Two Graves, One Victim: A Murder Planned in Advance

Girl Digs Two Graves in Forest Five Days Before Murder: The Killing of Elizabeth Olten

On October sixteenth, 2009, a fifteen-year-old girl walked into a Missouri forest and dug two graves. Five days later, she lured a nine-year-old neighbor into those same woods. One grave would be filled that night-the other would remain empty, its purpose never fully explained.

In this episode, we explore how a chain of ignored warning signs-violent social media posts, psychiatric hospitalization, a friend's desperate plea, and a diary confession-all converged on one afternoon in October. We examine the evidence that led investigators to those graves, the question of premeditation versus impulse, and the haunting mystery of why the second grave was ever dug.

Victim: Elizabeth Olten
Date: October 21, 2009
Location: St. Martins, Missouri
Status: Solved (Conviction)

- Alisa Bustamante dug two graves five days before the victim disappeared, suggesting clear premeditation, not impulse
- The empty second grave was never explained, raising questions about whether a second victim was intended
- Her recovered diary confessed to the killing and stated it felt "quite pleasant" before noting she had to attend church
- She disclosed knowledge of the victim's neck wound to investigators before the body was discovered

Elizabeth Olten, St. Martins Missouri, 2009 murder case, serial killers, true crime investigation, forensic evidence, homicide, unsolved mysteries, criminal minds, murder investigation, true crime English

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