Attorney seeks mental care for Mo. teen facing murder charge in death of 9-year-old girl
By APFriday, November 20, 2009
Mo. teen murder suspect seeks mental care
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The attorney for a teenager accused of killing a 9-year-old Missouri girl says his client should be sent to a psychiatric hospital.
A judge had not approved the move as of noon Friday, though a draft order had been submitted by the public defender Thursday as part of the case file.
Fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bustamante has been held at the Morgan County jail after being indicted Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Oct. 21 death of Elizabeth Olten.
Authorities say Bustamante strangled, stabbed and cut Elizabeth’s throat because she wanted to know what it felt like to kill. They say Bustamante led them to Elizabeth’s body two days later in a wooded area near their homes in St. Martins, near Jefferson City.
(This version CORRECTS that the suspect has not been sent to a psychiatric hospital, but that a judge is considering a defense attorney’s request to send her there.)
