Murderer At Age 15? Check.

As reported by Matthew Zarrell on the Nancy Grace website, linked to CNN, a 15-year-old girl by the name of Alyssa Bustmante will be charged as an adult in the case of the slaying and brutal murder of 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten. On November 18th, Bustmante was indicted by a Cole County Grady Jury "on charges of first degree murder and armed criminal action."

On October 21st, Elizabeth Olten, 9 years old, went missing. Bustmante is accused of slitting her throat, stabbing her multiple times, and strangling her. Thus, the charge of armed criminal action. Alledgedly, Bustmante used a knife in the horendous murder. On November 18th, Bustmante was charged as an adult and, if convicted, she could face life in prison with no parole. All at the young age of 15.

Of course a history of mental illness comes into question. No sane 15-year-old adolenscent murders a 9-year-old in the horrific manor as Bustmante is accused of. David Cook, a juvenile officer for the circuit court, "testified Bustmante spent 10 days at a mental health center after a suicide attempt." Since, she has been (thankfully) prescribbed prozac to help depression. Her oarents became conc erned when she began researching "Goth" but she soon stopped. Unsurprisingly, she tried to cut herself via her fingernails resulting in jail officials clipping her nails.

Could a 15-year-old have planned such a vicious crime? Sure. Sgt. David Rice, of the Missouri Highway Patrol, interviewed Bustmante and asked her mutiple questions about the murder. She confessed to digging two holes the Friday before the murder. Bustmante claims that she killed Olten "because she 'wanted to know what it felt like' to kill someone."

All I can think about is how awful for Elizabeth Olten's family. I was very pleased to read that Bustmante will be tried as an adult. In my opinion, killers often start young: killing animals and watching horror movies then onto humans and so forth. Of course she is young, but who's to say there wouldn't have been a next time or another helpless victim if she hadn't been caught? We can only hope that she doesn't slip between the cracks and become hospitolized for society's protection. Obviously, it was premeditated. Two holes were dug. She may not be sane but if she is old enough to kill another human being for sheer pleasure, she's more than old enough to facde the music and sit in jail for the rest of her life.