Alyssa Bustamante, the 15-year-old who killed just to know what it feels like

In short
On October 21, 2009 in St. Martins, Missouri, 15-year-old Alyssa Bustamante lured her 9-year-old neighbor Elizabeth Olten into the woods and killed her, just to know what it felt like. In 2012 she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life plus 30 years. In July 2024 she was denied parole; her next hearing is set for 2029.

What did you usually do when you were 15? Personally I read a lot, listened to music and was interested in mysteries. An ordinary girl with an ordinary girl’s thoughts: school, friends, family, the future.

Alyssa Bustamante, on the other hand, at 15 dreamed of killing someone. She was so curious to know what it felt like to kill a human being that, as soon as she had the chance, she really did it.

Who was Alyssa Bustamante

Alyssa was born on January 28, 1994 and was a troubled teenager. Her mother had addiction problems and her father was in prison, so from 2002 she and her three younger siblings lived with their grandparents, Gary and Karen Brooke, in St. Martins, a small town near Jefferson City, Missouri.

Her grandparents’ love, however, wasn’t enough to heal her wounds. Around 2007 friends noticed that Alyssa had changed: she was suffering from severe depression, was hospitalized and was treated by a psychiatrist, who prescribed antidepressants. Later experts diagnosed her with major depression and features of borderline personality disorder.

Alyssa attended the local Mormon church and went out with friends, but online she showed another face. On her Twitter profile she wrote messages about “addiction” and “terror”, and one in particular said:

All I want in life is a reason for all this pain.

Even more disturbing was her YouTube profile, where she listed “killing people” among her hobbies. In one video she touches an electric fence and then pushes her little siblings to do the same, amusedly commenting that “now my siblings get hurt”. She confided to a friend that she would like to know what it feels like to kill someone.

The murder

About a week before the murder Alyssa dug two holes in the woods behind her house. She wanted to find out what it feels like to kill someone and was getting ahead with the work.

On the evening of October 21, 2009 she persuaded her little sister to call Elizabeth Olten, a 9-year-old girl who lived four houses down, to come and play in the woods.

When Elizabeth arrived, Alyssa left her sister outside and took the girl into the trees, where she killed her with a knife. Then she buried her in one of the graves she had dug, covering her with leaves. She went home and wrote in her diary that she had just killed someone and that, once past the initial fear, it was “pretty enjoyable”.

She ended the entry saying she had to get ready for church. And indeed she went to a church dance while everyone was searching for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth’s parents were frightened immediately: the girl was afraid of the dark and would never wander off alone. Her mother called the police and search parties were organized, with many volunteers. Suspicion soon fell on Alyssa, who broke down, confessed and led police to where she had hidden the body, two days after the murder.

Trial and sentence

Alyssa was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Despite being 15, the judge ruled she would be tried as an adult. In jail she was kept under close watch for fear she would harm herself.

In January 2012 Alyssa accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action. In court, for the first time, she cried looking at her grandparents and apologized to Elizabeth’s family.

The judge sentenced her to life with the possibility of parole, plus 30 years to be served afterwards. In 2014 her appeal was denied. Elizabeth’s mother, Patricia Preiss, sued her and obtained an agreement requiring Alyssa to disclose any earnings related to the case.

Alyssa Bustamante today

Alyssa is held at Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri. Thanks to a 2021 law intended for juveniles serving long sentences, in 2024 she was able to apply for parole, amid protests from Elizabeth’s family, who begged the board not to release her.

On July 8, 2024 the parole board denied her release. Her next hearing is set for 2029.

Even if she were one day released from the life sentence, she would still have to serve at least part of the 30 years for armed criminal action: the earliest she could be free is 2044, when she will be 50. The 2012 thriller film “My Name Is ‘A’ by Anonymous” is loosely based on her story.

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