Today is Wednesday, October 21st, 2020. On this day in 2009, Alyssa Bustamonte killed

her nine-year-old next-door neighbor, Elizabeth Olten. Bustamonte was only 15 years old when

she committed the murder.

Welcome to Today in True Crime, a podcast original. Due to the graphic nature of today's crimes,

listener discretion is advised. Extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13. I'm Vanessa

Richardson, and today I'm joined by our guest host, Carter Roy, from Obituaries. Together,

he and I delve into the lives and relationships between two historical figures in each episode.

Carter is here to discuss the aftermath of today's story while I'll cover the narrative.

Thanks for having me, Vanessa. Today we're covering the tragic murder of Elizabeth Olten. When

police identified her killer as Alyssa Bustamonte, they were shocked by her callous motives.

Let's go back to the small town of St. Martin's, Missouri. It's October 21st, 2009 at 5pm.

Pots and pans bubbled on the stove. Savory aromas made nine-year-old Elizabeth's mouth water,

which was a problem because she didn't have time for food. She had a role in the school play and

needed to rehearse her lines. While Elizabeth recited the same phrase for maybe the billionth time,

her brother Grimmest. She only took his annoyance as encouragement. Adopting an overly

dramatic accent, she said her line yet again. Just before a fight could break out between the

siblings, Elizabeth heard a pounding at the door. It was Emma, a six-year-old neighbor from

down the street. She wanted to play. Elizabeth immediately turned to her mother, pleading for

permission to join Emma outside. To her delight, her mother agreed. Just as long as Elizabeth was

home in time for dinner at six. Elizabeth didn't need to be told twice. In seconds, she was out the

door. Already the sun was setting, casting long shadows across the thick forest beyond Elizabeth's

backyard. She didn't have long before darkness fell, so Elizabeth and Emma made the most of their

...