Missouri teen who killed showed signs of severe disturbance

by smkovalinsky | November 21, 2009 at 01:16 pm

682 views | 53 Recommendations | 13 comments

Alyssa Bustamante, the 15 year old who has confessed to the brutal murder in Missouri of 9 year old Elizabeth Olten, may have shown signs of severe disturbance for 2 years prior to the murder.

As in the Fort Hood rampage of Major Nadil Hassan, this may be a case in which signs were ignored for too long, with disastrous consequences.

Alyssa was a bright and gifted teen who lived with her siblings and grandparents, and some friends say they cannot believe the cheerful A and B student who never missed class could be the same girl who brutally murdered an innocent 9 year old : But there was a dark and troubled side which foretold danger:

See VIDEOS here and here. Also, a piece in which her friends talk about her. Link to Alyssa's Twitter account.

Since moving to St. Martins, Alyssa Bustamante has attended the Jefferson City location of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormon church, with her grandparents. KRCG is told Alyssa participated in several different youth activities at the church.
Academic tests also reveal Alyssa is a gifted student, but that she sometimes did not apply herself in class

But there is also a troubled side to this teen.

Her You Tube page lists her hobbies as "killing people and cutting."

In fact, juvenile court says they have had to trim her fingernails because she was using them to cut-up her arms.

She also tried to commit suicide in September 2007 and was hospitalized. Alyssa then received intense, sometimes daily therapy since that incident.

She has also been taking Prozac to combat her depression.

Alyssa's Twitter page shows what some call "dark" postings, talking about bad decisions and be buried.

Juvenile court officials said during Wednesday's hearing that Alyssa went through a short gothic phase, dressing in all black clothes, last year while attending Simonsen Ninth Grade Center.

Juvenile officials say Alyssa has maintained a relationship with both her mother and father.

Her mother Michelle Bustamante has a history of drug and alcohol charges and her father Ceasar Bustamante is serving several more years in a Missouri prison on assault charges.

2 See all footage | View Slideshow

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stejeb

at 13:21 on November 21st, 2009

How sad.

generaldecay

at 13:23 on November 21st, 2009

It doesn't surprise me at all that nothing was done about it.

Sputnic

at 13:25 on November 21st, 2009

Lets hope they get to the bottom of this one soon. Cant bin a 15 year old, she should have been sorted out before she did this.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 13:29 on November 21st, 2009

Yep all the signs were there. Sound like a severe case of neglect to me, where once again Brozac was used to bandaid symptoms.

Roy C

at 13:35 on November 21st, 2009

Prozac in teens tends to turn suicidal states into murderous ones too often to ignore.

Amy Judd

at 13:47 on November 21st, 2009

This is a link to her twitter account acoording to some other sources although it shows no postings so it may be a fake. If I find out it is, I will take it down from your story.

I uploaded her mug shot to your story as well.

smkovalinsky

at 13:47 on November 21st, 2009

Yes, the Prozac angle had occurred to me as well.

smkovalinsky

at 14:21 on November 21st, 2009

Amy, I think that is her actual Twitter account, but the authorities and her attorneys probably removed the postings, pre-trial.

master_jim2008

at 17:08 on November 21st, 2009

I hate to say it, and you may think I'm blaming the wrong source, but this is the kind of thing that can happen to you by being a Mormon. As a former Mormon, I've seen it all too often in Mormon youth. That religion is evil-x-10. I've also seen the exact same kind of disturbances in 7th Day Adventist and Jehovah's Witness youth. They're all a cult. Cult is evil,.... bottom line.

Rory Cripps

at 19:55 on November 21st, 2009

They're all freakin' nuts! JEEZ! Why do you think that people like me walk around armed to the teeth! This little white girl must have been hanging out with Muslim Terrorists. I bet that the LIMS had a good time with her too! HA! That's the only explanation for her violent acts.