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Today's Poll!Determining what’s next for Alyssa
Background, mental health, circumstances will most likely be taken into account by judge
There are other sides to Alyssa Bustamante than the girl in the green jumpsuit, such as the smiling girl in Facebook photos (above), her public defenders say. They will attempt to show the other facets of her life at her sentencing hearing Feb. 6-7.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Alyssa Bustamante, who turns 18 on Jan. 28, faces a certain future in prison, because her plea last week to second-degree murder — for the Oct. 21, 2009, killing of Elizabeth Olten, 9 — requires Cole County Presiding Circuit Judge Patricia Joyce to order at least a 10-year sentence.
But how much more of a sentence should be ordered will be argued Feb. 6-7, during a sentencing hearing where Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson and Public Defenders Donald Catlett and Charles Moreland will present evidence for Joyce to consider in determining the final sentence.
“What we hope to be able to do at the sentencing hearing is to show Judge Joyce a more complete picture of who Alyssa Bustamante is,” Moreland told reporters last week. “Right now, all the public knows is the girl in the green jail jumpsuit and the Facebook pictures. ... She’s a much more complex person, just like any of us are.”
Some of that complexity was discussed ....
Marry Me
Comments
wow 1 year, 4 months ago
This person should never see, hear, be near, or enjoy the opportunity to be outside prison walls. She should be incarcerated until her own departure from this earth. Alyssa got a sweerheart deal on the verdict and that's all the break she should get from this point forward. Also....NT I don't know what you meant by using the photo of this killer, but then again I've been called to sensitive, when it comes to asking people to do the right thing. Anyway ....the picture of Alyssa standing in the sunshine shaded underneath those beautiful green tree's as she flashes that "hey I'm a great kid smile" makes me question your motive. We're you trying to make the public see her as a loving kid...or were you pointing out where this murder hatched and carried out her plan on the innocent 9yr old. If you're trying to make her seem normal it didn't work on me If the later is the case then perhaps Elizabeth Olten's picture should be used instead of this child murder!!!!!! Either way..in the end Alyssa Bustamnate will answer to a higher power for the pain she's caused. God bless the Olten family and may God continue to hold Elizabeth in his arms.
JCLifer 1 year, 4 months ago
May God bless the Bustamonte family too. They lost a litte girl as well.
Festus_Hagen 1 year, 4 months ago
I agree JCLifer.
wow 1 year, 4 months ago
The Bustamonte family didn't lose a child here, because the child known as Alyssa was gone long before this horrible crime. As regretfull as this is, I have no tears for them. The Bustamonte family sat by and watched as their daughter and her defense team goofed the system. The Bustamonte family watched as their daughter admitted to killing an innocent child and get punished for a lesser crime. So even though I have no ill feelings, I also have no sympathy for the Bustamonte family either. Perhaps if the Bustamonte family were more remorseful about this murder and had done the right things to help ease the Olten's pain and suffering. Perhaps then I could feel a bit of their pain.
What's the right thing you ask? Well if the Bustamonte family felt true sorrow for the Olten family then the right thing to do would have been to not allow this trial to drag out this long...the right thing for them to do was not to have accepted this bogus plee deal...the right thing for them to do would have been to look the Oltens' in the face, hug them and say I love my daughter Alyssa, but she murdered your innocent 9yr old and for that Alyssa has to pay. The right thing to do was for them to publically ask the Judge/Jury to find Alyssa guilty of what she did...1st Degree murder and to sentence her to life in prison. Yes it is a lot to ask...but the cold blooded acts of Alyssa Bustamonte took a lot from a lot of people. Fact is, Alyssa Bustamonte didn't do the right thing and neither is her famil, so I have no sympathy for them at all!!!!!
I have no sympathy for the Bustamonte family!
Festus_Hagen 1 year, 4 months ago
Well Dale sorta knows how it feels now I guess, which is sad in itself . Maybe he should also do the right thing ? Talk about no remorse, and from an adult at that. Karma sucks when it's you on the bad end . And no need to tell me how cold I am, I hate the little girl died . Wow stated an opinion, I'm stating a rebuttal . You just act like it's all cut and dried and there is only one side to it. No, others have different outlooks than you, but that's OK , this is America, we can do that. :-)
wow 1 year, 4 months ago
Opinion, rebuttal, whatever...you say and feel things different than me..which is fine. It's all healthy conversation. But the fact is this. Elizabeth is dead because Alyssa murdered her. The Bustamonte family knows this and did nothng to help ease the pain and or see justice served. Instead they sat back and worried only about Alyssa. Kinda of easy to see where the young lady got her "Me" only attititude. Perhaps it's not "cut and dry" nothing worthwhile is. But as in all cases...there is no substitute for doing the right thing and in this case clearly the Bustamonte family failed to even come close. Would it have been hard for them to face the Olten's and publically admitt what their daughter had done and then ask that she be properly convicted, sentenced and punished...sure it would. But that would have been choosing the hard right over the easy wrong.
JCLifer 1 year, 4 months ago
Kind of like all those hoodlum/thug families who know their little angel has been smoking crack and sticking up convienence stores, but yet they won't come forward and help the police identify the little perp, nor do they have any compassion for the families of the victims.
JCLifer 1 year, 4 months ago
Worse, they even stick up for the little thug and tell the world he is a good kid, etc.
Gabrielle 1 year, 4 months ago
wow: Your line of thinking would be different if the children were 'minority'. Are you goijng to try to twist the meaning of 'minority' again? We could say a child in this system is a 'minority'...no? If we did that, wouldn't you want to 'do the right thing' and advocate for them? I am seeing clearly now.
wow 1 year, 4 months ago
Alyssa is a minority, because the majority of kids her age don't plan and carry out such evil plans as what she did. The thing is Alyssa is not is an "INNOCENT MINORITY" which if you took the blinders off a re-read my earlier posts. You'd easily see that "INNOCENT MINORITIES" is what I referenced. Yet if you need further clarification of what my thoughts are....ok. no problem. It's very simple and I'll make so that anyone with a GED and who uses commons sense regularily can understand.
Anyone regardless of their race, social status, etec, etc, etc, that does what Alyssa Bustamonte did should be punished accordingly. Any family member, friend, etc, etc, of the person who comitted a similar crime as Alyssa and knew what she did, yet did nothing to make sure the Alyssa person was properly punished...well they get no sympathy from me.
Not racially motivated in this thinking...just plan ole "doing the right thing"...For some odd reason Petunia you keep having a problem with that! All I have to say is...."you will need someone to do the right thing soon enough". But when it doesn't happen...remember this little exchange of views.
JC Lifer is your description of hoodlum/thug families meant to describe just that....hoodlums/thugs and the family member, friends etc, etc? I mean they all know the crimes these people committ yet sit idle cause they don't wanna "snitch to the man". Ok I get that...as long as your reference means hoodlums/thugs and their family members based on the crimes they committ, and or know about and fail to report and is not based on their race.
Petunia...you don't know me and that's a good thing. Our paths will probably never cross and that too, is a good thing. In closing, unless there's some significant change in the views we have, let's agree that we're not gonna be breaking bread very soon!!
Gabrielle 1 year, 4 months ago
wow: it may be wise to look at what you are saying when you say 'INNOCENT MINORITIES'. We had a similar discussion along these lines before. It is possible your racism is showing - I prefer to give you the benefit of the doubt. Given your first post on another thread about minorities and 'doing the right thing' - I am soooooo certain you would be singing a different song if these children were black. Of course you will deny this and claim your post in the aforementioned thread was about innocent people. I remain skeptical - and actually beleive you twisted what you were saying back then to sound as though you were referring to innocent people when talking about 'minorities in prison'. Sure - i may be wrong. I may be right. Bottom line: We both know who knows the Truth. The really cool thing is everyone is free to think what they want. That includes me. Unitl I see some indication otherwise, that is the way I see it.
About children in prison - especially due to actions of such nature - I can only wonder if our society has some evalutaion in order - given America's children have done these sorts of things.
Also - I don't entirely understand 'punishment'. Most people are going to get out of prison and it is only in our best interest that people come out better than when they went in. I identify prisons as a place for people to go so the rest of us are safe. We are protected from them They have demonstrated they cannot handle themselves in a respectable manner - in they go! We all benefit if they change. I believe - especially for those who will get out - it is crucial we provide them with the tools to better themselves. They get to choose if they use these tools.
I have made a point to not read about this specific 'story' since it began or listen to it on tv. It is painful. Your sympathy is not desired by anyone - nor is it beneficial. For someone who is so concerned about people doing 'the right thing' - referencing your post in the aforementioned thread - how does your cold-hearted punitive attitude equate to 'doing the right thing? It is beyond me! and for that I am thankful!
One other thing - your tactic about GEDs and common sense - I am certain all posters on this website are well read and think things through. Surprisingly - that includes you.
Gabrielle 1 year, 4 months ago
oh yeah - I would really like to hear from you that you met success - the President's picture is at last! hanging on the wall.
wow 1 year, 4 months ago
I don't think Alyssas deserves the death penalty...however the cold heartedness of what she did, that option shouldn't be taken off the table. But to actually be put to death for her crime...I don't agree with that. But I do think her and her parent's knew/know she is guilty of 1st degree murder and therefore could have been a bit more in tune with what they should have done in order to see this innocent girls death properly dealt with. If the Bustamonte family...Alyssa included were truly remorseful for what occurred, what I'm saying is a no brainer. In order to help ease the Olen's pain, the Bustamonte folks should have this thing shut down when it happend...almost two years ago...they didn't do that! All they had to do was not aloow the lawyers to play the system for a conviction for a lesser charge. All they had to do was admit what happened and allowed the jury to convict Alyssa for what she did and the Judge to apply the proper punishment. Did they do any of that....no.
You speak of using the tools of justice in order to rehab the convicted person. Well in honestty that's another very confusing issue...so I won't get to deep. I will say this though ...Alyssa knows she played the system, she know's she committed 1st degree murder, she knows what it feels like to take a human life AND ON TOP OF ALL THAT, SHE HAS SHOWN LITTLE TO NO REMORSE! She also knows that one day she is going to be back in society....now after knowing all that...what's the incentive for Alyssa Bustamonte to change her ways? What's to prevent her from being your next door neighbor in the next ten years? Would you be comfortable with that? I sure would not.
Doin the right thing...isn't easy...but it is the right thing. As for the GED comment...my apologies. See I made a mistake and now I'm doing the right thing by aplogizing.
Again...if the right thing was done more often...perhaps we'd have less problems to deal with and more propblems would be getting properly resolved. In this case...the Bustamonte family did not do the right thing!
Gabrielle 1 year, 4 months ago
for the purpose of clarity:
when I said,
'We all benefit if they change. I believe - especially for those who will get out - it is crucial we provide them with the tools to better themselves. They get to choose if they use these tools.'
the TOOLS I am referring to are the programs within the prisons including - but not limited to - GED and related education and drug treatment programs.
This does not fit my understanding of 'tools of jusice'.
JMO 1 year, 4 months ago
wow, I understand where you are coming from, but I think you are off base placing any blame on the Bustamante family for not shortening this proceeding. First, put yourself in their place. Can you even begin to imagine the hor ror of having a child you raised do such a thing? I honestly can't imagine that mine would do such a thing. For a time, I'm sure you'd be completely in denial. When it sunk in, no matter how bad you feel for the other family, you'd still want to do everything you can to try to salvage your own child. That's simply human nature. The attorneys would have told them to say nothing whatsoever to anyone about this case. Even without that, how do you face the Oltens? Imagine knowing what she did and knowing these people blame not only her, but most likely you - after all, you raised her. How do you approach them? So you don't, and after a while, so much time goes by you'd feel you can't do anything, that it's simply too late to do or say anything. Besides, anything you were to say to the Olten's would do nothing to ease their pain or bring back their child.
You said, "All they had to do was not aloow the lawyers to play the system for a conviction for a lesser charge. All they had to do was admit what happened and allowed the jury to convict Alyssa for what she did and the Judge to apply the proper punishment." That is completely untrue. Alyssa's attorneys are HER'S. They don't have to do a single thing the family wants. They are bound by their oath to represent Alyssa's best interest. Not the Bustamante family's, not the Olten Family. As an attorney, you sometimes have to protect your client even from themselves. There was no "allowing" them to do anything. There is no forcing them to do anything. There was no way for the family to speed up this process or effect this result short of convincing Alyssa to plead guilty sooner...something her lawyers would have turned around and talked her out of.
Don't take any of this to mean I place blame on the lawyers either. They were doing what they are expected to do.
And News Tribune, honestly - I can't say s h o e s?
wow 1 year, 4 months ago
JMO you do have a few good points. The lawyers are there to protect Alyssa and not very many family memebers want to see their relative convicted of something like this. But you cannot argue...at least not convincingly, that the best way for the Bustamonte family to show remorse would have been to openly admit what happened. Even if the Defense played the goof game...if the the Bustamonte family contacted the news media and said something like..... "Alyssa our daughter/familymember murdered innocent Elizabeth Olten...make no mistake about that. Regardless of what the Court system convicts her of. Make no mistake, Alyssa conconted the plan that lured Elizabeth out of the safety of her home. Alyssa then took her to a predetermined location where she had already dug a grave. At that site she strangled Elizabeth to death, Alyssa then cut the throat of and stabbed Elizabeth and finally Alyssa dumped Elizabeth's dead body into a dirt grave.......and for that we are extremly apologetic to the Olten family. We know nothing will ever replace their loss, but we also want them to know as hard as it is/was...we have helped them find comfort in properly punishing the person responsible for their sorrow". If something like that happened or were to happen...I for one could have a bit of respect and sympathy for them...however that's not the case. There are just tooo many ways the Bustamonte family could have properly handled this...yet they chose and still choose not to do the right thing. Their choice is/was not to help the Olten's get over their sorrow...that's because the Bustamonte family is/was thinking of nobody else but themselves and therefore they are more than deserving of my harsh criticisms!!!
JMO 1 year, 4 months ago
What I think is that any family capable of doing that would be rare indeed. I think the shame and sadness they feel likely makes any such actions too hard to bear. If you could do that, then you are either a better person than I, or perhaps harsher, but I don't think I would be able to take those actions.
And really, have you EVER seen that? In any notorious trial, have you ever seen the family of the killer take out an ad or go to the press and publicly issue an apology? I don't believe I ever have. Would that be the best way to show remorse? Maybe. But I can't imagine it happening.
Gabrielle 1 year, 4 months ago
wow: do I understand correctly - that what you are saying is that if you were in this situation - you would handle it in the manner you describe? .....and if you were - shall the larger community say 'good job, wow - you did the right thing.'?
wow 1 year, 4 months ago
JMO correct...those type of hard decisions being made everyday is not the norm....not impossible, but regretfully it isn't the norm. I hope you will agree that the rareness doesn't make doing the right thing any less right? Either way I do aprpeciate your comments as they are not marred by ignorance or distain for a different view.
Petunia... I'm employing the rule that if one doesn't have a nice comment to share with another, then one should not comment...but remember this "you reap what you sew".
Gabrielle 1 year, 4 months ago
When I said: "wow: do I understand correctly - that what you are saying is that if you were in this situation - you would handle it in the manner you describe? .....and if you were - shall the larger community say 'good job, wow - you did the right thing.'?"
I am clarifying, so a simple yes or no with a bit of an elaboration would suffice. The purpose of 'employing a rule' in words doesn't hold a whole lot of water when you have referred to people as 'Dixie yappers', emphasising 'DOING THE RIGHT THING'. Quite frankly it is very presumptious to think people aren't doing 'the right thing'. All we know is what we hear and see. Even this is left to interpretation. There was not a single post - in my opinion that was ignorant. This is why things often go awray - people like you determine another is ignorant. It really begs the questions - who is REALLY ignorant and - well gosh - maybe we ought to ask what EXACTLY is ignorant.
I am interested in you clarifying your statement of advice: 'but remember this "you reap what you sew". What are you referring to? I am sure you will dodge this question just like you did the two previously quoted questions. That's alright. You are free to do so, wow.... are you asking of yourself the same thing you expect of others? My aforementioned questions are really a variation of The Golden Rule - in my opinion, of course. It is so easy to know what others 'should' do in a given situation.
wow 1 year, 4 months ago
One who promotes Dixie, the Confederacy, Confederate Flag, Southern Sucession...is a Dixie Supporter...OK my bad I should have used my computers PC option. Still no matter who ever chooses that Dixie Supporter stance, it's their choice and in my view those people are...not someone I'd be hangin out with. By the way...did you make any comments that were marred with ignorance or distain for somone else's view? If not, then what's the issue?
As for doing the right thing....those type of hard decisions being made everyday is not the norm....it's not impossible, but regretfully it isn't the norm. I hope you will agree that the rareness doesn't make doing the right thing any less right?
I could care less what you think....but FYI..thankfully what I do and have done has allowed me and still allows me to feel comfortable about looking myself in the mirror everyday. As for how I would handle things if I were in a similar situation as the Bustamonte family...I honestly can't answer that at this time and I hope I never have to. Yet as I stated before, I hope you will agree that the rareness of rightful acts being done doesn't make doing the right thing any less right?
In closing...Petunia, you don't know me, but if you'd read my post and understand this is bigger than you or I. Perhaps you'd be able to come to the obvious conclusion that 1. we will never see eye to eye, 2 but that's alright , 3 my do the right thing applies to me you and everyone else! 4 In short...equality for all means just that...nothing more nothing less. 5 Until then..DDDDD
Gabrielle 1 year, 4 months ago
wow:
**GOOD AND WONDERFUL THINGS ARE HAPPENING EACH AND EVERYDAY! MANY ARE BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE ARE MAKING RIGHT CHOICES AND ACTING ON THEM. also
MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!**
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