Elizabeth Olten #3 11/18/09 -

[nana0567]

Alyssa must be mentally ill...no normal girl that age would want to know what it feels like to kill someone..they should be thinking about clothes and boys...chatting with their friends etc...
 

Here is a link to a short video of  Bustamante's court appearance today.

http://www.kplr11.com/news/kplr-bustamante-court-arraignment-murder-120809,0,7185087.story?track=rss

Whoops sorry Cookie...I accidently grabbed your quote.

[Wyks]

Thanks to those providing the updates!!   

[Wyks]

I can't figure out why or how they can plead not guilty when she has basically already confused to the crime. Just doesn't make anysens to me can anyone help me out and explain?? thanks

I hear ya!  And other monkeys who have wondered the same thing.  Awhile back, one of our legal-beagle monkeys explained this, and if I remember right, the thing is.... most defense attys do recommend to their clients to plead 'not guilty'.  It's very typical, nearly expected, that most do so, even tho they've confessed.  I just can't remember 'why' they do that.  Some legal technical reason that Jess or someone else can explain better than me.   

[GemXx]

I can't figure out why or how they can plead not guilty when she has basically already confused to the crime. Just doesn't make anysens to me can anyone help me out and explain?? thanks

That boggles my mind as well. It seems like it would save a lot of time and money to work something out instead of a long drawn out trial.

[nana0567]

Did anyone notice in those new court pics or video footage that Alyssa doesn't even look the least bit remorseful? I just dont understand it...but then again we saw video footage of her trying to get her brothers to hurt themselves.

[Northern Rose]

BLOCKED WEBSITE

[Northern Rose]

Chet Pleban Explains What's Next For Alyssa Bustamante (VIDEO)

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO (KTVI - FOX2now.com) - On Tuesday, a 15 year old girl, bound in shackles pleads 'not guilty' in the murder of her nine year old neighbor in Jefferson City. Alyssa Bustamante was charged with the brutal murder of Elizabeth Olten in October. Defense attorney, Chet Pleban explained what will happen next since Bustamante will stand trial as an adult.

http://www.fox2now.com/news/morningshow/ktvi-chet-pleban-alyssa-bustamante-120909,0,1740908.story

[Northern Rose]

Mo. teen charged with murder says residents biased

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- An attorney for a Missouri teenager charged with killing a 9-year-old neighbor says the trial should be moved because local residents are biased against her.

Fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bustamante is to be tried for murder in Cole County for the October killing of Elizabeth Olten.

But Bustamante's attorney says residents are so prejudiced against her that she cannot get a fair trial in Cole County. The change of venue motion cites online public comments made in response to news stories posted by Jefferson City and New York City newspapers.

Authorities say Bustamante strangled, stabbed and cut the throat of Elizabeth because she wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone. She has pleaded not guilty.

http://www.bnd.com/336/story/1043283.html

[Northern Rose]

Bustamante can't get fair trial, lawyer says

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — An attorney for a Missouri teenager charged with killing a 9-year-old neighbor says the trial should be moved because local residents are biased against her.
 
Fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bustamante is to be tried for murder in Cole County for the October killing of Elizabeth Olten.
 
But Bustamante's attorney says residents are so prejudiced against her that she cannot get a fair trial in Cole County. The change of venue motion cites online public comments made in response to news stories posted by Jefferson City and New York City newspapers.
 
Authorities say Bustamante strangled, stabbed and cut the throat of Elizabeth because she wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone. She has pleaded not guilty.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/laworder/story/6EF445F52F323F888625768700567627?OpenDocument

[Northern Rose]

Application for Change of Venue filed by Public Defender with attachments

http://www.colecountycourts.com/documents%20for%20Alyssa%20Dailen%20Bustamante/Application%20for%20Change%20of%20Venue%20filed%20by%20Public%20Defender%20with%20attachments.pdf

[Northern Rose]

Change of venue motion

[FBIwannabe]

There are so many things going on with this that make me nauseous, enrage me, and make me want to somehow stop thinking about it all!  First of all...just looking at her attorney and listening to him enter the plea makes me sick.  I understand wanting to defend people who are innocent and wrongly accused, but how can you defend someone like her?  How do you try and convince people that, through bad police work or whatever loophole he can find, that she didn't actually do this?  Insane or not, she still did it and remains, in my opinion, a threat to society.  As for the change of venue motion and her receiving a fair trial, OF COURSE people feel this way about her because she freaking confessed to killing Elizabeth and lead them to the body!!  Aaaghhh!!   

I have to stop now.  One of the things I'm praying for this week is patience, and I'm really losing it over this.

[no rose colored glasses]

There are so many things going on with this that make me nauseous, enrage me, and make me want to somehow stop thinking about it all!  First of all...just looking at her attorney and listening to him enter the plea makes me sick.  I understand wanting to defend people who are innocent and wrongly accused, but how can you defend someone like her?  How do you try and convince people that, through bad police work or whatever loophole he can find, that she didn't actually do this?  Insane or not, she still did it and remains, in my opinion, a threat to society.  As for the change of venue motion and her receiving a fair trial, OF COURSE people feel this way about her because she freaking confessed to killing Elizabeth and lead them to the body!!  Aaaghhh!!   

I have to stop now.  One of the things I'm praying for this week is patience, and I'm really losing it over this.

This happens all the time. And my guess is there will be some mental defect defense.

[Northern Rose]

There are so many things going on with this that make me nauseous, enrage me, and make me want to somehow stop thinking about it all!  First of all...just looking at her attorney and listening to him enter the plea makes me sick.  I understand wanting to defend people who are innocent and wrongly accused, but how can you defend someone like her?  How do you try and convince people that, through bad police work or whatever loophole he can find, that she didn't actually do this?  Insane or not, she still did it and remains, in my opinion, a threat to society.  As for the change of venue motion and her receiving a fair trial, OF COURSE people feel this way about her because she freaking confessed to killing Elizabeth and lead them to the body!!  Aaaghhh!!   

I have to stop now.  One of the things I'm praying for this week is patience, and I'm really losing it over this.

I am right there with you.  Elizabeth was not treated fairly and I am sure would not have chosen to be murdered.  The monster, planned this, dug two graves, murdered Elizabeth, took police to Elizabeth's body when searchers and LE could not find the grave after being in the area for two days.  There is written evidence, and she told friends she wanted to see what it was like to kill someone.        

[Northern Rose]

There are so many things going on with this that make me nauseous, enrage me, and make me want to somehow stop thinking about it all!  First of all...just looking at her attorney and listening to him enter the plea makes me sick.  I understand wanting to defend people who are innocent and wrongly accused, but how can you defend someone like her?  How do you try and convince people that, through bad police work or whatever loophole he can find, that she didn't actually do this?  Insane or not, she still did it and remains, in my opinion, a threat to society.  As for the change of venue motion and her receiving a fair trial, OF COURSE people feel this way about her because she freaking confessed to killing Elizabeth and lead them to the body!!  Aaaghhh!!   

I have to stop now.  One of the things I'm praying for this week is patience, and I'm really losing it over this.

This happens all the time. And my guess is there will be some mental defect defense.

I really hope you are wrong.  With her being in daily care after her suicide attempt as well as the evaluation that took place when they held her in juvi, I am hoping the whole mental defense is out the window.  If she manages to get a mental health defense then that would not speak well of the services she has been receiving prior to the murder. 

[Northern Rose]

Mo. teen charged with murder says residents biased

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — An attorney for a Missouri teenager charged with killing a 9-year-old neighbor says his client's trial should be moved because local residents are biased against her.

Fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bustamante is to be tried for murder in Cole County in the October death of Elizabeth Olten.

But Bustamante's attorney says residents are so prejudiced against her that she cannot get a fair trial in Cole County. The change of venue motion cites online public comments made in response to news stories posted by newspapers in Jefferson City and New York City.

Authorities say Bustamante strangled Elizabeth, stabbed her and cut her throat because she wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone. She has pleaded not guilty.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j0daWk3sRLzLhXktLIXEETYccUTwD9CFT4K00

[Wyks]

Bustamante can't get fair trial, lawyer says

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — An attorney for a Missouri teenager charged with killing a 9-year-old neighbor says the trial should be moved because local residents are biased against her.
 
Fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bustamante is to be tried for murder in Cole County for the October killing of Elizabeth Olten.
 
But Bustamante's attorney says residents are so prejudiced against her that she cannot get a fair trial in Cole County. The change of venue motion cites online public comments made in response to news stories posted by Jefferson City and New York City newspapers.
 
Authorities say Bustamante strangled, stabbed and cut the throat of Elizabeth because she wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone. She has pleaded not guilty.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/laworder/story/6EF445F52F323F888625768700567627?OpenDocument

Oh for pete's sake!!  Am hoping the judge laffs this change of venue motion out of court.  No need to blame "online public comments" for her not getting a fair trial.  Sheeesh.  Did he also present copies of what his client HERSELF put online beforehand?  The videos, the MS content etc.  The comments that she herself said to her friends beforehand?  Ermmm no he did not.  Didn't think so.  And why not include those?  If we're gonna use the "let's play the online public comments blame game", well yes, let's play it to it's fullest.  But no.. not a word about any of that. 

IMO, nowhere in the world will residents be anything other than prejudiced against her.  Not 10 miles down the road, not 200 miles away, not 1500 miles, or even in another freaking country!  Get a clue Mr. Defense Atty, you are saddled with a client that not many are gonna be sympathetic toward, no matter what out-of-the-way lenient court you try to find.  Quit whining and deal with it!  Suck it up, and think of ways to actually defend her, if that's at all possible.  Pfffft. 

IMO. 

[Wyks]

There are so many things going on with this that make me nauseous, enrage me, and make me want to somehow stop thinking about it all!  First of all...just looking at her attorney and listening to him enter the plea makes me sick.  I understand wanting to defend people who are innocent and wrongly accused, but how can you defend someone like her?  How do you try and convince people that, through bad police work or whatever loophole he can find, that she didn't actually do this?  Insane or not, she still did it and remains, in my opinion, a threat to society.  As for the change of venue motion and her receiving a fair trial, OF COURSE people feel this way about her because she freaking confessed to killing Elizabeth and lead them to the body!!  Aaaghhh!!   

I have to stop now.  One of the things I'm praying for this week is patience, and I'm really losing it over this.

This happens all the time. And my guess is there will be some mental defect defense.

I really hope you are wrong.  With her being in daily care after her suicide attempt as well as the evaluation that took place when they held her in juvi, I am hoping the whole mental defense is out the window.  If she manages to get a mental health defense then that would not speak well of the services she has been receiving prior to the murder. 

Good points made! 

We've read that she had in-home therapy for up to two hours each day.  As a clinician, I find that hard to believe.  Someone with a client who needs more out-patient care than what insurance will pay for (typically no more than two sessions a week in the office, not at home), will likely refer that client to in-patient treatment.  And since she wasn't in that kind of program, her therapist must not have felt the need for it.  Am betting that she actually had 1-2 one hour sessions a week.  In the office, not at home.   

Folks have said that the grandparents/teachers/family didn't do enough, and while that may be entirely true, we don't know what all had been tried.  She was in therapy tho, according to reports.  So her defense atty cannot say that nothing was tried.  Of course, just as when we lead a horse to water, we cannot make them drink..... Neither can we make a person actually work with a therapist when provided.  I've heard of teens/adults who just sat in a therapist's office and refused to participate, not say a word watching the clock, or .... say anything and everything just to get everyone off their back.  It's frustrating! 

Since she was under the care of a mental health professional, on an out-patient basis, at the time of Elizabeth's death, she must have been considered by the professional to be mentally stable at that same time..... So then, IMO, the defense likely won't succeed in suggesting that she was 'mentally UNstable' at that time.  He can try anything he wants to, not that it's gonna work. 

Again, just my opinion.


 

[Txsflame]

Just wondering and wanting others thoughts. IF AB sat through hours of thrapey and refused to particpate, and except help... does this prove she did not have a problem..meaning she was in touch enough to hide what was going through her head?? Another scenerio, if she truly comvinced therapist she wasnt homocidial(as one newspaper reported) isnt that yet another sign she isnt insane??

[mizjay]

There are so many things going on with this that make me nauseous, enrage me, and make me want to somehow stop thinking about it all!  First of all...just looking at her attorney and listening to him enter the plea makes me sick.  I understand wanting to defend people who are innocent and wrongly accused, but how can you defend someone like her?  How do you try and convince people that, through bad police work or whatever loophole he can find, that she didn't actually do this?  Insane or not, she still did it and remains, in my opinion, a threat to society.  As for the change of venue motion and her receiving a fair trial, OF COURSE people feel this way about her because she freaking confessed to killing Elizabeth and lead them to the body!!  Aaaghhh!!   

I have to stop now.  One of the things I'm praying for this week is patience, and I'm really losing it over this.

This happens all the time. And my guess is there will be some mental defect defense.

I really hope you are wrong.  With her being in daily care after her suicide attempt as well as the evaluation that took place when they held her in juvi, I am hoping the whole mental defense is out the window.  If she manages to get a mental health defense then that would not speak well of the services she has been receiving prior to the murder. 

Good points made! 

We've read that she had in-home therapy for up to two hours each day.  As a clinician, I find that hard to believe.  Someone with a client who needs more out-patient care than what insurance will pay for (typically no more than two sessions a week in the office, not at home), will likely refer that client to in-patient treatment.  And since she wasn't in that kind of program, her therapist must not have felt the need for it.  Am betting that she actually had 1-2 one hour sessions a week.  In the office, not at home.   

Folks have said that the grandparents/teachers/family didn't do enough, and while that may be entirely true, we don't know what all had been tried.  She was in therapy tho, according to reports.  So her defense atty cannot say that nothing was tried.  Of course, just as when we lead a horse to water, we cannot make them drink..... Neither can we make a person actually work with a therapist when provided.  I've heard of teens/adults who just sat in a therapist's office and refused to participate, not say a word watching the clock, or .... say anything and everything just to get everyone off their back.  It's frustrating! 

Since she was under the care of a mental health professional, on an out-patient basis, at the time of Elizabeth's death, she must have been considered by the professional to be mentally stable at that same time..... So then, IMO, the defense likely won't succeed in suggesting that she was 'mentally UNstable' at that time.  He can try anything he wants to, not that it's gonna work. 

Again, just my opinion.


 

The spin starts right away once the attys. get involved. No matter about the 2 graves. No matter about her explanation/confession. Now we're supposed to find it in our hearts to feel sorry for this killer because she has problems. Unless she had been severely abused throughout her short life and murdered her abuser, I can't find it my being to muster up any sympathy for her.
He!!, I feel mentally unstable half the time! I actually think it would be harder for a truly unstable person to commit murder. Seems like you'd have to be a little clever and devious to kill someone unless it was one of those horrible,out of control homicides where everybody goes"what kind of nut does something this terrible?"
Not making much sense so I'll go get under a blanket, ever since moving to Southern Cal. I've gotten to be such a wuss. I'm cold right now and it's about 59*, warm thoughts to all of you who are in the real cold.