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St. Martin's, Missouri is a tiny hamlet of a town.

Its population is less than 1,200 people and sits almost dead centre of Missouri.

But the family of Alyssa Bustamante was far from the norm in St. Martin's.

In 2002, Alyssa and her three young siblings were taken by their grandparents after their father,

Caesar, went to prison and their mother had issues with addiction. That meant she was unable

to look after them. Yet Gary and Karen Brooke adored the four children and hoped that life

with them would be stable for Alyssa and her siblings. Fast forward to 2009 and Alyssa was

exhibiting concerning behaviours. School friends noticed that she had begun self-harming,

and two years earlier in 2007,

Alyssa had attempted to end her life.

She also kept a diary of her darkest thoughts,

and in times of boredom,

she dug graves in the bushland behind her home.

Yet none of her behaviours gave any warning of what she would do.

On the afternoon of October 21, 2009, 9-year-old Elizabeth Alton was excited when Alyssa's six-year-old

half-sister knocked on her door and asked her to come and play. Elizabeth's mother approved

saying she should come home after an hour.

The two girls then spent the afternoon playing together outside Brooks home.

...