US teen killer in 'amazing' murder sentenced to life Alyssa Busatamante had pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Elizabeth Olten in the small town of St Martins, Missouri, when she was 15-years-old. She strangled and stabbed the little girl before burying her under a pile of leaves. The plea on lesser charges spared her a first-degree murder trial, which would have left her liable to a life sentence without the chance of release. At a sentencing hearing, her lawyers had argued that the fact that she was taking high doses of Prozac at the time of the 2009 crime meant that she was more prone to violence and so should serve only 10 years in jail. However, following tearful testimony by Elizabeth's mother Patty Preiss, who called Bustamante a "monster," a judge at Cook County Circuit Court ruled she should serve a life sentence plus 30 years for armed criminal action. Before sentencing, the teen, now 18, apologised to her victim's family. "If I could give my life to bring her back I would - I'm sorry," she said. Her voice wavered as she went on: "I just want to say I'm sorry for what happened. I'm so sorry. Following her arrest, Bustamante told officers she had lured Elizabeth to her death because she wanted to experience what it felt to kill someone. After the crime, she went to a church dance while rescuers searched in vain. In a journal entry which was read to the court, she described her exhilaration at the killing: "I strangled them and slit their throat and stabbed them now they're dead," she wrote. I don't know how to feel atm [at the moment]. It was ahmazing. As soon as you get over the 'ohmygawd I can't do this' feeling, it's pretty enjoyable. Kay, I gotta go to church now ... lol [laugh out loud].