Shivangi Sinha
In October 2009, 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten failed to return home after dark, prompting her worried mother to contact neighbors. A large-scale search and rescue effort was launched, with community members joining in, but no trace of her was initially found. As police investigated her last known movements, suspicions of foul play emerged. Paramount+’s ‘Murder 360: Elizabeth is Missing’ explores the details of the case and delves into the disturbing motives behind the young girl’s murder.
Elizabeth Olten’s Mother Raised the Alarm After She Failed to Come Back Home
On December 15, 1999, Patty Preiss and Dale Olten Sr. welcomed their beloved daughter, Elizabeth Kay Olten. Surrounded by a large, close-knit family of aunts, uncles, and grandparents, Elizabeth was deeply cherished. Her four siblings, Stephanie Adrian, Candice Olten, Anthony Olten, and Dale Olten Jr., were especially affectionate toward her. Although born in Jefferson City, Missouri, she later moved with her mother and siblings to St. Martins. She attended Pioneer Trails Elementary School, where she made many friends and blossomed into an active and loving child.
Elizabeth was a typical 9-year-old girl who loved music, especially Hannah Montana and Taylor Swift. She shared a special connection with her mother and enjoyed activities like baking and solving puzzles together. A lover of animals, particularly horses, Elizabeth was known for her cheerful and friendly personality. By 2009, her family was facing challenges, as her father was incarcerated on state drug charges, leaving her mother to raise the children alone. Elizabeth had several neighborhood friends, including Emma Bustamante, who lived just a few houses away with her siblings and grandparents.
On the evening of October 21, 2009, Elizabeth’s mother realized she wasn’t home and began calling friends and neighbors, but no one had seen her. A large search effort followed. On October 23, 2009, police discovered her remains in a shallow grave in the woods behind her house. She had suffered eight stab wounds, including injuries to her neck, which was determined to be the cause of death.
Elizabeth Olten’s Killer Had Confessed to the Crime in Their Journal
During the search for Elizabeth Olten on the night of October 21, police began tracing her last known movements. They learned that Emma Bustamante had gone to Elizabeth’s house to invite her out to play. Elizabeth was last seen walking into the woods with Emma’s older sister, Alyssa Bustamante. When questioned, the latter claimed she had walked the little girl partway home but left before seeing her enter the house. She said she took a shortcut through the woods. Alyssa even participated in the search efforts and appeared genuinely concerned.
Police spoke with Alyssa’s grandparents, Karen and Gary Brooke, who had held legal custody of her and her siblings since 2002. Her father, Ceaser Bustamante, was incarcerated, while her mother, Michelle Bustamante, allegedly struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Alyssa had previously attempted suicide in 2007, after which her behavior noticeably changed. She became moody, temperamental, and displayed a dark, gothic persona, often talking about death and murder. A search warrant at her home led to the discovery of her journal, where the October 21, 2009, entry had been written and then scribbled out.
Police had Alyssa’s journal forensically examined and uncovered a confession. In the October 21 entry, she wrote, “I just fucking killed someone. I strangled them and slit their throat and stabbed them now they’re dead… It’s pretty enjoyable. I’m kinda nervous and shaky though right now.” Alyssa was brought in for questioning, accompanied by her grandmother, Karen. Initially, she denied involvement, but when confronted with the journal, she confessed. She explained that she had asked Emma to bring Elizabeth over, then sent her sister away. She first tried to strangle Elizabeth, and when the girl resisted, Alyssa stabbed her. She had pre-dug a grave and later led police to the burial site. Her motive was just to know what it felt like to kill someone.
Alyssa Bustamante is Incarcerated Even Today
Alyssa Bustamante was charged with first-degree murder in November 2009 and pleaded not guilty. Since she had dug up a hole previously, the police claimed premeditation was involved in the crime. As a juvenile, she was placed in solitary confinement for over a year due to the severity of her crime and concerns for her safety. In January 2012, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of conditional release, along with a consecutive 30-year sentence for armed criminal action. In October 2012, Elizabeth Olten’s mother filed a wrongful death civil suit against her.
Alyssa’s defense team presented testimony from multiple psychiatrists and mental health experts who diagnosed her with major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder. The civil lawsuit filed by Patricia Preiss was resolved after an agreement that required Alyssa to disclose any earnings related to media coverage of the case. A post-conviction relief hearing was requested in 2014 but denied, as was her latest appeal in July 2024. Now 31, she remains incarcerated at Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri. Reports state her next parole review is scheduled for 2029, and because of her being underage at sentencing, she must serve only 15 years of her additional sentence before she can be considered for parole.
