):
body and pushed the remains intothe Creek.
She swears that the grave was dug after killing Elizabeth.
During the interrogation, Detective Rice keeps inquiring
about her protecting someone or whether she had an accomplice in
the crime. He first entertains the thought
that her boyfriend was involved,or at least knew about what she
(11:52):
had done. Alyssa fervently denies that
anyone other than herself committed the crime and that no
one knew about what she had done.
Then Detective Rice keeps prodding her, pushing her,
beginning to paint the story of how he knows her grandfather
loves her so much and would do anything to help her, implying
(12:15):
that he helped move the body andbury Elizabeth again.
Alyssa states that no one exceptfor her was involved in the
murder and concealment of the corpse.
According to court documents that were released after her
sentencing, her boyfriend was interviewed excessively by the
FBI and the State Highway Patrolover 7 days.
(12:38):
He was talked to 8 different times because officers were
convinced that he must know something since she had skipped
school that day after murdering Elizabeth and spent it with him
at his house. According to her boyfriend, the
only thing Alyssa had told him was that Emma's younger friend
was missing and that officers had searched her house.
(13:02):
He did admit to finding a box cutter or a black knife in
Alyssa's backpack, but it was determined that it was not the
weapon used in the killing sinceit was significantly smaller.
A court motion was filed to block the boy from from being
called. To testify at her trial.
It was later revealed that he had submitted.
To a polygraph test which he failed but was never.
(13:25):
Charged with any crime as. Most of us are aware polygraphs
are notoriously unreliable and failing.
It was likely indicative of his nerves, in fact, later when FBI
interviewed her boyfriend. He was.
So shocked and repulsed by the killing that he became violently
ill and threw up. During the interrogation video,
(13:49):
when the detective inquires as to why Elizabeth was her chosen
victim, Alyssa said there was noparticular reason why except for
her being in close proximity. Then Officer Rice said was it
just because you wanted to know how it felt to kill someone?
To which Alyssa answers, yeah, Iguess I found this specific part
(14:13):
of the interrogation to be highly manipulative.
Across almost all media sources,it states that Alyssa Bustamante
just wanted to know how it felt to kill someone, but during the
interrogation, she never offeredup that statement herself.
I am not saying that it wasn't the primary reason why she did
(14:33):
what she did, but the detective feeding her this statement was
further evidence of the lack of integrity exhibited throughout
the interrogation. This young killer's confession
is chilling on so many levels. According to the offender, the
following sequence of events is believed to have occurred on
(14:54):
October 21st, 2009. Alyssa had found her target.
It had been a good four days since she had dug the graves.
Fired into the forest on a day off from school, she had sent
her. Little sister Emma over to her
friend Elizabeth's house. To invite her out to play.
(15:16):
Then when Elizabeth was heading.Home, she asked Emma to call her
to return for some unknown reason.
Even though there was a 2. Lane Highway, The cross between
her and Emma's house. Elizabeth Olton took a shortcut
that day. Through the woods, Alyssa was.
Waiting for her, there she was, little Elizabeth Olton in her
(15:40):
pink T-shirt. Alyssa grabbed her hand and told
the girl. I've got something really neat
to show you. It's just a little bit further
up here. The 2 girls walked deep into the
forest and up a hill. They had walked about 1/4 mile
when Alyssa had her stop in front of the dug hole.
(16:02):
She reached out and locked her hands around the young girl's
neck, strangling her. Elizabeth could no longer
breathe and as she began to loseconsciousness, Alyssa unzipped
her backpack and pulled out the knife she had taken from the
kitchen. She plunged the large blade deep
into the small girl's chest. She pulled it out and stabbed
(16:25):
her over and over again about six or seven times.
Then Alyssa slit her throat, watching as the blood pulled her
on her feet and on to the floor of the woods.
Alyssa dragged her by the feet to the spot of the graves.
She tossed the child's body intothe grave and threw some leaves
(16:48):
and dirt on top to conceal it. Alyssa then left the woods and
returned home. She had a church dance that
night. While getting ready, she wrote
in her diary what she had done and how it had made her feel.
Her grandmother and guardian Karen Brooke later told the
(17:08):
court how Alyssa seemed especially happy that night.
After Alyssa Bustamante confessed to killing Elizabeth
Olton, she led the police to thebody.
Deep in the woods lay the two dug graves.
Detectives could see that the child's body was buried under
(17:30):
only a few inches of dirt. Her throat and wrists were
visibly slashed and her chest had several stab wounds.
The cell phone they have been tracing was tucked inside the
girl's pants. Licensed pathologist, physician
and surgeon Chris Stacy described the specific wounds
(17:53):
and injuries found on the victim.
The autopsy revealed that the official cause of death was by
strangulation and sharp forced injury.
The victim was strangled from anywhere between 30 seconds to
one minute. In his official report, he noted
how the stab. Wounds were irregular, not
precise or controlled. It was as if the victim or the
(18:16):
offender holding the knife had been moving around.
Once detectives began to delve deeper into Alyssa Bustamante's
social media presence, they wereexposed to the mind of a
demented, twisted teenage girl in some of her pictures on
Facebook. Her.
Eyes are painted in heavy. Black kabuki style makeup and
(18:39):
her lips are smeared with blood red lipstick.
She stares at the camera gritting her teeth or pouting
sexily. Her YouTube account name was
Akamakaji, which is Japanese forWolf Shadow.
On her Myspace page it lists herhobbies as cutting and killing
people. There was a photograph of Alyssa
(19:00):
wielding a knife to another girl's throat and a video with
her younger twin brothers where she is seen encouraging them to
touch an electric kettle fence. The girl looks menacingly at the
camera and says this is where itgets good.
This is where my brothers get hurt.
(19:20):
Alyssa Bustamante was initially held in juvenile custody, but
the calculated depravity of her crimes would soon change this.
In November 2009, Cole County Juvenile Officer requested that
juvenile jurisdiction over her be relinquished and Alysssa be
transferred to the state for criminal prosecution.
(19:42):
At the hearing for Alyssa Bustamante to be transferred to
a door court, evidence against her was presented.
It was determined and I quote. The nature of the crime charge
was serious, vicious, violent and forceful and resulted in the
death of a nine year old child and therefore the juvenile court
gave up jurisdiction over her crimes.
(20:05):
Her trial date was set for January 26th 2012.
The age in which a juvenile can be transferred to adult or
Criminal Court varies from stateto state and Missouri.
An individual has to be 12 yearsold at the time of the offence.
To be prosecuted for murder, Alyssa Bustamante was charged
with first degree murder and armed criminal action, the
(20:27):
latter charge having resulted from her use of a knife to slit
her victim's throat and stab herafter she had been strangled and
lost consciousness. The police interrogation video
portraying her confession would be successfully suppressed by
the defense. It was first noted in the order
to declare the recording inadmissible because she was a
(20:48):
juvenile held in a custodial setting prior to being formally
arrested. At the time of the interrogation
and her confession, she was in juvenile custody, so anything
she said to the juvenile officerwas found to be inadmissible in
a Criminal Court. Her statements, however, made to
Detective Rice, may have been admissible in adult court if it
(21:10):
weren't for the blatant interference and unethical
active participation shown by the juvenile officer, Toby
Meyer. She was supposed to be there as
her advocate, but instead she misled and deceived Alyssa
Bustamante into confessing to the crime.
Her behavior indicated that she was someone on her side.
(21:33):
She is seen in her continuously encouraging and coaxing Alyssa
to tell the truth under the guise that she is there in her
best interest. Her statutory role was limited
to observation and to uphold thejuveniles rights not to
participate in the interrogationonce Alyssa Bustamante was taken
(21:56):
into custody. Her darkness began to seep out
once more. She attempted to cut herself
with her own fingernails as she became increasingly more
severely depressed and anxious. While sitting in jail, she was
placed on suicide watch. Her appointed juvenile defense
(22:16):
attorney, Curt Valentine, arguedagainst placing Alisa Bustamante
in the adult system. He believed that she had the
potential for rehabilitation andcould be freed.
Once she turned 21, Valentine. Believed strongly that if she
remained in custody with adults,she would either take her own
life or be killed. While in jail.
(22:39):
In his words, he stated that we are throwing away the child and
we are signing a. Death sentence for Alyssa, but
the judge stated that her crimesproved that the state did not
have adequate services nor facility to house her.
As juvenile specifically, Missouri did not have a secure
(22:59):
facility with fences for female juveniles, and within the
juvenile system, they are typically housed together in
groups and are not overseen and watched by staff 24 hours a day.
Alissa Bustamante was transferred to Hawthorne
Children's Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation and then was
later sent to Fulton State Hospital under a judge's order.
(23:22):
On January 10th, 2012, only a few weeks before her murder
trial, Alyssa Bustamante, in a plea agreement with the state,
appeared in front of the CircuitCourt pleading guilty to 2nd
degree murder and Armed Criminalaction.
According to her defense counsel, she was prepared today
to take responsibility for theseoffenses.
(23:43):
At this hearing, the court informed her of the range of
penalties she faced if she pled guilty and that in lieu of a
criminal trial, a sentencing hearing would be held where
evidence would be presented and then the judge would determine
her punishment. This is equating to her entering
what is referred to as a blind plea where the judge is not
(24:04):
bound to agree to any length or condition of the sentence given.
Further, that once she pleads guilty, there are no
circumstances in which she can withdraw the plea.
Alyssa Bustamante entered a pleaof guilty knowingly, willingly,
voluntarily and intelligently ofthe circumstances and the
(24:27):
condition set around the agreement.
Then she pled guilty to 2nd degree murder and armed criminal
action. Alysssa Bustamante avoided a
criminal trial over 2-9 hour days, which must have been
excruciatingly painful and felt like forever to Elizabeth
Olton's loved ones. Alyssa Bustamante would at last
(24:50):
face her fate. Family members, medical
personnel, and investigators piled into a small courtroom in
Cole County, Missouri to give their testimony.
The appearance and energy of thecourtroom was a dichotomy.
On the defendant's side stood Alyssa Bustamante, with her
bangs hanging in her eyes, expressionless, barely muttering
(25:13):
a word, her grandparents, her absentee mother, who showed up
finally for her daughter at a murder hearing, and her father,
a convicted felon, shackled and in handcuffs.
And on the other side sat Elizabeth's mother, her
grandmother, and a large group of community friends, many
(25:36):
adorned in pink, Elizabeth's favorite color.
Elizabeth was buried in pink andher tiny coffin carried by a
horse drawn carriage. The judge first heard from Patty
Priest, Elizabeth Olton's mother, who recounted the day
her daughter was last seen. Everything was normal.
(25:59):
That is until Emma Bustamante showed up out of nowhere asking
her daughter Elizabeth to play outside with her.
That made her daughter so happy,so she just said make sure you.
Return by 6 for dinner. That was at 5:00 PM and was the
last time she ever saw. Her nine.
Year old daughter alive. Patty Priest went on to share
(26:23):
how Elizabeth was beyond specialto her.
She was her miracle child. And her youngest?
On the same day doctors had toldher she had stage 4 cervical
cancer, she found out she was pregnant with Elizabeth.
That baby had saved her life. Miss Praise turned to the judge
and said to her, Elizabeth nevergets to get married.
(26:48):
She never gets to walk down the aisle, she never gets to go to
her first dance, have her first boyfriend.
So much has been lost at the hands of this evil monster.
If it were up to me, this murderer would never see the
light of day again. I will just say that I hate her.
I hate everything about her. What I hate most of all is what
(27:10):
everyone says about her age. The only thing her age makes is
an evil monster. It would be impossible to not
agree with this heartbroken mother's words.
Next, Anthony Olton, Elizabeth'solder brother, took the stand.
He was only 13 years old when his little sister was brutally
(27:33):
murdered that day. He recalled how he and Elizabeth
rode the bus home after school as normal, and then he invited
Nathaniel and Joseph, Alyssa's younger twin brothers, to come
hang out. When Elizabeth never came home
by 6:00 PM as she was supposed to, his mom sent him to go find
her, but she was nowhere to be found.
(27:56):
Then he remembered how he saw the defendant, Alyssa leading
her sister Emma up a hill from the woods, saying to her don't
tell anyone. Then Emma told him that
Elizabeth had already gone back home.
That's when Anthony began to become really worried.
(28:18):
Elizabeth Olton's sister Stephanie, the oldest child,
openly sobbed when she addressedthe judge, telling her the love
that my sister and I shared was so.
Strong that age didn't matter. There was no denying how special
Elizabeth was to her family and how deeply she was missed.
(28:40):
Detective Sean McDermott next took the stand, discussing his
interview with Elisa Bustamante.He recalled how lucid she was,
clearly spoken and not standoffish at all.
Tricia Gentry, the FBI agent whodiscovered the vile and shocking
diary inside the bedroom of Alyssa Bustamante, took the
stand next. With the information she had
(29:03):
collected from her diary, it gave her reason to bring in
Alyssa Bustamante for an official interview.
The agent noted how the teenagerspoke very articulately.
She was calm, poised, friendly, even chatty and giggly at times.
The 15 year old swore that she didn't know where Elizabeth was.
(29:24):
Asian Gentry observed how she acted perfectly normal and that
her answers were quite convincing.
A forensic consultant, Dawn Locke, testified as to the
examination of her diary. Through the use of applying
different filters and lights, hewas able to decipher the message
the defendant had attempted to conceal by writing over the last
(29:47):
entry in blue ink. The entry said the following and
I quote I just fucking killed someone.
I strangled them and slit their throat and stabbed them.
Now they're dead. I don't know how to feel ATM or
at the moment. It was amazing.
(30:08):
As soon as you get over the Oh my God I can't do this feeling.
It's pretty enjoyable. I'm kind of nervous and shaky
though right now Kate. I got to go to church now, lol.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant David Rice provided his
testimony regarding his interrogation of the defendant,
saying that ultimately she stated she wanted to know what
(30:32):
it felt like. How is it that no one in the
courtroom or in the media has addressed the fact that this
officer literally placed these words in front of her?
He fed them to her, to which shesaid, yeah, I guess so.
Not once in the interrogation video does Alyssa Bustamante on
(30:54):
her own say this statement. Does this change her guilt?
Not at all. But it does paint a less than
ethical light upon this investigation when the lead
homicide detective gets away with making this false statement
and all forms of media have run with it, making it like Alysssa
(31:14):
Bustamante's motto when it nevercame from her mouth.
Alyssa Bustamante's defense counsel did their best to prove
to the judge how broken this girl was and that there were
many mitigating factors to her case.
And when Johnstone, MD, testified as to the how the
(31:38):
antidepressant drugs that the defendant was on at the time of
the offense undoubtedly played amajor contributing role in her
crime. Specifically, he told the court
how several several cases, in addition to various studies,
showed how antidepressants, including Prozac, which is what
Alyssa Bustamante was on at the time, have been proven to cause
(32:01):
an increase in violent behavior in some individuals.
The data has shown that juvenilegirls are the most prone to
becoming mentally destabilized by such drugs.
Alyssa's age in combination withher, although undiagnosed, many
elements of ADD she exhibited caused a pre-existing
(32:25):
vulnerability in her that led her to react to the drug
violently. The doctor testified that the
higher dosage could have increased her mood swings and
even affected her tendency. Towards violence.
Alyssa's father was present at the hearing.
Cesar Bustamante in chains and handcuffs.
(32:45):
He arrived from a Missouri Correctional Facility to testify
to the history of mental illnessand his family.
He spoke about his own struggle with suppression and anxiety and
how he had tried to kill himselfat 14 when he was only a year
older than his daughter's first attempt.
Mr. Bustamante also confessed tothe extreme abuse of drugs and
(33:09):
alcohol by both himself and Alyssa's mother while she was
growing up, who even used drugs while she was pregnant with her.
According to Karen Brooke, Alyssa's grandmother, who got
custody of her when she was 7, Alyssa was a quiet child who
cared for her two younger brothers and her little half
sister Emma as if she were theirparent.
(33:32):
She was warned by a social services officer that once
Alyssa was in a more stable environment, she may behave less
mature and act out even. More often.
But there were no major issues. Alyssa never got in trouble at
school, her grades were solid and things seem to be fine.
That is, until 2007. On a trip to the family's lake
(33:54):
house, Alyssa tried to kill herself.
Brooke discovered the young girl, who was only 13.
At the time, lying unresponsive in the shower, there were
hundreds of tiny cuts up and down her arms.
She got a list of some psychiatric help and was placed
on Prozac. Things appear to be getting
(34:17):
better for Alyssa, and her sophomore year in high school
had been a great year. But then something went terribly
wrong, and no one in her life saw the downward spiral she was
on until it was far too late. The prosecution presented their
own expert testimony regarding her mental state.
(34:38):
Anthony Rothschild, professor ofpsychiatry at University of
Massachusetts, stated to the court that he agreed that Alyssa
Bustamante suffered from manic depression and bipolar disorder.
He, however, believed that it couldn't be denied that she knew
right from wrong and that Prozacor any other antidepressant does
not trigger someone to commit homicide, he recalled.
(35:02):
The interview Officer David Riceheld with Alyssa Bustamante that
he was witness to Doctor Rothschild claimed that she
cooperated with the detective, provided coherent, sensible
answers. She was not manic or psychotic
and was totally in touch with reality.
Alyssa Bustamante had not hiddenher cries for help.
(35:23):
In August 2007, a fellow student's parents contacted the
high school counselor, Lisa Blige, because their daughter
was concerned about Alyssa's cutting behavior.
The counselor testified to seen several razor blade cuts in a
row on Alyssa's arm. She reached out to Alyssa's
grandmother, Karen Brooke, and suggested that she pursue
psychiatric services, to which Karen agreed.
(35:45):
Alyssa Neitzert, a registered nurse and clinical educator with
the University of Missouri, showed the judge a body map she
created of Alyssa Bustamante scars from her admittance up to
November 17th, 2011. There were pictures of her well
over 300 self-made scars, including those inflicted by
(36:06):
cigarette butts. One picture showed how Alyssa
had scarves in the shape of a peace sign inside her hand,
which she had created using a staple.
Ron Wilson, who was the children's services supervisor
at Pathways Mental Health Care, where Alyssa was treated, told
the judge that Alyssa's therapists were constantly
changing, which was very damaging to any progress made.
(36:30):
He worked directly with her and after her suicide attempt, their
treatment plan had changed. She had been diagnosed with
major depressive disorder and PTSD, so her therapy was now
focused on trauma focused cognitive behavior.
When Alyssa Bustamante was arrested for murder, he visited
her and reminded her that she was not alone, telling her to
(36:52):
above all to hang on to the factthat God loves her no matter
what. Rosalind Schultz, A
psychologist, established a timeline of significant events
on the defendant on December 7th, 2011.
She concluded that although she cannot officially diagnose her
with borderline personality disorder based on her age,
(37:13):
Alyssa Bustamante exhibited manyof its known symptoms,
including. Poor impulse control.
Feelings of emptiness, unstable mood.
And inappropriate displays of emotion.
The psychologist concluded that she suffered from major
depressive disorder that was chronic and current.
Her evaluation LED her to believe that Alyssa was severely
(37:35):
and functionally immature and that serious emotional
disturbances in her life played a role in her committing the
murder. It was in her professional
opinion that several life eventscaused Alyssa Bustamante to be
severely impaired and how she coped.
The young girl had been faced with her mother's sexual
(37:55):
promiscuity, her abandonment, her father in prison, being
exposed to domestic violence, and all around absence and
neglect. In Alyssa Bustamante's words,
she felt no pain when she cut herself.
To Doctor Schultz, this was a sign of dissociation.
When Alyssa attempted suicide, it was not just a cry for help,
(38:16):
it was her intent to die. None of these mitigating factors
would help the defendant. Nothing that was expressed or
testified to by the defense could prevent Alyssa
Bustamante's grim outcome. There were no words, no
diagnosis, no history of self harm that could wipe away what
(38:37):
she had done. She had brutally murdered.
A nine year old child and then expressed.
Elation and excitement after killing her.
No one and nothing could change that fact.
(38:58):
Alyssa Bustamante had been charged as an adult and would
face the harshest possible penalty for her crimes.
After Alyssa Bustamante's horrific crimes were painted in
explicit detail in the courtroom, her grandparents
stormed out. This was the first time Alyssa
Bustamante was witness crying insilence over 2 years of legal
(39:22):
proceedings before she was granted her punishment.
She spoke the following statement to Elizabeth's family.
I cannot even understand what you guys are going through.
I'm sorry for that. If I could give my life back to
bring her back, I would and I'm sorry.
(39:43):
However, Elizabeth's family didn't buy her apology.
They don't believe she is. Capable.
Of feeling sorry. On February 8th, 2012, Judge
Patricia Joyce sentenced the now18 year old girl to life in
prison with the possibility of parole for second degree murder.
Sentencing guidelines vary from state to state in addition to
(40:06):
federal. Sentencing in the state of
Missouri, the sentence equated to 30 years in addition to 30
years for armed criminal action to be served executively.
Alyssa Bustamante was sent to a high security women's
Correctional Facility in Vandalia, MO.
In order to be eligible for parole, she must serve 85% of
(40:28):
the life sentence and a minimum of three years for the armed
criminal action conviction. When Alysssa Bustamante was
sentenced, Elizabeth Alton's grandmother, Sandy Corn, who was
in a wheelchair, cried out. I think Alyssa should get out of
jail the same day Elizabeth getsout of the grave.
Ellis's attorney, Charlie Moreland, made this statement to
(40:49):
the press. And I quote this was a child who
had been spiraling. Out of control.
But has tradable conditions. State prosecutor Mark Richardson
felt that her life sentence was completely justified, describing
Alyssa as A and I quote, a trulyevil individual who strangled
and stabbed an innocent child simply for the thrill of it.
(41:13):
In addition to her penal sentence, Alyssa Bustamante was
ordered to pay restitution to Elizabeth Olton's mother in the
amount of $5,000,000 + 9% interest until paid in full.
As I have mentioned in previous episodes, restitution is more
than anything, a symbolic gesture.
The high majority of offenders never fulfil paying this debt.
(41:36):
To be fair, the vast majority ofus would never be able to pay
this off. With the convicted making measly
wages in prison for the work they do get, no one would ever
be able to pay the restitution. Elizabeth Alton's mother's fury
and hatred for Alyssa Bustamantedid not stop at her.
(41:59):
She believed that the healthcareinstitution who treated her was
to blame and filed A wrongful death lawsuit against Pathways
Behavioral Healthcare, two of its employees, and Alyssa
Bustamante in October 2012. One of the defendants, Ron
Wilson, a counselor at Pathways,testified during Alyssa's
(42:20):
sentencing hearing that there was never any indication that
she was a threat to anyone otherthan herself.
Patricia Priest claims that the clinic had the power to prevent
Alyssa's violent tendencies, andthere was evidence that was
ignored by her psychiatrist. Her lawsuit included how they
had failed to detain this violent teenager.
(42:43):
They never warned her or. Anyone else?
Of the specific threats Alyssa Bustamante had alluded to,
including harming Elizabeth Olton, she had also filed a
separate. Wrongful death.
Lawsuit against her grandparents, who were Alyssa
Bustamante's guardians at the time, during an October 3rd
(43:05):
hearing that year. Saint Louis County Circuit
Judge. Gloria Reno ordered them to pay
$400,000. While Elisa Bustamante's case
was being heard and her outcome determined in Circuit Court, a
landmark case was underway in the Supreme Court.
Miller versus Alabama was pending a decision.
(43:26):
For those of you not familiar with this case and subsequent
major change in legislation, thecase centered around whether or
not it was a violation of the Constitution to impose mandatory
life sentences without the possibility of parole for a
juvenile convicted of first degree murder.
In June of the same year that Alyssa Bustamante was sentenced,
(43:49):
the Supreme Court confirmed thatthis statute was a violation of
the 8th Amendment's ban on crueland unusual punishment.
Alyssa Bustamante filed a timelypro SE motion for post
conviction relief, which means she represented herself without
a lawyer in the effort to be released based on legal errors.
(44:11):
This is different from a traditional appeal, which
focuses on legal errors that occurred during the trial.
The Circuit Court denied this motion set forth by Alyssa
Bocimante and her plea attorneys.
She then appealed. She first contested that she was
denied effective assistance to counsel when they failed to
thoroughly advise and ensure that she understood the outcome
(44:34):
of the pending case, Miller versus Alabama, and how that
decision may affect her. Alyssa Buster Monte claimed that
if she had been informed there was the possibility that she
would not face a mandatory life sentence without parole, she
would have proceeded with her initial plea of not guilty and
(44:54):
taken her chances at trial. She claimed that her attorney
advised and pressured her into pleading guilty and thus it was
an involuntary plea. It is next to impossible to win
an appellate case based on ineffective assistance of
counsel. In order for this claim to be
successful, the appellate must establish, one, that counsel's
(45:17):
performance did not conform to the degree of skill, care, and
diligence of a reasonably competent attorney, and, two,
that she was thereby prejudice. The Circuit Court rejected her
claim, addressing how the records showed that she was
fully informed about the pendinglitigation in the Miller case
and how that potentially impacted her own.
(45:41):
The court further stated that her testimony to the contrary
was not credible and that the evidence the State had against
her would not have been of any benefit to her.
If she had gone to trial. To this point, I fully agreed
that the strong and aggravating evidence.
The prosecution had, if presented at a trial, to a jury.
(46:03):
Would have convicted her of first degree murder.
Not second degree and sent her to prison indefinitely, Alyssa
Bustamante confirmed. That she recalled discussing
these issues and their potentialoutcomes of the pending Supreme
Court case with her attorneys, but she didn't fully understand
them. Not only is the law complex and
(46:24):
sounds convoluted to most people, but she was also being
impaired by psychiatric medication at this time.
She was drowsy and not fully coherent during these
discussions, and she was not given ample amount of time to
consider her options. Alyssa Bustamante claimed that
she only accepted the plea agreement because she believed
(46:45):
it was her only option to avoid a life sentence without parole.
If the Supreme Court had prohibited life sentences
without the possibility of parole for a juvenile murderers,
she may have had a point. But that is not what the Miller
case established. On the surface, it appears as if
the law made it unconstitutionalto prevent a juvenile murderer
(47:08):
the possibility of parole, but that is not what the law
entails. What it did was change the
sentencing guidelines that mandate such a sentence.
Having a mandatory sentence for a juvenile convicted of first
degree murder was found to be unconstitutional.
Miller versus Alabama held that the sentence upholds the
Constitution so long as it is deemed just and appropriate in
(47:34):
terms of age, maturity and otherfactors presented in the case.
That doesn't mean that a judge can't sentence a juvenile to
that punishment, and there are many juvenile murderers who
still receive life without the possibility of parole.
In 2016, the Supreme Court ruledunder the case Montgomery versus
(47:56):
Louisiana that the decision madeunder Miller should be applied
retroactively. This meant that all juveniles
sentenced before Miller who had been convicted of first degree
murder and were given life sentences without the
possibility of parole were now eligible for resentencing and
(48:18):
therefore parole. In 2021, this law was made even
nearer, limiting the powers of the judiciary's discretion.
Specifically, under Jones versusMississippi, the court
established that although it is not required for a judge to find
the offender to be permanently incorrigible to impose a life
(48:38):
sentence as long as they have discretion in each case, the
term permanent incorrigibility simply means that a juvenile is
beyond rehabilitation. This law exists to encourage
judges to look at the unique elements of the offender and the
case, which is ideal in any criminal case.
(49:01):
This expansion of the legislation sent by Miller had
the potential to significantly impact Alyssa Bustamante and her
future. This horrific murder would lead
to major changes in Missouri's legislation.
In 2021, Senate Bill 26 was passed.
This act provided that any offender under 18 years old at
(49:24):
the time of the offense who was sentenced to a term of
imprisonment 15 years or longer.Or multiple.
Terms that equated to such wouldbe eligible for parole
regardless whether the. Case was finalized for appeal.
Elizabeth. Olton's mother and loved ones
were. Appalled to think that her
(49:45):
killer could be free in only three years time, they
petitioned against the ACT vigorously.
However, after this atrocious crime was committed by a youth,
legislators sought to change this chance at freedom.
In 2021, Missouri State legislation was established that
(50:08):
excluded juveniles convicted of first degree murder to be given
the chance of parole. Missouri Governor Mike Parson
signed new legislation that amended state laws regarding
juvenile murders. Then in 2024, under the strong
advocacy of Elizabeth Olton's family, this law now included
(50:30):
juveniles who were convicted of second degree murder.
In 2024, Alyssa Bustamante facedher first parole hearing.
The specifics behind the hearingare unknown, but too many
people's relief, the parole board denied her chance at
freedom. Alyssa Bustamante currently
(50:51):
resides at the Chillicothe Correctional Center for Women in
Chillicothe, MO. This concludes the first part of
2 Graves and a Diary. Next episode I will cover the
rare kind of violent offender Alyssa Bustamante was, the
unique typology of her crime, and the many signs of her
(51:13):
pending doom. Thank you so much for listening.
I appreciate each and everyone of you and I am beyond thrilled
to be your host. I wanted to mention that I was
recently selected as a hidden gem in the newsletter Podcast
dot today. I am so grateful for having been
discovered by the company and that I was chosen to be
(51:35):
featured. It is a daily newsletter that
features unique, compelling, andoften lesser known podcast.
I know that as a true crime podcast listener myself, I am
always on the lookout for something interesting and
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Check out their newsletter at Podcast dot today and sign up to
discover unique content like mine.
(51:59):
If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts about this
case or ideas for future episodes, I would love to hear
from you. Please reach out, You can find
my contact information. In the episode description.
Until next time, stay safe. And watch out for Shades of
(52:19):
Murder hopping in the streets next door, especially inside
your own home. Shades of Murder is created,
researched, written and edited by Alita Caldwell.
Original music Stranger composedby Stereo Code.
In the small town of Saint Martin's, Missouri, when a nine
year old girl vanishes, an entire community comes together
to search for her. While investigators combed
through the vast woods where it was believed she was last seen,
they discovered two small graves.
The disturbing words found inside a teenager's diary would
(00:24):
lead homicide detectives to a shocking and very unusual
suspect. Who was this innocent young
victim, and what kind of monsterhad lured her into the woods to
die? Hello and welcome to Shades of
(01:11):
Murder. In this podcast, I discuss tales
of murder from around the world and throughout history,
attempting to unravel the layersof darkness, the hell make
humans and the monsters. This is a special warning for
anyone who may be extra sensitive to crimes against
(01:34):
children. This episode is a tough one and
listener discretion is strongly advised.
On the evening of October 21st, 2009, nine year old Elizabeth
Olton never returned home. When the little girl failed to
(01:54):
show up for dinner as she had promised after going out to play
with her friend, her mother knewsomething was terribly wrong.
Elizabeth always made sure to behome before dark because she was
terrified of the night, especially the woods, which was
right near her residence. She called the police at 7:00 PM
(02:17):
to report her child missing. Elizabeth had her cell phone on
her, but she was not answering. Law enforcement contacted the
cell phone carrier and requestedan emergency ping, which
collects the signals generated from the phone by the nearest
cell tower. All of the pings were centered
around the area of the woods. Law enforcement officers and
(02:39):
hundreds of volunteers scoured every.
Inch of the dense forest land near the house.
They promptly set up checkpointsfor anyone driving to or from
the area. Planes and helicopters searched
the immense woods. They launched dog rescue and
recovery teams. Divers searched the ponds and
(03:00):
nearby rivers. But neither the little girl.
Nor her phone was found. They launched dog rescue and
recovery teams. Divers searched the ponds and
nearby rivers, but neither the little girl nor her phone was
found. Every local registered sex
offender was tracked down and interviewed, but no one was a
(03:22):
suspect in this innocent child'sdisappearance.
Law enforcement was lost on who could have taken little
Elizabeth and why. Then Detective Rice remembered
the last person who was seen with her, her six year old
friend Emma Bustamante. When interviewed by the FBI, 6
(03:43):
year old Emma told him that she was playing with her and about
an hour later Elizabeth walked home.
Then Emma was outside playing and she got stuck in some thorn
bushes. This is when she began to scream
and cry out for her older sisterAlyssa to come help her.
The following day, officers interviewed everyone in the
(04:04):
neighborhood, but one of the kids wasn't around, 15 year old
Alyssa Bustamante, whose sister Emma was the last one to have
been seen with Elizabeth before she went missing.
The two girls have been playing together that day.
Emma had arrived unexpectedly attheir house around 5:00 PM,
asking to see if Elizabeth couldcome outside and play.
(04:26):
Her mother told the police that Elizabeth had been practicing
her lines and singing songs for a play.
She was just about to make dinner when the doorbell rang
and it was their neighbor Emma. She didn't really want her
daughter to go, but both girls were jumping up and down all
excited to go hang out together,so she let her go.
But insisted that she'd be home for dinner by 6.
(04:50):
Then Anthony, one of Elizabeth'sbrothers, told his mom that when
he was playing with Alyssa's twin brothers that day, he heard
Alyssa say to Emma, don't tell anyone.
When investigators called the high school, they were informed
that Alyssa Bustamante was not at school that day.
Busters realized they had to find the teenager.
(05:12):
When officers first talked to Alyssa Bustamante, she was
honest with them and admitted that she had skipped school that
day. She swore, though, that she had
no idea what happened to Elizabeth.
The girl was calm, open, and seemed to be honest, so they
didn't give her much more thought.
At the time. Mark Richardson, prosecuting
attorney of Cole County, Missouri, stated that she was
(05:33):
not and should not be considereda suspect.
Then, as local volunteers began exploring the woods behind
Bustamante's residence, they came across something very
bizarre. To them, it looked like an open
grave. Detectives were called in to
(05:55):
process the scene the whole for anything that may lead them to
Elizabeth, but they couldn't find her or her phone.
Around 3:00 or 4:00 PM that sameday, investigators arrived at
Alyssa Bustamante's residence, which was her grandparents home.
They were welcomed in by her grandmother, Karen Brooke, who
gave them consent to search the house, including Alyssa's room.
(06:20):
Officers found shovels in the garage that had fresh mud on
them. They also located muddy jeans
and clothing that appeared to have droplets of dried blood.
The items were tested and the blood was later identified as
belonging to 15 year old Alyssa Bustamante.
Agent Tricia Gentry of the FBI evidence team opened Alyssa's
(06:41):
bedroom. The room was a bit unsettling.
Alyssa was known to be gothic and a little punk so they
expected as much from her decor,but what was on the wall was
much darker then just some typical Moody teens room.
There were drawings, notes stuckto the wall and handwritten
(07:04):
words, some of which appeared tohave been written in blood.
There was also a poem about cutting, which is the form of
self injury using a blade or a knife.
On the opposite wall was a sketch of a person.
There were slashings made acrossthe head and the arm.
The picture was titled Emma. Cards and letters from a state
(07:28):
correctional institute were alsotaped to the wall.
They were from her father, then Agent Gentry found Alyssa's
diary hidden underneath a blanket.
There were some writings of concern, but when she came
across the last entry, she was silenced by the words she saw.
(07:50):
It was dated October 21st 2009 and was mainly crossed over in
blue ink. However, 3 words were so
legible, throat slit and killed.Then at the end of the entry was
a sentence that was partially untouched.
It's said now I've got to go to church lol.
(08:13):
In her hands laid what could be.A confession to murder.
They brought in Alyssa Bustamante for a formal
interview the following morning.Inside the small police room
with her was her guardian Karen Brooke and juvenile officer Toby
Meyer, along with head DetectiveRice.
(08:33):
The video of her then not publicly released interrogation
and subsequent confession is chilling on many levels over the
two hours that she's interrogated.
Elisa Bustamante is so calm, composed and personable both
with the detective and juvenile officer.
(08:55):
She talks openly about how she enjoys digging holes to bury
dead animals in and that she dugthe 2 graves they found.
She weaves in and out of the details of the day without any
visible signs of stress, anxiety, or fear.
This is when she displays true signs of being a psychopath.
(09:20):
Elisa Bustamante chats up both this seasoned detective and
juvenile officer, casually discussing the events of the
day. Detective Rice attempts several
times to trip her up, but she appears unshaken.
That is until he brings up her diary.
(09:40):
During the interrogation, the grandmother openly admits to
have read parts of this diary hementions, which Alyssa reacts to
in anger, knowing that her privacy was violated when the
detective tells her that they have her diary and they have
read it all, including her most recent entry.
(10:01):
Several minutes pass in the video as Alyssa Bustamante and
Detective Rice proceed to share what can only be called a stare
down with one another. Then the detective tells her.
We know something happened to Elizabeth and you need to let us
know. And if it was an accident, then
we can deal with that, but we need to know.
(10:25):
Alyssa finally breaks, feigning tears, sniffling through her
admission that she accidentally killed the little.
Girl A telltale sign of psychopathy is when an
individual emulates emotions based on what they know is
expected of them. Alyssa claimed they.
Were messing around and she felland died and she panicked.
(10:47):
But when the detective addresseshow an autopsy will be performed
and any injuries. Will be revealed, Alyssa
replies. Yes.
When he asks her if the girl's throat was cut, her grandmother
lets out a horrifying shriek at hearing this horrendous one word
(11:07):
and almost collapses, sliding off her chair before continuing.
Officers lead her grandmother out of the room because she just
can't take hearing this anymore.Alyssa Boussemante claims that
she came up from behind Elizabeth, cutting her throat,
stabbing her twice with a knife.She said that she burned the
(11:30):
body and pushed the remains intothe Creek.
She swears that the grave was dug after killing Elizabeth.
During the interrogation, Detective Rice keeps inquiring
about her protecting someone or whether she had an accomplice in
the crime. He first entertains the thought
that her boyfriend was involved,or at least knew about what she
(11:52):
had done. Alyssa fervently denies that
anyone other than herself committed the crime and that no
one knew about what she had done.
Then Detective Rice keeps prodding her, pushing her,
beginning to paint the story of how he knows her grandfather
loves her so much and would do anything to help her, implying
(12:15):
that he helped move the body andbury Elizabeth again.
Alyssa states that no one exceptfor her was involved in the
murder and concealment of the corpse.
According to court documents that were released after her
sentencing, her boyfriend was interviewed excessively by the
FBI and the State Highway Patrolover 7 days.
(12:38):
He was talked to 8 different times because officers were
convinced that he must know something since she had skipped
school that day after murdering Elizabeth and spent it with him
at his house. According to her boyfriend, the
only thing Alyssa had told him was that Emma's younger friend
was missing and that officers had searched her house.
(13:02):
He did admit to finding a box cutter or a black knife in
Alyssa's backpack, but it was determined that it was not the
weapon used in the killing sinceit was significantly smaller.
A court motion was filed to block the boy from from being
called. To testify at her trial.
It was later revealed that he had submitted.
To a polygraph test which he failed but was never.
(13:25):
Charged with any crime as. Most of us are aware polygraphs
are notoriously unreliable and failing.
It was likely indicative of his nerves, in fact, later when FBI
interviewed her boyfriend. He was.
So shocked and repulsed by the killing that he became violently
ill and threw up. During the interrogation video,
(13:49):
when the detective inquires as to why Elizabeth was her chosen
victim, Alyssa said there was noparticular reason why except for
her being in close proximity. Then Officer Rice said was it
just because you wanted to know how it felt to kill someone?
To which Alyssa answers, yeah, Iguess I found this specific part
(14:13):
of the interrogation to be highly manipulative.
Across almost all media sources,it states that Alyssa Bustamante
just wanted to know how it felt to kill someone, but during the
interrogation, she never offeredup that statement herself.
I am not saying that it wasn't the primary reason why she did
(14:33):
what she did, but the detective feeding her this statement was
further evidence of the lack of integrity exhibited throughout
the interrogation. This young killer's confession
is chilling on so many levels. According to the offender, the
following sequence of events is believed to have occurred on
(14:54):
October 21st, 2009. Alyssa had found her target.
It had been a good four days since she had dug the graves.
Fired into the forest on a day off from school, she had sent
her. Little sister Emma over to her
friend Elizabeth's house. To invite her out to play.
(15:16):
Then when Elizabeth was heading.Home, she asked Emma to call her
to return for some unknown reason.
Even though there was a 2. Lane Highway, The cross between
her and Emma's house. Elizabeth Olton took a shortcut
that day. Through the woods, Alyssa was.
Waiting for her, there she was, little Elizabeth Olton in her
(15:40):
pink T-shirt. Alyssa grabbed her hand and told
the girl. I've got something really neat
to show you. It's just a little bit further
up here. The 2 girls walked deep into the
forest and up a hill. They had walked about 1/4 mile
when Alyssa had her stop in front of the dug hole.
(16:02):
She reached out and locked her hands around the young girl's
neck, strangling her. Elizabeth could no longer
breathe and as she began to loseconsciousness, Alyssa unzipped
her backpack and pulled out the knife she had taken from the
kitchen. She plunged the large blade deep
into the small girl's chest. She pulled it out and stabbed
(16:25):
her over and over again about six or seven times.
Then Alyssa slit her throat, watching as the blood pulled her
on her feet and on to the floor of the woods.
Alyssa dragged her by the feet to the spot of the graves.
She tossed the child's body intothe grave and threw some leaves
(16:48):
and dirt on top to conceal it. Alyssa then left the woods and
returned home. She had a church dance that
night. While getting ready, she wrote
in her diary what she had done and how it had made her feel.
Her grandmother and guardian Karen Brooke later told the
(17:08):
court how Alyssa seemed especially happy that night.
After Alyssa Bustamante confessed to killing Elizabeth
Olton, she led the police to thebody.
Deep in the woods lay the two dug graves.
Detectives could see that the child's body was buried under
(17:30):
only a few inches of dirt. Her throat and wrists were
visibly slashed and her chest had several stab wounds.
The cell phone they have been tracing was tucked inside the
girl's pants. Licensed pathologist, physician
and surgeon Chris Stacy described the specific wounds
(17:53):
and injuries found on the victim.
The autopsy revealed that the official cause of death was by
strangulation and sharp forced injury.
The victim was strangled from anywhere between 30 seconds to
one minute. In his official report, he noted
how the stab. Wounds were irregular, not
precise or controlled. It was as if the victim or the
(18:16):
offender holding the knife had been moving around.
Once detectives began to delve deeper into Alyssa Bustamante's
social media presence, they wereexposed to the mind of a
demented, twisted teenage girl in some of her pictures on
Facebook. Her.
Eyes are painted in heavy. Black kabuki style makeup and
(18:39):
her lips are smeared with blood red lipstick.
She stares at the camera gritting her teeth or pouting
sexily. Her YouTube account name was
Akamakaji, which is Japanese forWolf Shadow.
On her Myspace page it lists herhobbies as cutting and killing
people. There was a photograph of Alyssa
(19:00):
wielding a knife to another girl's throat and a video with
her younger twin brothers where she is seen encouraging them to
touch an electric kettle fence. The girl looks menacingly at the
camera and says this is where itgets good.
This is where my brothers get hurt.
(19:20):
Alyssa Bustamante was initially held in juvenile custody, but
the calculated depravity of her crimes would soon change this.
In November 2009, Cole County Juvenile Officer requested that
juvenile jurisdiction over her be relinquished and Alysssa be
transferred to the state for criminal prosecution.
(19:42):
At the hearing for Alyssa Bustamante to be transferred to
a door court, evidence against her was presented.
It was determined and I quote. The nature of the crime charge
was serious, vicious, violent and forceful and resulted in the
death of a nine year old child and therefore the juvenile court
gave up jurisdiction over her crimes.
(20:05):
Her trial date was set for January 26th 2012.
The age in which a juvenile can be transferred to adult or
Criminal Court varies from stateto state and Missouri.
An individual has to be 12 yearsold at the time of the offence.
To be prosecuted for murder, Alyssa Bustamante was charged
with first degree murder and armed criminal action, the
(20:27):
latter charge having resulted from her use of a knife to slit
her victim's throat and stab herafter she had been strangled and
lost consciousness. The police interrogation video
portraying her confession would be successfully suppressed by
the defense. It was first noted in the order
to declare the recording inadmissible because she was a
(20:48):
juvenile held in a custodial setting prior to being formally
arrested. At the time of the interrogation
and her confession, she was in juvenile custody, so anything
she said to the juvenile officerwas found to be inadmissible in
a Criminal Court. Her statements, however, made to
Detective Rice, may have been admissible in adult court if it
(21:10):
weren't for the blatant interference and unethical
active participation shown by the juvenile officer, Toby
Meyer. She was supposed to be there as
her advocate, but instead she misled and deceived Alyssa
Bustamante into confessing to the crime.
Her behavior indicated that she was someone on her side.
(21:33):
She is seen in her continuously encouraging and coaxing Alyssa
to tell the truth under the guise that she is there in her
best interest. Her statutory role was limited
to observation and to uphold thejuveniles rights not to
participate in the interrogationonce Alyssa Bustamante was taken
(21:56):
into custody. Her darkness began to seep out
once more. She attempted to cut herself
with her own fingernails as she became increasingly more
severely depressed and anxious. While sitting in jail, she was
placed on suicide watch. Her appointed juvenile defense
(22:16):
attorney, Curt Valentine, arguedagainst placing Alisa Bustamante
in the adult system. He believed that she had the
potential for rehabilitation andcould be freed.
Once she turned 21, Valentine. Believed strongly that if she
remained in custody with adults,she would either take her own
life or be killed. While in jail.
(22:39):
In his words, he stated that we are throwing away the child and
we are signing a. Death sentence for Alyssa, but
the judge stated that her crimesproved that the state did not
have adequate services nor facility to house her.
As juvenile specifically, Missouri did not have a secure
(22:59):
facility with fences for female juveniles, and within the
juvenile system, they are typically housed together in
groups and are not overseen and watched by staff 24 hours a day.
Alissa Bustamante was transferred to Hawthorne
Children's Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation and then was
later sent to Fulton State Hospital under a judge's order.
(23:22):
On January 10th, 2012, only a few weeks before her murder
trial, Alyssa Bustamante, in a plea agreement with the state,
appeared in front of the CircuitCourt pleading guilty to 2nd
degree murder and Armed Criminalaction.
According to her defense counsel, she was prepared today
to take responsibility for theseoffenses.
(23:43):
At this hearing, the court informed her of the range of
penalties she faced if she pled guilty and that in lieu of a
criminal trial, a sentencing hearing would be held where
evidence would be presented and then the judge would determine
her punishment. This is equating to her entering
what is referred to as a blind plea where the judge is not
(24:04):
bound to agree to any length or condition of the sentence given.
Further, that once she pleads guilty, there are no
circumstances in which she can withdraw the plea.
Alyssa Bustamante entered a pleaof guilty knowingly, willingly,
voluntarily and intelligently ofthe circumstances and the
(24:27):
condition set around the agreement.
Then she pled guilty to 2nd degree murder and armed criminal
action. Alysssa Bustamante avoided a
criminal trial over 2-9 hour days, which must have been
excruciatingly painful and felt like forever to Elizabeth
Olton's loved ones. Alyssa Bustamante would at last
(24:50):
face her fate. Family members, medical
personnel, and investigators piled into a small courtroom in
Cole County, Missouri to give their testimony.
The appearance and energy of thecourtroom was a dichotomy.
On the defendant's side stood Alyssa Bustamante, with her
bangs hanging in her eyes, expressionless, barely muttering
(25:13):
a word, her grandparents, her absentee mother, who showed up
finally for her daughter at a murder hearing, and her father,
a convicted felon, shackled and in handcuffs.
And on the other side sat Elizabeth's mother, her
grandmother, and a large group of community friends, many
(25:36):
adorned in pink, Elizabeth's favorite color.
Elizabeth was buried in pink andher tiny coffin carried by a
horse drawn carriage. The judge first heard from Patty
Priest, Elizabeth Olton's mother, who recounted the day
her daughter was last seen. Everything was normal.
(25:59):
That is until Emma Bustamante showed up out of nowhere asking
her daughter Elizabeth to play outside with her.
That made her daughter so happy,so she just said make sure you.
Return by 6 for dinner. That was at 5:00 PM and was the
last time she ever saw. Her nine.
Year old daughter alive. Patty Priest went on to share
(26:23):
how Elizabeth was beyond specialto her.
She was her miracle child. And her youngest?
On the same day doctors had toldher she had stage 4 cervical
cancer, she found out she was pregnant with Elizabeth.
That baby had saved her life. Miss Praise turned to the judge
and said to her, Elizabeth nevergets to get married.
(26:48):
She never gets to walk down the aisle, she never gets to go to
her first dance, have her first boyfriend.
So much has been lost at the hands of this evil monster.
If it were up to me, this murderer would never see the
light of day again. I will just say that I hate her.
I hate everything about her. What I hate most of all is what
(27:10):
everyone says about her age. The only thing her age makes is
an evil monster. It would be impossible to not
agree with this heartbroken mother's words.
Next, Anthony Olton, Elizabeth'solder brother, took the stand.
He was only 13 years old when his little sister was brutally
(27:33):
murdered that day. He recalled how he and Elizabeth
rode the bus home after school as normal, and then he invited
Nathaniel and Joseph, Alyssa's younger twin brothers, to come
hang out. When Elizabeth never came home
by 6:00 PM as she was supposed to, his mom sent him to go find
her, but she was nowhere to be found.
(27:56):
Then he remembered how he saw the defendant, Alyssa leading
her sister Emma up a hill from the woods, saying to her don't
tell anyone. Then Emma told him that
Elizabeth had already gone back home.
That's when Anthony began to become really worried.
(28:18):
Elizabeth Olton's sister Stephanie, the oldest child,
openly sobbed when she addressedthe judge, telling her the love
that my sister and I shared was so.
Strong that age didn't matter. There was no denying how special
Elizabeth was to her family and how deeply she was missed.
(28:40):
Detective Sean McDermott next took the stand, discussing his
interview with Elisa Bustamante.He recalled how lucid she was,
clearly spoken and not standoffish at all.
Tricia Gentry, the FBI agent whodiscovered the vile and shocking
diary inside the bedroom of Alyssa Bustamante, took the
stand next. With the information she had
(29:03):
collected from her diary, it gave her reason to bring in
Alyssa Bustamante for an official interview.
The agent noted how the teenagerspoke very articulately.
She was calm, poised, friendly, even chatty and giggly at times.
The 15 year old swore that she didn't know where Elizabeth was.
(29:24):
Asian Gentry observed how she acted perfectly normal and that
her answers were quite convincing.
A forensic consultant, Dawn Locke, testified as to the
examination of her diary. Through the use of applying
different filters and lights, hewas able to decipher the message
the defendant had attempted to conceal by writing over the last
(29:47):
entry in blue ink. The entry said the following and
I quote I just fucking killed someone.
I strangled them and slit their throat and stabbed them.
Now they're dead. I don't know how to feel ATM or
at the moment. It was amazing.
(30:08):
As soon as you get over the Oh my God I can't do this feeling.
It's pretty enjoyable. I'm kind of nervous and shaky
though right now Kate. I got to go to church now, lol.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant David Rice provided his
testimony regarding his interrogation of the defendant,
saying that ultimately she stated she wanted to know what
(30:32):
it felt like. How is it that no one in the
courtroom or in the media has addressed the fact that this
officer literally placed these words in front of her?
He fed them to her, to which shesaid, yeah, I guess so.
Not once in the interrogation video does Alyssa Bustamante on
(30:54):
her own say this statement. Does this change her guilt?
Not at all. But it does paint a less than
ethical light upon this investigation when the lead
homicide detective gets away with making this false statement
and all forms of media have run with it, making it like Alysssa
(31:14):
Bustamante's motto when it nevercame from her mouth.
Alyssa Bustamante's defense counsel did their best to prove
to the judge how broken this girl was and that there were
many mitigating factors to her case.
And when Johnstone, MD, testified as to the how the
(31:38):
antidepressant drugs that the defendant was on at the time of
the offense undoubtedly played amajor contributing role in her
crime. Specifically, he told the court
how several several cases, in addition to various studies,
showed how antidepressants, including Prozac, which is what
Alyssa Bustamante was on at the time, have been proven to cause
(32:01):
an increase in violent behavior in some individuals.
The data has shown that juvenilegirls are the most prone to
becoming mentally destabilized by such drugs.
Alyssa's age in combination withher, although undiagnosed, many
elements of ADD she exhibited caused a pre-existing
(32:25):
vulnerability in her that led her to react to the drug
violently. The doctor testified that the
higher dosage could have increased her mood swings and
even affected her tendency. Towards violence.
Alyssa's father was present at the hearing.
Cesar Bustamante in chains and handcuffs.
(32:45):
He arrived from a Missouri Correctional Facility to testify
to the history of mental illnessand his family.
He spoke about his own struggle with suppression and anxiety and
how he had tried to kill himselfat 14 when he was only a year
older than his daughter's first attempt.
Mr. Bustamante also confessed tothe extreme abuse of drugs and
(33:09):
alcohol by both himself and Alyssa's mother while she was
growing up, who even used drugs while she was pregnant with her.
According to Karen Brooke, Alyssa's grandmother, who got
custody of her when she was 7, Alyssa was a quiet child who
cared for her two younger brothers and her little half
sister Emma as if she were theirparent.
(33:32):
She was warned by a social services officer that once
Alyssa was in a more stable environment, she may behave less
mature and act out even. More often.
But there were no major issues. Alyssa never got in trouble at
school, her grades were solid and things seem to be fine.
That is, until 2007. On a trip to the family's lake
(33:54):
house, Alyssa tried to kill herself.
Brooke discovered the young girl, who was only 13.
At the time, lying unresponsive in the shower, there were
hundreds of tiny cuts up and down her arms.
She got a list of some psychiatric help and was placed
on Prozac. Things appear to be getting
(34:17):
better for Alyssa, and her sophomore year in high school
had been a great year. But then something went terribly
wrong, and no one in her life saw the downward spiral she was
on until it was far too late. The prosecution presented their
own expert testimony regarding her mental state.
(34:38):
Anthony Rothschild, professor ofpsychiatry at University of
Massachusetts, stated to the court that he agreed that Alyssa
Bustamante suffered from manic depression and bipolar disorder.
He, however, believed that it couldn't be denied that she knew
right from wrong and that Prozacor any other antidepressant does
not trigger someone to commit homicide, he recalled.
(35:02):
The interview Officer David Riceheld with Alyssa Bustamante that
he was witness to Doctor Rothschild claimed that she
cooperated with the detective, provided coherent, sensible
answers. She was not manic or psychotic
and was totally in touch with reality.
Alyssa Bustamante had not hiddenher cries for help.
(35:23):
In August 2007, a fellow student's parents contacted the
high school counselor, Lisa Blige, because their daughter
was concerned about Alyssa's cutting behavior.
The counselor testified to seen several razor blade cuts in a
row on Alyssa's arm. She reached out to Alyssa's
grandmother, Karen Brooke, and suggested that she pursue
psychiatric services, to which Karen agreed.
(35:45):
Alyssa Neitzert, a registered nurse and clinical educator with
the University of Missouri, showed the judge a body map she
created of Alyssa Bustamante scars from her admittance up to
November 17th, 2011. There were pictures of her well
over 300 self-made scars, including those inflicted by
(36:06):
cigarette butts. One picture showed how Alyssa
had scarves in the shape of a peace sign inside her hand,
which she had created using a staple.
Ron Wilson, who was the children's services supervisor
at Pathways Mental Health Care, where Alyssa was treated, told
the judge that Alyssa's therapists were constantly
changing, which was very damaging to any progress made.
(36:30):
He worked directly with her and after her suicide attempt, their
treatment plan had changed. She had been diagnosed with
major depressive disorder and PTSD, so her therapy was now
focused on trauma focused cognitive behavior.
When Alyssa Bustamante was arrested for murder, he visited
her and reminded her that she was not alone, telling her to
(36:52):
above all to hang on to the factthat God loves her no matter
what. Rosalind Schultz, A
psychologist, established a timeline of significant events
on the defendant on December 7th, 2011.
She concluded that although she cannot officially diagnose her
with borderline personality disorder based on her age,
(37:13):
Alyssa Bustamante exhibited manyof its known symptoms,
including. Poor impulse control.
Feelings of emptiness, unstable mood.
And inappropriate displays of emotion.
The psychologist concluded that she suffered from major
depressive disorder that was chronic and current.
Her evaluation LED her to believe that Alyssa was severely
(37:35):
and functionally immature and that serious emotional
disturbances in her life played a role in her committing the
murder. It was in her professional
opinion that several life eventscaused Alyssa Bustamante to be
severely impaired and how she coped.
The young girl had been faced with her mother's sexual
(37:55):
promiscuity, her abandonment, her father in prison, being
exposed to domestic violence, and all around absence and
neglect. In Alyssa Bustamante's words,
she felt no pain when she cut herself.
To Doctor Schultz, this was a sign of dissociation.
When Alyssa attempted suicide, it was not just a cry for help,
(38:16):
it was her intent to die. None of these mitigating factors
would help the defendant. Nothing that was expressed or
testified to by the defense could prevent Alyssa
Bustamante's grim outcome. There were no words, no
diagnosis, no history of self harm that could wipe away what
(38:37):
she had done. She had brutally murdered.
A nine year old child and then expressed.
Elation and excitement after killing her.
No one and nothing could change that fact.
(38:58):
Alyssa Bustamante had been charged as an adult and would
face the harshest possible penalty for her crimes.
After Alyssa Bustamante's horrific crimes were painted in
explicit detail in the courtroom, her grandparents
stormed out. This was the first time Alyssa
Bustamante was witness crying insilence over 2 years of legal
(39:22):
proceedings before she was granted her punishment.
She spoke the following statement to Elizabeth's family.
I cannot even understand what you guys are going through.
I'm sorry for that. If I could give my life back to
bring her back, I would and I'm sorry.
(39:43):
However, Elizabeth's family didn't buy her apology.
They don't believe she is. Capable.
Of feeling sorry. On February 8th, 2012, Judge
Patricia Joyce sentenced the now18 year old girl to life in
prison with the possibility of parole for second degree murder.
Sentencing guidelines vary from state to state in addition to
(40:06):
federal. Sentencing in the state of
Missouri, the sentence equated to 30 years in addition to 30
years for armed criminal action to be served executively.
Alyssa Bustamante was sent to a high security women's
Correctional Facility in Vandalia, MO.
In order to be eligible for parole, she must serve 85% of
(40:28):
the life sentence and a minimum of three years for the armed
criminal action conviction. When Alysssa Bustamante was
sentenced, Elizabeth Alton's grandmother, Sandy Corn, who was
in a wheelchair, cried out. I think Alyssa should get out of
jail the same day Elizabeth getsout of the grave.
Ellis's attorney, Charlie Moreland, made this statement to
(40:49):
the press. And I quote this was a child who
had been spiraling. Out of control.
But has tradable conditions. State prosecutor Mark Richardson
felt that her life sentence was completely justified, describing
Alyssa as A and I quote, a trulyevil individual who strangled
and stabbed an innocent child simply for the thrill of it.
(41:13):
In addition to her penal sentence, Alyssa Bustamante was
ordered to pay restitution to Elizabeth Olton's mother in the
amount of $5,000,000 + 9% interest until paid in full.
As I have mentioned in previous episodes, restitution is more
than anything, a symbolic gesture.
The high majority of offenders never fulfil paying this debt.
(41:36):
To be fair, the vast majority ofus would never be able to pay
this off. With the convicted making measly
wages in prison for the work they do get, no one would ever
be able to pay the restitution. Elizabeth Alton's mother's fury
and hatred for Alyssa Bustamantedid not stop at her.
(41:59):
She believed that the healthcareinstitution who treated her was
to blame and filed A wrongful death lawsuit against Pathways
Behavioral Healthcare, two of its employees, and Alyssa
Bustamante in October 2012. One of the defendants, Ron
Wilson, a counselor at Pathways,testified during Alyssa's
(42:20):
sentencing hearing that there was never any indication that
she was a threat to anyone otherthan herself.
Patricia Priest claims that the clinic had the power to prevent
Alyssa's violent tendencies, andthere was evidence that was
ignored by her psychiatrist. Her lawsuit included how they
had failed to detain this violent teenager.
(42:43):
They never warned her or. Anyone else?
Of the specific threats Alyssa Bustamante had alluded to,
including harming Elizabeth Olton, she had also filed a
separate. Wrongful death.
Lawsuit against her grandparents, who were Alyssa
Bustamante's guardians at the time, during an October 3rd
(43:05):
hearing that year. Saint Louis County Circuit
Judge. Gloria Reno ordered them to pay
$400,000. While Elisa Bustamante's case
was being heard and her outcome determined in Circuit Court, a
landmark case was underway in the Supreme Court.
Miller versus Alabama was pending a decision.
(43:26):
For those of you not familiar with this case and subsequent
major change in legislation, thecase centered around whether or
not it was a violation of the Constitution to impose mandatory
life sentences without the possibility of parole for a
juvenile convicted of first degree murder.
In June of the same year that Alyssa Bustamante was sentenced,
(43:49):
the Supreme Court confirmed thatthis statute was a violation of
the 8th Amendment's ban on crueland unusual punishment.
Alyssa Bustamante filed a timelypro SE motion for post
conviction relief, which means she represented herself without
a lawyer in the effort to be released based on legal errors.
(44:11):
This is different from a traditional appeal, which
focuses on legal errors that occurred during the trial.
The Circuit Court denied this motion set forth by Alyssa
Bocimante and her plea attorneys.
She then appealed. She first contested that she was
denied effective assistance to counsel when they failed to
thoroughly advise and ensure that she understood the outcome
(44:34):
of the pending case, Miller versus Alabama, and how that
decision may affect her. Alyssa Buster Monte claimed that
if she had been informed there was the possibility that she
would not face a mandatory life sentence without parole, she
would have proceeded with her initial plea of not guilty and
(44:54):
taken her chances at trial. She claimed that her attorney
advised and pressured her into pleading guilty and thus it was
an involuntary plea. It is next to impossible to win
an appellate case based on ineffective assistance of
counsel. In order for this claim to be
successful, the appellate must establish, one, that counsel's
(45:17):
performance did not conform to the degree of skill, care, and
diligence of a reasonably competent attorney, and, two,
that she was thereby prejudice. The Circuit Court rejected her
claim, addressing how the records showed that she was
fully informed about the pendinglitigation in the Miller case
and how that potentially impacted her own.
(45:41):
The court further stated that her testimony to the contrary
was not credible and that the evidence the State had against
her would not have been of any benefit to her.
If she had gone to trial. To this point, I fully agreed
that the strong and aggravating evidence.
The prosecution had, if presented at a trial, to a jury.
(46:03):
Would have convicted her of first degree murder.
Not second degree and sent her to prison indefinitely, Alyssa
Bustamante confirmed. That she recalled discussing
these issues and their potentialoutcomes of the pending Supreme
Court case with her attorneys, but she didn't fully understand
them. Not only is the law complex and
(46:24):
sounds convoluted to most people, but she was also being
impaired by psychiatric medication at this time.
She was drowsy and not fully coherent during these
discussions, and she was not given ample amount of time to
consider her options. Alyssa Bustamante claimed that
she only accepted the plea agreement because she believed
(46:45):
it was her only option to avoid a life sentence without parole.
If the Supreme Court had prohibited life sentences
without the possibility of parole for a juvenile murderers,
she may have had a point. But that is not what the Miller
case established. On the surface, it appears as if
the law made it unconstitutionalto prevent a juvenile murderer
(47:08):
the possibility of parole, but that is not what the law
entails. What it did was change the
sentencing guidelines that mandate such a sentence.
Having a mandatory sentence for a juvenile convicted of first
degree murder was found to be unconstitutional.
Miller versus Alabama held that the sentence upholds the
Constitution so long as it is deemed just and appropriate in
(47:34):
terms of age, maturity and otherfactors presented in the case.
That doesn't mean that a judge can't sentence a juvenile to
that punishment, and there are many juvenile murderers who
still receive life without the possibility of parole.
In 2016, the Supreme Court ruledunder the case Montgomery versus
(47:56):
Louisiana that the decision madeunder Miller should be applied
retroactively. This meant that all juveniles
sentenced before Miller who had been convicted of first degree
murder and were given life sentences without the
possibility of parole were now eligible for resentencing and
(48:18):
therefore parole. In 2021, this law was made even
nearer, limiting the powers of the judiciary's discretion.
Specifically, under Jones versusMississippi, the court
established that although it is not required for a judge to find
the offender to be permanently incorrigible to impose a life
(48:38):
sentence as long as they have discretion in each case, the
term permanent incorrigibility simply means that a juvenile is
beyond rehabilitation. This law exists to encourage
judges to look at the unique elements of the offender and the
case, which is ideal in any criminal case.
(49:01):
This expansion of the legislation sent by Miller had
the potential to significantly impact Alyssa Bustamante and her
future. This horrific murder would lead
to major changes in Missouri's legislation.
In 2021, Senate Bill 26 was passed.
This act provided that any offender under 18 years old at
(49:24):
the time of the offense who was sentenced to a term of
imprisonment 15 years or longer.Or multiple.
Terms that equated to such wouldbe eligible for parole
regardless whether the. Case was finalized for appeal.
Elizabeth. Olton's mother and loved ones
were. Appalled to think that her
(49:45):
killer could be free in only three years time, they
petitioned against the ACT vigorously.
However, after this atrocious crime was committed by a youth,
legislators sought to change this chance at freedom.
In 2021, Missouri State legislation was established that
(50:08):
excluded juveniles convicted of first degree murder to be given
the chance of parole. Missouri Governor Mike Parson
signed new legislation that amended state laws regarding
juvenile murders. Then in 2024, under the strong
advocacy of Elizabeth Olton's family, this law now included
(50:30):
juveniles who were convicted of second degree murder.
In 2024, Alyssa Bustamante facedher first parole hearing.
The specifics behind the hearingare unknown, but too many
people's relief, the parole board denied her chance at
freedom. Alyssa Bustamante currently
(50:51):
resides at the Chillicothe Correctional Center for Women in
Chillicothe, MO. This concludes the first part of
2 Graves and a Diary. Next episode I will cover the
rare kind of violent offender Alyssa Bustamante was, the
unique typology of her crime, and the many signs of her
(51:13):
pending doom. Thank you so much for listening.
I appreciate each and everyone of you and I am beyond thrilled
to be your host. I wanted to mention that I was
recently selected as a hidden gem in the newsletter Podcast
dot today. I am so grateful for having been
discovered by the company and that I was chosen to be
(51:35):
featured. It is a daily newsletter that
features unique, compelling, andoften lesser known podcast.
I know that as a true crime podcast listener myself, I am
always on the lookout for something interesting and
engaging, especially beyond the norm.
Check out their newsletter at Podcast dot today and sign up to
discover unique content like mine.
(51:59):
If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts about this
case or ideas for future episodes, I would love to hear
from you. Please reach out, You can find
my contact information. In the episode description.
Until next time, stay safe. And watch out for Shades of
(52:19):
Murder hopping in the streets next door, especially inside
your own home. Shades of Murder is created,
researched, written and edited by Alita Caldwell.
Original music Stranger composedby Stereo Code.
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