Convicted teen killer Alyssa Bustamante denied parole; hearing reset for 2029

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Board of Parole denied convicted Cole County killer Alyssa Bustamante an early release from prison.

Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann told ABC 17 News that Bustamante's next hearing is expected to take place in 2029. Some advocates for keeping Bustamante in prison longer say a new state law should push that parole eligibility even further back.

Bustamante became eligible for an early release from her second-degree murder conviction when state lawmakers changed the rules for people convicted of crimes when they were teenagers. Bustamante pleaded guilty in 2012 to killing 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten in St. Martins. Bustamante was 15 years old when she killed Olten in 2009. The board held the parole hearing on July 8.

Olten's stepfather, Gary Bemboom, was notified of the parole board's decision last week.

Bemboom said he's hopeful Bustamante's parole schedule will return to what it was before the 2021 change state lawmakers made for juvenile offenders. Senate Bill 754, signed on July 9 by Gov. Mike Parson , precludes those convicted of first- and second-degree murder from receiving parole eligibility after serving 15 years of their sentence. That would make Bustamante eligible for parole in 2044.

Bemboom said the parole hearing was "another day of grieving" for the family.

"All of the hurt and pain was thrown back in the family's face," Bemboom said in an email. "Bustamante described how and why she killed Elizabeth with details that weren't allowed at her trial. It was a devastating day for all that were there."

Cole County prosecutor Locke Thompson told ABC 17 News in a text message that he was glad to learn that the parole board denied her an early release. He said SB 754 may nullify the 2029 parole hearing when the law takes effect Aug. 28.

"I hope that the implementation of Senate Bill 754 next month pushes [any] future parole hearing far beyond 2029," Thompson said.

Bustamante, now 30 years old, has been in custody since 2009.

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