Another Attack By A Teenager?!

Nicholas Chamberlain, a 16-year-old High School Student from Anchorage, Alaska, was arrested December 7, 2009 after he lured his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend, into a wooded area, and then stabbed her 29 times. According to police, Chamberlain asked his ex-girlfriend, Lory Miebs, to follow him onto the Service High Soccer Fields, behind the school with a promise of a ring. 
After luring her to the field, Nicholas then told Lori to close her eyes - promising her a magic trick. Instead, he pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed the teen in the neck. He then pinned her down with his knees and continued to stab the teen girl 29 times. The attack was so brutal that he even bent the blade of the knife in the process. 

During the attack, Kenneth Schultz happened to be cross-country skiing on the field and heard screams. As he came closer to the ordeal he saw blood on the trail and immediately called 911, reporting that a young teen was "punching" a girl. During the phone call he realized Chamberlain was using a knife and not his fists. Two other High School students reported hearing someone screaming, "God Help Me!", at which point they approached the scene of the crime and recognized both Chamberlain and the victim. The male student yelled at Chamberlain to stop to which he responded, "Fuck Off" as he walked towards the male student. This allowed L.M to get up off the ground and make an attempt at escape. At this point Chamberlain turned and chased L.M. stabbing her multiple times in the back and arms. The students reported that L.M was covered in so much blood that they could not tell where the stab wounds were.


Schultz, attempting to remove his skis, began yelling at Chamberlain to stop. Chamberlain was not deterred so Schultz reportedly kicked Chamberlain to get him off of his ex-girlfriend. Chamberlain responded by attempting to slash the man with his knife. Schultz retreated with his glasses covered in blood. After stabbing L.M. several more times, Chamberlain abruptly stopped and took off into the woods. 
Fleeing on foot, Chamberlain lead two-dozen Anchorage police officers, a K9 Unit, and a helicopter, on an hour-long manhunt. During the pursuit an officer contacted Chamberlain's mother who provided the police with her son's cell phone number. The officer made contact with Chamberlain who lied and told him he was in the woods at a distant location. At 12:48pm a man called the police, reporting that a teen male dressed in all black, was seen cutting through his yard. Chamberlain was taken into custody at approximately 12:51pm. He was wearing a hat, bandana, and glasses, which Schultz confirmed he was not wearing during the attack.

With the aid of the K9 unit Police later found a bloody jacket, t-shirt and knife which had been bent into a “J” from the attack. L.M was transferred to the Alaska Native Medical Center where she confirmed the attack and said that her and Chamberlain had previously dated for 9 months but that she had broken up with him the week before. L.M sustained multiple stab wounds to her face, head, neck, chest, hands, legs, and back. She also suffered internal bleeding. She underwent surgery the following monday and is now in stable condition.

Chamberlain was initially emotionless and denied having any recollection of the attack. He also waived his rights to have a parent and attorney present. It wasn't until later in police investigation that he opened up to officers telling them of his plan to give L.M the silver ring, asking her to stand with her eyes closed and her neck up, while he performed a magic trick. He confessed that the "plan did not go as planned". He admitted that he knew she had already begun seeing someone else. He confessed the entire attack in great detail, as well as his threats to Schultz and the other high school students. He did not explain WHY he attacked her. 

Chamberlain was booked into the McLaughlin Youth Center before being transferred to the Anchorage jail where he will now await trial. Due to the brutal nature of the attack, and the extreme planning that went into it, Chamberlain will be charged as an adult on charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, third-degree assault and tampering with evidence. He faces anywhere between 12 to 134 years in prison if convicted.

(Read The Full Police Report Here) 


According to Margaret Abraham, Chamberlain's grandmother, he was greatly upset when he discovered that Lory was dating someone else. She said that friends had told him of Lory's new boyfriend but that Chamberlain refused to accept it until he discovered them together. 


Shelee Chamberlain, Nicholas Chamberlain's mother gave a statement recently saying, "This is a tragic event that has shocked and saddened our family. We feel deep remorse that this has occurred. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and her family and pray that she'll recover and live a full life. Nothing justifies what has happened." (Image Sources Here)


Are these random isolated events? Or are young teens becoming increasingly more violent? 

Updates: Alyssa Bustamante Court Hearing

* Alyssa Dailene Bustamante returned to the court today for her second hearing since her arrest on October 23, 2009. She stood before the Cole County Court on December 8, 2009 where her lawyers entered a plea of "Not Guilty" for the 15 year old Missouri teen. The hearing lasted less than one minute, during which Alyssa was said to have kept very quiet, averting her eyes and keeping her head down. She is being held without bail at the Cole County Jail and another hearing date has been set for February 16th at 9am, when attorney's will confirm if they are ready to move forward with the trial. 
(Click here to read the article)
(Click here to listen to the hearing)

Bustamante's lawyer, Jan King, is requesting that her case be transferred to a new county due to vast prejudice that has surmounted since her arrest. Missouri law allows not only for a change in venue but for jurors from other counties to be brought into Cole County to reside over the case. King submitted a magnitude of internet comments to support and impact his venue change request. 

Web bloggers on sites like ABC.com and Fox News have rushed the airwaves with comments condemning the young girl and wishing her a "slow" and "painful" death. The majority of these "concerned" citizens are quick to blame the parents, many unfamiliar with Alyssa's family situation and ready to pass judgement based on headlines. These internet activists are even quicker to call her "evil", a "sociopath", "a demon undeserving of the air she breathes"... 


I ask you, what separates these bloodthirsty bloggers from the tormented teen, who at the time was heavily under the influence while taking prozac for major depressive disorder? These "moral" people sitting behind their computer screens, who are so keen to see a severely depressed 15 year old child meet the electric chair, and who even go so far as to call for other heinous, inhumane methods to make her suffer nonetheless?! Because the victim was an innocent? Because she wronged first? What makes any of these desires for bloodlust appropriate?

Please don't tell me "an eye for an eye" or I shall be forced to quote Ghandi and launch into a tirade against quoting the bible just on the laurels that it is the bible. Let's not have God be your answer for wishing pain and suffering upon a lost and damaged adolescent. In my mind murder is murder and never is rightly so. 



I suppose I should iterate that I am in no way defending or making less the horrible, unforgivable decisions that Alyssa has made. I just feel that there is more to be obtained from the psychological elements of this case than simply writing her off as a bad seed. 
(Watch Video Interview w/Alyssa's Friend)
Was it her under-developed mind and lack of parental love that has not afforded her the proper functioning for consequence? Was it a deadly combination of depression, drugs, and alcohol? Or has this girl simply been masquerading, buying her time, and plotting her evil schemes, as the media-inducing headlines would have us believe? 


*Pictures via ABC.Com and Associated Press

An American Nightmare in Italy

Most people have heard of the now infamous case of
Amanda Knox, the Seattle College student who, while studying abroad, was tried and convicted on December 4, 2009, and is currently serving a 26 year term in an Capannne, an Italian Prison for murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher.
Knox, who the media has nicknamed "Foxy Knoxy", a name given to her by childhood teammates due to the way she crouched while playing soccer, was only 20 years old at the time of the murder and had been studying in Italy for just under 2 months. Meredith Kercher, who was 22 at the time of her death, was a British exchange student taking part in the ERASMUS Programme where she would complete her degree in European Studies. The two girls shared an apartment home, Via Della Pergoia 7, in Perguia, a medieval city set 115 miles outside of Rome.

On November 1, 2007 somewhere between the hours of 9pm and 11pm Kercher was sexually assaulted and stabbed in the neck. She was found lying under a duvet cover, soaked in blood. Her neck had been stabbed by a pen knife. The next day Amanda had reportedly returned home to find Meredith's bedroom door locked. Amanda then phoned Filomena, another housemate who arrived at the Villa with her boyfriend. It was the boyfriend who then kicked down Meredith's door in the presence of the police. This account is contrary to what many news sources would lead you to believe; many state Amanda and her Italian boyfriend,  Raffaelle Solliceto were found home alone by police at the scene of the crime. When questioned Amanda Knox, stated she had spent the night at Raffaelle's home after smoking marijuana all evening and had become worried when she could not reach Meredith the next morning.  Both Knox and Sollecito were present at the house when the police arrived after locating Kercher's abandoned cell phones. They instantly became prime suspects in the case. 
A third party was also convicted in this case, Rudy Guede, 21 at the time, was described as a "drug dealer and a thief" and was the only person who admitted to being present at the time of the murder, although he denied having any involvement. He was well known in Perguia as being a thief and as always carrying a knife. According to Guede he and the victim had engaged in consensual sex that evening. Upon completion he had become sick from a "bad kebab" and was in the bathroom listening to music on his ipod when he heard Kercher's screams. According to his testimony Guede said he then emerged from the bathroom to find an unknown Italian man stabbing Kercher. He said he then fled back to Germany due to fear. The Prosecution deemed this a "highly improbable fantasy" and on behest of his own request Guede received a fast track trial, being sentenced to 30 years in prison, nearly a year before Knox and Sollecito even stood trial. (Article on the Conviction). He did not originally testify to having seen Amanda Knox nor Raffaelle Solliceto at the scene. Only after repeated interrogatons did he finally point the finger at the couple saying that they were indeed present and were involved in a dispute with Kercher over money. Despite this forced "confession" Guede was still charged with murder as The Prosecution had developed a theory that the three had acted together to murder Kercher. 
Throughout the trial and investigation Knox and Sollecito maintained their innocence; however, their accounts of that evening did not remain consistent. Knox was arrested a few days after the murder when she allegedly implicated herself by changing her story and admitting she was in the home and heard Kercher's screams. It was later revealed that after spending a total of 40 hours at the Police Station, 14-20 of which were spent in intensive interrogation, Knox changed her story only after being hit in the head and repeatedly broken down by the police. Even so she never confessed to the crime. Later after finally leaving interrogation Knox immediately wrote a letter refuting the statement given under Police duress. She returned to her original story and blamed her tainted statement on Police coercion and a cloudy memory of the night's events due to smoking hashish. (Article on Amanda's Accounts and the case). 
In this coerced statement Knox indicated Congolese Bar owner, Patrick Diya Lumumba, saying that her "friend Meredith" went off with him to her bedroom when she arrived home. Knox said that at one point she heard the screams and became so frightened she covered her ears. She further states that she doesn't recall if Sollecito was present or not and the next thing she remembers was waking up in his bed at his house. Patrick owned the bar Le Chic where Amanda had been working and although he was arrested because of these accusations he was released soon after due to lack of evidencece. (Read Excerpts from the Witness Statements Here). This statement was taken in the grueling long investigation which was conducted without the presence of a lawyer nor an interpreter. 
Sollecito's account remains that he was home with Amanda smoking cannabis but that he was uncertain whether or not Amanda had left at any points in the evening. After the initial questioning both returned to their original sentiments of being nowhere near the home at the time of the murder.

So aside from fuzzy accounts of the night in question, what actual tangible evidence did the Prosecution hold against the three accused?? The prosecution spun a tale of sex and drugs implying that in an intoxicated state Sollecito and Knox had propositioned Kercher to join them in a threesome so that they could feel "extreme sensations, intense sexual relations, to break up the monotony of everyday life" (quote from Judge Claudia Matteini).   It was during this interaction that the Prosecution speculated the evening's events turned dangerous and violent. They pontificated that something so horrible had occurred that the accused had no other choice but to kill Meredith Kercher than to risk her "ratting on them". The Prosecution painted a gruesome image of a wild sex party that took a bizarre turn to the satanic sacrificial. 
48 Hours Mystery questions the unusual way the Prosecution came to this story and the multiple holes in their physical evidence:

As for physical evidence, (Complete Physical Evidence Reportt) Prosecution presented a bloody footprint found in Kercher's room which they said "matched the footwear worn by Sollecito". His defense adamantly denied this accusation and managed to disprove this evidence in court. Rudy Guede later admitted that the bloody footprints belonged to him and that he disposed of the soiled shoes in a dumpster in Germany. The Prosecution also released after multiple investigations, that Sollecito's DNA was found on the clasp of Kercher's bra strap which was removed from her body the night of the murder. This clasp was separated from the actual bra and was not investigated until 6 weeks later when the team returned for an additional search. No instruments were used to transfer this item into evidence and video footage shows the clasp changing locations during subsequent crime scene sweeps (CBS, 48 Hours Mystery). They also alleged that the Manga Comics, which portray violent slayings of vampires, had so fascinated Sollecito that this had become a "huge fantasy" for him and had acted as a driving force in Sollecito's desire to murder Kercher. (Complete Summary on Knox Case). 

The Prosecution also alleged that Knox's DNA was found on the handle of the knife used to stab Kercher's neck. This knife was later found at Sollecito's apartment and lab tests "claimed" to have discovered a faint trace of Kercher's DNA on the blade. This "faint trace"  amounted to trillionths of a gram and would in America would not be admissible in court. Additionally this so-called "murder weapon" measured 6 1/2 inches, far too big to be consistent with Kercher's wounds. When this knife was recovered days later from Sollecito's home, the police could find no blood evidence. Even the Prosecution prime witness was not sure of her account of the night's events. This witness was entirely uncertain of the date of the "screams" and "footsteps" she had testified to hearing. The only definite DNA was that of Guede's. His DNA was found inside Kercher, confirming that they had engaged in sexual intercourse, and his feces were also found in the toilet, all of which is consistent with his original testimony. HIS DNA, HIS footprints, HIS confession of being present at the time of the murder and no substantial evidence to place Knox and Sollecito at the scene... yet The Prosecution was hell bent on their involvement.

The trial quickly turned into a media frenzy focusing on the "promiscuous" "party-girl" aspect of Amanda Knox and all but convicting her with a salacious character assassination campaign. On her myspace page (Although deleted, Click here for cached versions) Knox came off as an eager, life-loving, young woman excited about studying abroad and enthusiastic for her future. Also on her profile were blogs of her daily life coupled with short stories as she was a Literature and Creative Writing major. One story in particular intrigued the Prosecution. It was a story about 2 brothers who drugged and raped a young woman named Victoria. (Read More Here). The prosecution was quick to use this in their character testimony of Knox. It was hard for the defense to contend with such tantalizing accusations. Their portrayal  of Knox as an American Amelie was far less Headline worthy than "Foxy Knoxy, The Sex-Craved Thrill Seeking American who murdered her quiet, studious housemate in a sacrificial threesome!" Knox's numerous academic achievements, which included making The Dean's List at the University of Washington, nor her friend's unfaltering accounts of her kindness, were anywhere to found in the Italian Headlines. 


In the two years she sat in prison awaiting her trial Knox kept a detailed diary vehemently maintaining her innocence and commenting on the mass amounts of "fan mail" she was receiving from male suitors. (Read about her prison diaries here). Also while in Prison Knox was falsely led to believe she had tested HIV positive and was told to write a list of all her former lovers. Before Knox was alerted that this diagnosis was incorrect, her list, containing seven names, was seized by the Prosecution and used against her in court. Clearly what The Prosecution lacked in evidence they made up for in imagination and slander. They their built a case dependent upon this sex-craved wild child image. They even indicated that Knox and Kercher had a rocky friendship and that at the time of the murder Knox vehemently "hated" her roommate. Kercher's father said that his daughter had complained about Knox's bathroom habits and the fact that she had so quickly hooked up with a man upon arriving in Italy. (Kercher's Family Speaks Out Article).  Yet Amanda and those who knew her insisted that Kercher and Knox were indeed on good terms and respected one another. 
What the media deemed "Knox's strange behavior" during police questioning was also brought under scrutiny. Accounts of Knox doing cartwheels and giggling during the investigation surfaced juxtaposed with images of her smiling face during trial proceedings. This breezy attitude was attacked by the media likening it to psychopathic tendencies and stating she had no notion of the severity of her situation. (Article on Knox's Odd Attitude). Before Amanda went to trial the newspaper and tabloid headlines had all but convicted her in the public's eye. This was particularly damaging as Amanda's jury was not sequestered nor questioned for unfair bias. 

Did the Prosecution spin a salacious story and did the Media convict Knox in the Juror's minds well before she had even gone to trial? Did a random Italian man murder Meredith Kercher as testified by Rudy Guede, the only person who admits to being present at the time of her murder? Or are the holes and inconsistencies in Knox and Sollecito's testimony a confirmation of their guilt? 

Although the Prosecution had pressed for Italy's stiffest punishment, life in prison, both Sollecito and Knox on December 4, 2009, received 25, and 26 years in prison, respectfully. While Sollecito is being transferred to a solitary confinement in a sex offender's wing of the prison, the jury decided that Knox should not be placed under similar restraints. (Article with Video on Hearing) She has returned to her 5 person cell which contains beds, a desk and chair, a television and a place where Knox and her cellmates can cook food for themselves. She is also allowed access to newspapers, books, and writing materials and has spent her last two years polishing her Italian and learning German and Chinese. She is allowed exercise and outdoor privileges as well as in-person visits from family members. (Read about her Prison Comforts). Is Knox receiving special treatment because of her good looks and sunny disposition? Is this the reason for the Jury's leniency in her sentencing versus the isolation handed down to Sollecito?

With good behavior Knox could gain daytime release from prison in 15 years with respect to time served. She has 45 days to request an appeal and it is suspected to take place somewhere in the later half of 2010. 
Even though The Prosecutor was facing charges of abuse of office, obstruction of office, and was concurrently under indictment during Knox's case, The Italian System still allowed him to head Amanda's case. Where is the justice? How can someone accused of lying and breaking the law be allowed to uphold it?


The Italian Justice System clearly does not observe the same laws and standards as the US system. The lack of representation and interpretation for Amanda during her interrogation would be a blatant violation in America and would have resulted in the charges against her being dismissed. The evidence contamination, the lack of conclusive DNA samples, and the outrageous admission of the fraudulently collected "partner's list" should never have been admissible in court. The Prosecution complete lack of physical evidence, their inability to place either Knox or Sollecito at the scene of the crime, left them with nothing more than character assaination campaign and the wildly imaginative recreation of the night's events. 
The US system is quick to condemn Italy for this great abuse of power yet when it comes to conspiracy theories and Media Convictions, what exactly is the difference?  We've seen innumerable cases which resulted in guilty verdicts based on circumstantial evidence and fueled by media slander. (See the case of Mechele Linehan) 

Perhaps if Amanda Knox had to be convicted than is it better for her that she serve it within the comforts of The Italian Prison System which allows far more leniency than that of the American System? Does this system make up for its fallacies with its prisoner handling accommodations? 
Hilary Clinton has recently agreed to look into Amanda's case and her parent's have vowed to fight the conviction with an appeal. Although I feel all of the links presented are highly useful, I urge everyone to specifically take a look at the link attached in Amanda Knox's name in the first sentence of this article. This link, which I feel is important enough to repost, Friends of Amanda, is extremely researched and influential. Please take your time to view all the links on this page and if you feel strongly, contribute your opinion to her case.

Inconsistencies- Mary Winkler and Mechele Linehan

I have been serving myself an overload of forensic, investigative, true crime horror stories of human fallacy and I can’t stop reading. I can’t stop watching. What snaps in these people to make them throw away kindness and control? Is it some thick brooding violence that has always dwelled deep inside of them? Is it something that was instilled in them through horrible childhood experiences? Or are these just good people who make awful, impulsive mistakes? Who see no other means, no other solutions… and just act. Does logic simply escape them? Do they lack the control that other non-violent human beings exude? What causes them to kill when others choose to resolve?

Some cases are cut and dry. Some predators show no remorse. Some believe their victims deserved it. Some claim self-defense. Some claim insanity. Some claim childhood trauma or abuse or depression. And some people.. some people plead innocence…

I have such little faith left in our justice system that it honestly scares me. So many inconsistencies. So many errors, flaws… murderers walking free due to a judge signing on the wrong line, or an investigator obstructing evidence. I saw one man caught on tape in multiple interviews attempting to hire an undercover cop to murder his wife and family, even going so far as to secure the hit with $5000.00 in crisp green bills. He stood trial, was found guilty, and served to face up to 30 years behind bars, but in some odd twist of luck the Judge felt the man was far too important as a Surgeon for his community to be locked up. Instead the man was sentenced to 45 days of house arrest and probation. In another case, identical to the last, an average hardworking man undergoing a brutal divorce battle, attempted the same hit. Same circumstances, less money. He was found guilty and is currently serving 10 years in prison. Where is the standard? 

In another case, a preacher’s wife, Mary Winkler, one morning woke up and shot her husband in the back with a shotgun at point blank range. From all outside accounts they had a happy marriage with three daughters and he was a well-respected central figure in their small town. During the trial the wife produced a pair of 4-inch heels and a blonde wig; through tears she confessed her deceased husband “made” her wear these “evil” items during sex and regularly spoke down to her. She said he was rough with her behind doors and frequently perused porn sites and videos. While I don’t doubt her sexist “Saintly” husband was probably cold, controlling, and perverted, there is nothing more than her testimony to confirm this. No witnesses, no evidence. And this next begs the question, why not divorce him? Why not ask for help? When does murder become your best option?

The defense proceeded to make their case around one psychiatrist’s evaluation that stated, “previous trauma can lead people to go into “fogs” wherein they are not responsible for their actions”. They then concluded that Mary Winkler’s death of her infant sister when Mary was nine caused this “fog” to occur on the night of the murder. Mary testified that at 6 am her husband kicked her out of bed to stop the baby from crying. That she went into the bedroom and found him attempting to silence the baby with his hand. She then went into the kitchen and made coffee where she decided to go into the bedroom and “confront her husband” about his abuse. At this point, her memory goes blank, her so-called “fog” kicks in and the next thing she recalls is her bloody husband gasping for life. The defense also concluded that it was entirely possible the shotgun had misfired and that murder was never her intention. They failed to provide any reasoning for how the shotgun came to be in Mary Winkler’s hand, loaded, cocked, and pointed at her slumbering husband.

While I do not deny that black-outs and lapses in memory are entirely real and backed by psychological research, I simply affirm that there is no evidence to apply these findings to this case. Luckily for Mary Winkler she had 10 female jury members, many of which were housewives and mothers. In interviews following the conviction the female jurors emotionally connected with Mary and stated they believed every word she said. The 2 male jurors, on the other hand, did not believe any of it for a minute. These 12 everyday people, with no knowledge of the law, no background in psychological findings, and of limited education, were handed the fate of a woman and the retribution of a victim’s family. They had to decide between five convictions spanning First Degree Murder carrying the death penalty, all the way to criminal negligence holding less than a year in prison. The jury debated and they managed to settle on involuntary manslaughter, with, once time served was taken into account, concluded with Mary Winkler serving only 67 more days in prison for the murder of her husband.



Compare this with the case of Mechele Linehan; She had a credibly verified alibi and absolutely zero physical evidence tying her to the murder of Kent Leppink in 1996, but when the case was reopened in 2006 and her former roommate John Carlin was found guilty (*based solely on a testimony of his young son who vaguely recalled seeing his father wash a shotgun in a sink 10 years prior*) Mechele was plucked from her caring husband, beautiful daughter, and new life she had worked so very hard the last 10 years to obtain, and locked in prison in Alaska. She faced first degree murder charges because although they knew she could not have pulled the trigger, they felt she was the “mastermind” behind the murder. After a solicitous, slanderous, media-crazed trial, in which the prosecution even stretched so far as to compare Mechele to the vixen in the movie The Last Seduction, she was convicted, based primarily on her past occupation as a stripper. Every headline read “Stripper turned soccer mom faces murder charges”. EVERY headline employed the word STRIPPER. As if that one word in someway was synonymous with murderer. Although Mechele hoped to receive leniency from the judge who had the ability to produce an extremely limited sentence, she found none. The judge said he saw no difference between the one who carries out the act and the one who requests it. Mechele was sentenced to 99 years in prison and has been fighting for an appeal ever since.

Although Mechele Linehan was an employee of a gentlemen’s club for two years while she paid her way through college, and she had since put herself through graduate school, worked for many charities and organizations, married a doctor, and started her own business, she was still judged on this singular title: Stripper. Juror’s blatantly stated they could not trust someone who “manipulated men” for a living. Kent Leppink’s character was never brought into the courtroom; he had been excommunicated from his family for extorting money from their business, and was a frequent patron of Mechele’s at the strip club, going so far as to stalk her-- now to clarify I am in no way insinuating that this justifies what happened to him, but could someone who engages in these activities not come into contact with other less favorable characters? Still the defense felt, as the law states, the burden of proof lies upon the prosecution,beyond reasonable doubt. In interviews proceeding the verdict, one of the juror’s stated she was “shocked” and “surprised” that the police took Mechele to jail after they announced their decision. Seriously? Does anyone else see a problem with this?

67 days for holding the gun and firing point blank, versus 99 years with little to no linking evidence. Where is the justice? 


"If freedom is a right, then why do we treat it as a privilege?"

Alyssa Dailene Bustamante

Alyssa Dailene Bustamante, a 15-year-old Jefferson City teen was arrested after she admitted to murdering her 9-year-old neighbor, Elizabeth Olten, because “she wanted to know what it felt like”.

According to police reports, On October 21st Bustamante strangled and stabbed Elizabeth, slashed her throat, and then buried her in one of two graves she had previously dug a week before the murder. When asked, the leading officer, Sergeant David Rice, declined to comment on the purpose of the second grave. He did however pause when asked if Elizabeth's body was found in only one of the graves, before replying, "No I can't tell you that right now." (Read that story here)
Investigators say a search was launched for the 4th grader after she was reported missing October 21. Elizabeth's family was instantly concerned when it became dark and Elizabeth had not yet returned home. One family member commented that Elizabeth was extremely afraid of the dark so she was immediately worried.

Police found what they are calling “written evidence” that led them to Bustamante, who, on October 23rd, showed investigators where Olten's body was buried. She led them to the graves which were situated within a wooded area that had already previously been searched. Bustamante was arrested and placed into Juvenile Detention.
When questioned why she killed the little girl, Bustamante stated that she just wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone. In a later interview, Trisha Rhodes, a close friend of Bustamante's commented that Alyssa had previously expressed this desire to her but that she did not take it seriously. Another close friend, Jennifer Meyer, told News 4's Mark Schnyder, that at a birthday party Alyssa had pulled her aside and told her the same thing. She speaks about their friendship and the Alyssa that she knew. (Watch that interview here). *Read further interview details with friends in this article: Bustamante's Friend Speaks Out.

Bustamante's friends and family describe her as a bright and normal teenager who regularly attended church youth camps and sermons. They spoke of the change in her attitude at age 13, when she tried to commit suicide. She had been receiving mental help for her depression and was taking Prozac at the time of the murder. Her father is currently serving jail time for assault and her mother was recently released after serving time for drug related charges. Alyssa has been living with her grandparents, her Aunt Kathryn Neito-Puckett, her Aunt's recent husband Ryan Puckett, her two younger brothers, and her younger sister. Bustamante's younger sister was good friends with Elizabeth Olten and had been playing with the victim before the incident.

Photographs of Alyssa show a teen fascinated with what many would deem morbid topics. Juxtaposed with the images of her blackened eyes and blood colored lips are those that show her sweetly smiling with stuffed animals and laughing with friends at youth camp. (Click to view photos: 20 Photos of Alyssa Bustamante )

Bustamante had many online profiles, some of which speak of “pain and terrors” and reference depression. Mixed in with these feelings are normal everyday events and sentiments of a 15 year old child. On Bustamante's YouTube account she lists her hobbies as "killing people" and "cutting". A friend states that she made no attempt to cover up her cutting and the scars on her wrists were visibly apparent. On her YouTube page Bustamante posted her own Jackass type stunts featuring her two younger brothers. One of which shows her and her brothers shocking themselves on an electric fence. (Although her profile has been suspended the videos are being hosted by other members. Watch those videos by clicking here.)

She also had an account with SingSnap under the name Wolf_Heart (which has since been suspended) where she videotaped herself performing 8 different recordings of songs such as Creed's "One Last Breath" and 3 Door's Down's "Here Without You". 

Since her arrest she went to trial on November 18th where the judge concluded she would stand trial as an adult. She is scheduled for another hearing on December 8, 2009. Following her appearance in court on the 18th Bustamante was moved to The Cole County Prison where she was placed under 24 hour suicide watch after attempting to cut herself with her nails. Her court appointed lawyer, Kurt Valentine, is actively attempting to have her moved to a psychiatric hospital where she can receive help for what he calls "severe depression". All court documents are now available here: The Cole County Court Records.

Alyssa's friends have vocally expressed their feelings on their facebook and myspace pages. Many of her close friend's post status updates defending her character and exclaiming their loyalty no matter what the circumstances. 

One friend posts, "ill stick by my friend till i die. till im dead. shes one of the greatest friends ive ever had, & she always will be. dont pretend like you know anything about her. you dont. you dont. you never will. dont even pretend to. youre the monster. youre evil. youre crazy. you know nothing. & you never will."

Other friends express similar sentiments commenting on the heated atmosphere of the school and the high tension of the gossip mill which immediately exploded following Bustamante's arrest. Trisha Rhode's (The friend who first spoke to news reporters about Alyssa) posted her myspace mood as "Missing Alyssa" and her status read: "Alyssa I love you soo much. i miss you and i wish you were here to ease thepain. :( i feel sooo alone now. you were a close friend...goodbye ur in my prayers..hope ill visit u again"

 Friends have made mention to Bustamante's boyfriend and have even stated their convictions that he was the one responsible for her actions. One friend argues that he drugged her and encouraged her. Others state that she was highly intoxicated and under the influence of this powerful teenage crush. Another close friend, Katelyn Marshall has vocalized her support of Bustamante in numerous Nancy Grace forums (Click here to read) arguing that her friend is "covering" for her boyfriend and "taking all the blame". These statements have not been confirmed and until further information is released are to be considered as speculation.

Here are a list of additional links I have compiled in my research for further information:

Click here for:

* Great Accumulation of Photos, cached blogs, and profiles. - Also hosted by this site are images of Alyssa's Aunts blogs about her as well as friend's myspace blogs.

* Forum with Links for Alyssa Bustamante

* Charged As An Adult - Article for Associated Content


* Alyssa's Twitter Page -Posts have since been deleted


*Trisha Rhode's Myspace