JEFFERSON CITY — A 15-year-old Missouri girl has pleaded not guilty in the stabbing, cutting and strangling death of a neighbor girl.
An attorney for Alyssa Bustamante entered a not guilty plea on her behalf Tuesday to first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Oct. 21 killing of 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten. Bustamante sat silently, often looking down, during a court hearing that lasted less than one minute.
Authorities say Bustamante dug two holes before Elizabeth's death and later led them to her body. Police say she told them she wanted to know what it was like to kill someone. She was certified last month to stand trial as an adult. Both girls lived in St. Martins, just west of Jefferson City.