News Tribune

showme 1 year, 3 months ago

The sad horse (situation) is dead. You can quit swinging now. Its time to try to heal.

Was this this the same publication that urged all its readers to use common decency and consideration a month or so ago when the trial proceedings began? Practice what you preach please.

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no1knows 1 year, 3 months ago

You mam..need to remember that its the newspapers job to put these sorts of QUESTIONS of readers and the public out to the media, and they are just doing their job. And you know what.....No one might understand what the olton family is going through, but no one understands the other side of the pain as well...when you can walk down the street without something talking about you and that "little moster"...the girl did the killing, not her family, not her siblings. HER. ALOT OF PEOPLE CARE WHERE SHE WILL GO NEXT. There is a whole big circle to this. Not just a half of a crazy horrible situation. Shes in prison, yeah you might want her dead, but you dont have the power to take that away from someone just like she shouldnt have taken it away from Elizabeth. and "do us all a favor and die" nice..thats classy. Remember, thats someones daughter, grand-daughter, best friend, and sister as well.

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JCLifer 1 year, 3 months ago

Good grief. This town is full of people who react emotionally rather than humanly or rationally to things. Calling that poor little girl Allysa names like "Monster", etc. The comments here from people who want to get sticks and rocks and pitchforks, etc. to have their own justice instead of letting the criminal justice system do its job just show how simple-minded and backward this area truly is. The hatred demonstrated on these forums reflects very poorly on this rednecky area and the type of people who live here. Most of these haters claim to be Christians, but they sure don't act like it.

Yes, Elizabeth's family and friends have suffered a tragedy, but so have Allyssa's family and friends also suffered a tragedy. Both of these little girls are victims. Neither one is getting "off" scott-free.

Instead of all this effort of hatred and anger, the emotions should be channeled into figuring out how we can help young children in these horrible family situations. From the news reports, it sounds like both Elizabeth's and Allyssa's families were horrible for properly raising and supporting children. Why do we keep hearing all these reports of parents strangleling, chopping with hatchets, drowning, or otherwise ignoring the very children they bring into the world.

Sure, this was a terrible tragedy, but try to learn something from it. Try to figure out how we can prevent other unfit parents from bringing new lives into this world. Try to figure out how we can better support and help raise our chidren to be educated, productive, and happy.

As for News Tribune and these forums, NT is just doing its job publishing the news. These forums are just people with opinions. No one is forced to read the newspaper, and no one is forced to read these forums.

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no1knows 1 year, 3 months ago

Thank you, JcLifer. Its absolulty rediculous how people react to things such as this...they forget she is also human. And sometimes people need to remember how they would feel if the roles were reversed. This girl..needed help a long long time ago. IF she would have had some maybe this would have never happened.

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asb 1 year, 3 months ago

She did what soldiers, predators, and home defenders do every day, including the thrill and calm afterwards. It was monsterous in that situation; but with the right background, motivation, drugs or training she did nothing most us couldn't do. Without the capacity for slaughter, there'd be no humans. If capital punishment is acceptable then she should be near the top of the list. But she IS human, and committed an all-too-human act.

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no1knows 1 year, 3 months ago

the girl needed HELP. I NEVER said that what she did was right...and "divored themsevles to the reality". The reality is that this girl was a troubled soul who needed some help a long time ago. The reality is, is that she will NEVER live outside of a prison system. And yes she did those things, BUT what I was clearly stating is that it is HER that did it, no one but HER did it. I was saying that no matter what of the situation, people need to remember that SHE still has a fricken family out there who have to deal with this just as much as the oltons !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You people need to stop attacking everyone who has a damn opnion about it, thats not the same as your opinions. and ASB is correct, she did an act that is all too human. And yo uare saying to "let it go" well...it will NEVER be let go because it will be continued to be talked about in how horrible of a person she was. AGAIN im not saying what she did wasnt horrible! BUT it needs to be let go on BOTH ends of the spectrum in certain cases. Yes, Red and Black did do a spread, but it was a big thing happening in alot of kids lives. BUT you have some of these children going to school...and saying nasty things that they shouldnt be saying........I never said what she did was not a horrible horrible thing, so again, people need to remember that others have opinions on the whole situation that might not match yours. Alyssa needed help a long time ago.

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no1knows 1 year, 3 months ago

AND all this article is clearly just stating her sentance, which is what the public wants to know and understand! The newspaper is doing what a newspaper should do. Report to the public.

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sisofavic 1 year, 3 months ago

I live far away but have been following this story and I'm horrified. I've never posted a comment online, but I must now. My sister was strangled and bludgeoned to death 19 years ago, her nude body left in a shallow grave. The autopsy revealed she'd been sexually assaulted with a stick. A 21 year old man, a stranger to our community, was captured later. Forensic evidence proved he was the murderer. He stood trial 14 months later, pleading not guilty. The jury found him guilty of 1st degree murder, recommending the death penalty. During the sentencing phase the defense attorney stressed the defendant had a dysfunctional upbringing & was too young to die. The judge sentenced him to death; he remains on death row. His conviction's been reviewed and upheld at every level except the U.S. Supreme Court. 19 years later, he still hasn't confessed. I'm still cold when I remember meeting his dead eyes at the trial. Yes, I consider him a monster, despite the fact that some members of his family seemed sympathetic and apologized to our family for his actions. That’s appreciated, but I certainly wouldn’t defend a murderer to save their feelings. I feel badly for any child born into circumstances less than ideal, but does anyone have an ideal life? We choose how to react to the hand we're dealt. Environment may explain evil behavior, but it does not excuse it!! This story will continue to make the news - that's the facts of life. Elizabeth should be remembered for more than her victim status, and I'm certain from what I've read that her family will continue to celebrate the memory of the years they were privileged to have her. Alyssa, who lives, will carry out her sentence, and forgiveness is between Alyssa & God and Alyssa & Elizabeth's family. Please don't consider Alyssa a casualty. I understand those who wish her circumstances could have been different. I understand those who protest when Alyssa is vilified as a "Monster," but I'm afraid in your protests you are defending the defendant to the extreme, to the point that the evil that prevailed that awful day is not acknowledged, remembered, discussed and prevented from recurring to anyone else. Premeditated actions resulting in death by someone the victim trusted? Keeping silent for days while the community searched, knowing her family was going wild with worry? Yes, I call that evil. No one's too young to learn there are consequences for behavior. Bustamante has confessed, been sentenced, and will spend decades being sorry in prison. She is fortunate she’s not on death row -- and that the law provided a system requiring proof of guilt as opposed to angry friends and family taking the law into their own hands. Elizabeth is gone, and if her family sees this I hope they realize that there are strangers who have felt the same kind of grief, and with God's help are surviving and have found some peace. I am so very sorry.

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no1knows 1 year, 3 months ago

again, all im saying is that there are 2 families involved. And alyssas family shoudlbt be being treated the way some of them are and always will be. thats not right. and i didnt say i was worried about alyssas feelings either. Im saying that she does have family and some people need to remember that if the rols were switched..and how they would feel if it was the other way around. People are being very hateful..and it would be differnt if they were family or new the olten girl personally...but we are no one to judge. and apparently im not allowed to have that opinion.

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JCLifer 1 year, 3 months ago

My biggest problem here is that I think it is hypocritical to hold a child to adult standards of part of the law (murder) when the same child is not held to adult standards under other parts of the law. The law says Allyssa was too young to sign a binding contract, too young to drink alcohol, too young to buy cigarettes, too young to purchase a firearm, too young to have an abortion, too young to get married, too young to vote, too young to do lots of things. However, the same law charged her as an adult for an adult crime, and gave her an adult punishment.

I am not saying she is innocent. I am not saying she should not have to face consequences. What I am saying is the law can be bent and twisted different ways to suit what people want to see happen, and that is not right. Right or wrong, Good or bad, Allyssa is a US citizen with the same rights as everyone else. She deserves appropriate treatment under the law, not according to what a ager-crazed mob wants. She deserves due process. She deserves to be treated with whatever protections and rights that she may have under the law.

I would like for an attorney to explain how Allyssa can be held to adult law for this thing, but not adult law for other things.

I am glad she had her day in court. The angry mob here did not want that.

I pray for her soul, and for her to come to know Jesus Christ as her personal Savior.

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JCLifer 1 year, 3 months ago

The community needs to stop and ask itself a few things:

"What can we learn from this to prevent things like this from ever happening again?" "Why do we have so many lost children who are victims of violent crime, abuse, neglect, etc.?"
"What can we learn so that we can get better and have better lives for our children?" "Are our laws meaningful anymore?"

I pray that healing can take place, and i pray that learning can also occur.

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Quackenbush 1 year, 3 months ago

Alyssa is an unfortunate young lady that committed an act that has ruined her life, and taken a life that cannot be returned. Alyysa's life was so out of control, her method of regaining control involved the ultimate control, murder, again, references to 'monster' are hyperbole, people with a lack of understanding and mob mentality.

My other point is why was Alyssa not examined more closely regarding her Facebook posting of hobbies, as being 'killing people, cutting people, etc.?' Why is a person allowed to post such an inflammatory sort of thing without scrutiny? The one thing we should learn from this, and if we don't learn anything, the story will repeat itself in some other part of the USA, what we should learn is that when someone posts something vile, we should take them seriously, and scrutinize that person, that should be step number one. Alyssa should have been in a more intensive psychotherapy environment, not just being dosed with prozac to have a magical recovery, clearly, she was adrift and not supervised closely enough. All in all, a very sad, unfortunate story and situation.

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evenkeel 1 year, 3 months ago

"Alyssa is an unfortunate young lady"? That is very weak.

Before Oct. 21, 2009, Alyssa was an unfortunate young lady. Then she became a monster.

You see, I don't think that calling Alyssa a monster is hyperbole. When someone commits a monsterous, evil, depraved act like murdering someone (particularly a child), that person earns the moniker.

Those who view Alyssa as a monster are not part of a mob nor do they lack understanding. Maybe they have an understanding that you lack.

I pray to God for comfort to all the victims of this horrible crime. I pray for Alyssa too. If she asks for forgiveness, she will surely receive it.

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JCLifer 1 year, 3 months ago

Allyssa's story just highlights how bad mental health services and treatment are in this state. Many of the so-called mental health professionals are quacks themselves. Many mental health practicianers have gone into the field to try to understand their own demons.

Mental health victims get little help in this state. Manly they just get over-medicated and even more messed up by the providers of services that are supposed to help them.

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Daddy 1 year, 3 months ago

Who cares about Alyssa throw her to the wolves already I hear they are eagerly awaiting her arrival!

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