Member-only story
15-Year-Old Enjoys Ruthlessly Slitting Throat of Nine-Year-Old Neighbor
Alyssa Bustamante stabbed 9-year-old Elizabeth eight times and slit open her throat.
It is harrowing to imagine a 15-year-old commit cold-blooded murder. It is harder when the victim is an innocent nine-year-old neighbour. Such was the case of Alyssa Bustamante, a resident of St. Martins, Missouri.
Troubled Childhood Spirals Into Disturbing Videos
Alyssa lived with her grandparents in the small town of St. Martins. The city had a small, tight-knit community and was rocked by disbelief and shock at the crime unearthed at their doorsteps on October 21, 2009.
Alyssa’s grandparents had taken custody of her, along with her three younger siblings, back in 2002. Their mother struggled with addiction while the father was imprisoned. It was a hard beginning to life.
Even though others thought Alyssa had settled well into the community, it would soon be proven otherwise. Not only did the mental distress culminate into a suicide attempt in 2007, but she also established an alarming internet persona.
Her YouTube account listed cutting and killing as hobbies. It also featured a disturbing set of home videos. Alyssa tried…