I don't believe all humans, or even most of them, are born "fundamentally good". I think most of them are born "bad" (purely self-serving, unable to consider their impact on others, etc) and are conditioned into productivity and goodness through adequate raising. This 15 year old probably never had adequate raising and as such probably wouldn't have empathy or sympathy.

An uncorrected human isn't likely to stifle or even question herself and the acts she wants to commit.

People can easily go astray. This isn't the first time children/tweens committed such crimes, even brutal ones. They commit the act, then they need to do the time, with counseling, so then they can understand what they did wrong, and made to feel guilty for it, especially if they serve life in prison (or might be indicted to). Some truely wont care, at that point, there is no saving them either way, just throw away the key.

Is that harsh?

Lock her up and throw away the key. They can put her through all the rehab they want, but she shouldn't be let out into society. She lost that privilege by killing someone.

Hell, we all wonder what certain things would feel like, but that doesn't mean we go out and kill/maim/rob somebody to find out. I'd love to know what it's like to be a multi-millionaire, but that doesn't mean I'm going to start robbing banks.

Without sounding heartless and cold, this young woman 'threw away' the life of an innocent child, effectively signing her death warrant. Prison time sounds like it is appropriate for the crime. This girl needs intensive, extensive counseling and yes, jail is the place for her to pay her debt to society,

More great parenting

At 15, your a sophmore in High School. Two years from college. That's pretty gosh darn close to being an adult to me.

She killed to see what it felt like? How does one even start to "rehabilitate" that?

As the mother, I say throw away the key.

So much of this boils down to too much violence on TV and in computer games without adequate parenting to help a child learn right from wrong. Don't get me wrong. I'm not defending her. I say lock her up and throw away the key. Elizabeth wasn't given the choice to live out her life. However, children are so inundated with violence on a day-to-day, almost hourly basis, that many have no conscience, empathy or compassion.

Black Night - I'm thinking that what solidox means is that the lack of parenting and love in this child's life is what led her to commit this unthinkable act. People who are nutured and raised by people that truly love them would never consider doing this. I have to believe that or God help us all.

Humans have the ability to reason, which makes us different than animals. But humans also base their actions, for the most part, on their upbringing and the lessons learned throughout their lives. Now, since this young woman was still in her formative years, at least as far as the law is concerned, some if not most of the blame should be heaped on the mother and grandmother, as they were responsible to instilling life lessons and morals in her. If they basically left the girl alone for most of her younger years, with no guidance, it really doesn't surprise me that her lack of respect for human life was combined with her curiosity to "know what it felt like" to kill another human being and that resulted in a young girl's death.

In my opinion, this 15-yr-old girl is one of three things. She's either just an evil, cold-hearted person who knew it was wrong to kill, but did it anyway. Or, she is a person who had no guidance in her life and, for one reason or another, didn't know that taking another person's life is a serious crime. Or, she could be found to have suffered from some kind of mental break or disease. It's unfathomable to me that she may not have known that killing was wrong, but if that is indeed the case, then I have to say that her legal guardians should serve time for the crime committed, just as she will.

In any case, my prayers are with the victim and her family. And, I hope justice is served.

Sociopaths can't be rehabilitated try her as an adult and keep her in jail forever or sentence her to death. If she kills herself or gets killed its a win win situation.

@Scales67: I call bull on your comment, Total BULL. You cannot comment on how 'TV Violence' has done this and taught her to be this way. A LOT of people/families do not even believe in letting their kids watch TV. Maybe it was a Lack of social experience like that, that has led her to want to 'feel' what it would be like to kill someone or to want to see what would happen if she tried. I mean, I'm really not trying to speak badly of you, persay, but as an example: Let's say a person lives out in the middle of no where, and they kidnap another person and keep them hostage.. Well no one may even know what goes on in that persons house b/c they live so far away.. Does that mean that 'oh hopefully' one day it will be against the law to live far from town to have privacy b/c you may be kidnapping and or killing people b/c of seclusion you have from others?? Just wanted to add that in to make my point a little more.. Its just that I hate to see other punished for something they have no part in since they watch TV, Too??

TBW the 15-year-old is responsible for her actions. However, most of us would like to understand how/why these horrifying stories are repeated in so "advanced" a country as ours. And one certainly starts looking for answers in the home and family life; that's not liberal thinking, it's common sense.

In this case there could be 2 generations of a family with some measure of disfunction. Grandma's own daughter didn't take responsibility for her child; why? Now the granddaughter has done the unthinkable. What went wrong? The fractured structure of some "families" suggests that some children don't know what love and family feels like and are not guided by a sense of right and wrong. And those kids may begin to feel that no one cares for them - or that anyone cares what they do.

Perhaps the film, "The Blind Side," will be the inspiration needed to invest in all our children.

Society has got to stop condoning violence by trying to find excuses for behavior for which THERE IS NO EXCUSE!

It is one thing to try to understand why people commit violence against another, maybe with the hope of preventing it (and good luck with that), but it's pointless to reason away the actions of social deviants such as murderers and pedophiles! Can we not just accept that some people do not belong in society...period...and deal with them accordingly?

Elizabeth was human prey to someone hell-bent on killing. Had she not been so readily available as a victim, it would only be a matter of time before someone else was and there might have been more victims if the psycho wasn't caught.

Who the hell cares how the perpetrator was raised, what color she was, if she was rich/poor, had depression issues, etc.? Show me one adult who had the perfect childhood and I'll show you a liar. Bottom line is, she viciously took the life of an innocent child for her own depraved satisfaction! IMO, there is NO reason/excuse on this planet to justify what she did...NONE!

Put her in jail for the rest of her pathetic life. She does not deserve the opportunity to ever reintegrate into society and expect the rest of us to take a chance that she won't harm any of our loved ones. She's damn lucky she won't receive a death sentence!

I would also like to plaster her cell with pictures of Elizabeth so that she can be reminded, every day, of the little girl she murdered! I'm sorry, but she can rot in hell as far as I'm concerned!

I say fry this little bitch quick. She´s the personification of evil.

Juvenile defense attorney Kurt Valentine argued that she would either kill herself or be assaulted and killed by others if she were placed with adults in a jail cell while awaiting trial or in a prison if convicted.

Mr. Valentine, I could give a @!$%# about what happens to this devil.

headshaker has left me shaking my own head as to what in the world this post meant. Something about living in the country and watching TV (or not watching TV?) or something.

What this had to do with a vicious killing of a younger peer "just to know what it felt like" by a 15-year old is scary enough!

Why not let her rot in prison with the hardened criminals who will 'rehabilitate' this sweet, tender 15-year old in their own way? Trash belongs with trash.

At 15, your a sophmore in High School. Two years from college. That's pretty gosh darn close to being an adult to me.

I'm not defending what this girl did, but trying her as an adult???

When would she get to vote, or heaven forbid, have a drink? You shouldn't be able to try someone as an adult unless you are prepared to give them the same RIGHTS as adults.

If she (or any other person under 18/21) can commit an 'adult' crime, she can/should be tried as the same.

@2late2matter!!! Hello, I directed my comment at someone named scales, who themselves commented about how violence on TV is most likely the problem regarding this crime.. D'oh! Was that like too hard for you to understand this time, or did you finally add 1 plus 1? And in my comment I tried to add in another example of what I meant just incase there were people who may read it, and didn't finish grade school.. And my post mentioned nothing about this killer not going to jail.. You just can't blame Tv or videos for everything.

This is nothing new.It has gone on since the beginning of humans.So TV Video Games ETC. is BS. Have to try her as a adult because there is no life and death sentence juvenile courts. Right to vote ?Drink ? What about DUI? What about the draft? These things have already set the president in law . She killed a human if she is tried as in a juvenile court she would be back on the streets in 3 years. I have no pitty for her she knew what she was doing was wrong and did it anyways.Hopefuly some animal serving life in her new home will help her to feel what the 9 year old felt.

She lost her right to vote and drink when she viciously stole them from a 10 year old. This girl is a sociopath they can't be rehabilitated. This was not some teen throwing a fit and killing someone out of anger. This was a planned murder that she did just to see how it would feel. The graves she dug to hide the body shows she knew it was wrong and that it was premeditated.

Sociopath behavior I suspect. The Grandmother had custody of this killer which probably means that the mother was no good. In a poor family social environment Sociopath behavior can happen.

Beetem ruled that the slaying of Olten was vicious and the state had no adequate facilities or services to treat the teenage suspect if she were to remain in the juvenile court system.

The first part may be valid but the second has no place in any considerations on whether or not they should try her as an adult. The states inability to house and treat her is hardly a reason to ignore juvenile status. And she definitely shouldn't be housed with adults before or after her trial, not until she is one herself. Her crime is horrific and her punishment must reflect that, but there are just some things civilized countries do not do.

"The first part may be valid but the second has no place in any considerations on whether or not they should try her as an adult. The states inability to house and treat her is hardly a reason to ignore juvenile status...."

Well gee, maybe the bleeding heart libs shouldn't have shut down all the juvenile facilities in the 70s and 80s, then we wouldn't be having to try a 15 year old as an adult, would we? Even if tried as a juvie, they've still got to put her somewhere, where do you suggest? I know, how 'bout YOUR PLACE! I say tough poo-doo, don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Uh, we didn't shut them down genius, what are spouting about? And this IS about her doing the time, in appropriate facilities.

That's as bad as Texas executing the mentally retarded because they didn't want to pay to treat them.

For all of you people saying that it was her family life that led to this...I call BS. I was raised by a single mother and I ended up just fine (at least I like to think so), and I have friends who were raised in (physically and sexually) abusive homes, friends with addicted parents, friends whose parents were all but out of the picture, etc. and they all ended up just fine. This has nothing to do with her family structure.
It has nothing to do with TV/video game violence either. That doesn't cause someone to act this way.
I think she's either mentally sick, or just plain evil, and either way, she needs to be put into some sort of mental hospital for life. She has no emotional attachment to others apparently, and not much can remedy that.

This 15 year old is a monster. Her attorney said that an adult prison cell would be her death sentence?????????? Good. She has no human feelings , strangling, cutting the throat and stabbing the little girl to see how it feels???????????? The girl should have a death sentence,society would be better off with her NOT in it.

She won't survive jail, lawyer says
Juvenile defense attorney Kurt Valentine argued that she would either kill herself or be assaulted and killed by others if she were placed with adults in a jail cell while awaiting trial or in a prison if convicted.

"We are throwing away the child and we are signing a death sentence for Alyssa," Valentine said. "She is not going to survive her time in the Cole County jail."

I'm grappling with what part of the above statement should matter to most people now.  So what if she kills herself?  She doesn't deserve to live for doing what she did.  Some people are born a bad seed.  I'm convinced of that.  Maybe this girl was one of them.

This story rings very close to home!

My daughter is now 11 and our [former] next door neighbor's daughter is 16. My daughter idolizes her. They have grown up together. The 16 yo held my daughter when she was born. I can definitely see how an incident like this could happen.

We moved two years ago - 10 miles away. They still see each other from-time-to-time, but as the neighbor girl gets older their reunions are fewer and farther between. We like her, but she has done some things lately that we have questioned.

Kyengineer....If you become a politician then you can steal legally and not have to worry about getting caught. Our Congresspeople do it all the time. Joking aside though. This girl needs a lot of help. There is more to this story then what is being told and a lot of questions need to be answered before we pass judgement.

Oh well, another broken child. Too bad she didn't kill herself, it would've spared this 9 year old girl.

And if she ends up committing suicide in jail or being killed, who cares? Sounds like justice to me.

Can we all agree that there are bad seeds and that some people are only alive because it is illegal to kill them?

Let her go, she's broken. She deserves everything she has coming to her.

another chance for the do-gooders of the world to make excuses for the choices that this girl made....of her own free will.the fact that she has no remorse and stated that she just wanted to know what it felt like to kill another person illustrates her lack of a moral compass.

until there is a complete eradication of political correctness the misguided do gooders will carry the torch for this girl.look no further than the countless examples of pedophiles that are given chance after chance with the majority of them re-offending to see what the fallout from obsessive political corectness has wrought upon the american landscape.

Thank you for stopping another future serial killer/mass murderer in training.

This 15 year old has a very bad mental problems. But since she dug the grave for her victim and planed out the whole thing in advance I don't think she will get out of this with an insane plea.

As much as I am against trying a teenager as an adult in this case I think it is necessary. They don't have a facility to keep her locked up and safe from herself, and keep the people around her safe as well. I would not want to see a kid who is in juvy for smoking pot in the same room with her. In order to keep the rest of the world safe from her they have to treat her as an adult. There is no way that she will be a totally changed person by the time she is 21 and would get out. She would probably kill anybody who breaks her heart. At this point I don't think her mother or grandmother are even safe around her. If she would get out at age 21 it would only be a matter of time before she would kill again.

Sociopath behavior I suspect. The Grandmother had custody of this killer which probably means that the mother was no good. In a poor family social environment Sociopath behavior can happen.

You know I was wondering why someone who had never been in trouble with the law could do something so horrible. I'm sure not having a "normal" family gave her a lot of anger. Thanks for the info, her family background makes her actions more understandable.

Yep, no surprise here . . . so sad, but no surprise.

. . another kid suicidal and instead of couseling and finding out the Why? they are depressed, and see what's going on at home, they are promptly "labeled" and placed on Psychiatic drugs . . . and the rest of us just sit back and wait for the consequences.

Check out data on Columbine, San Diego school killings, and all the school tragedies, and there are the kids placed on Ritalin or Paxil or whatever the drug companies are pushing that season.

Never, ever drug your kids. And, sadly, stay away from those that are. Add these drugs to all the Cokes and food preservatives, and NOW you have a chemical imbalance, and very unpredictable behavior.

yeah lets put her in juvi around other kids maybe she will decide that it would feel differant to kill someone else and test her theory. WTF?!?! life in an adult prision doesnt seem enough of a punishment.

When would she get to vote, or heaven forbid, have a drink? You shouldn't be able to try someone as an adult unless you are prepared to give them the same RIGHTS as adults.

Voting and drinking are not RIGHTS, they are PRIVILEGES. This is the reason that convicted felons are not allowed to vote - because they gave up that privilege when they decided to commit a crime. When this girl decided to murder a child, she gave up certain privileges - among them, her freedom.

this child has major problems. she and her family need to be in counseling. i do not approve of sending children to prison for life. they need help. something at home isn't right. let her server about 10 yrs while getting treatment.

and she had two grave. apparently there was to be a 2nd victim

She wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone? Well now she knows! I think she should be executed so she has an all encompassing experience. The upside of this is she will not be a burden to society. She is one sick puppy and for this reason alone she will live on the public dollar for the rest of her life.

Need to take her outside.. strangle her slit HER throat and stab her a few times. Maybe she will be curious about what that feels like.

That is my vote.

I have much sympathy to the family who lost their daughter. This world is full of sick people and someone raised their daughter very very wrong here. Probably didn't dicipline her or teach her the value of life. What happened to people wanting to know how it felt to save a life? Or to deliver a life into this world? Why all the killing? UNACCEPTABLE! I think her parents should be tried along by her side for utterly failing to be acceptable parents!

"We are throwing away the child and we are signing a death sentence for Alyssa," Valentine said. "She is not going to survive her time in the Cole County jail."

um..what is wrong with this^^^^ picture? There talking about throwing away the "child" and signing a death warrant..isn't that exactly what SHE did to the poor little girl? I have ZERO sympathy for this brat. She can rot in prison with the adults. "just to see what it was like" I would pull the lever on the electric chair on her and not even look back. Once again the JUSTICE SYSTEM needs REFORM. NOW.

this child has major problems. she and her family need to be in counseling

Counseling?! What she really needs is an exorcist!

"She is not going to survive her time in the Cole County jail."

That's what life in prison means Kurt, she'll die in jail one way or the other and deserves it. Do you really think that that you're going to get some sympathy given what she did?

I'm not defending what this girl did, but trying her as an adult???

When would she get to vote, or heaven forbid, have a drink? You shouldn't be able to try someone as an adult unless you are prepared to give them the same RIGHTS as adults.

Genafan, dear, this was one person killing another with no provocation...not a simple science experiement. She's willingly, at 15, if smart enough to hide a body for two days, smart enough to know that if she was caught she'd be prosecuted, given up her chance to experience growing up in normal society like the rest of us. Let her have her first drink during her life-sentance in prison, if they don't give her the needle at 18.

what it felt like?? Thats hilarious.

They should just kill the 15 yrs old why even try to rehabilitate her, so she could have children in jail too?? our tax dollar going to waste, if teens wants to do this then hell tell them to shoot themselves in the head why kill soemthing else.

i agree though how do you rehabilitate someone who "wanted to know what it felt like"

Killing someone just to "see what it felt like?" That's disgusting and shows she's extremely devious.

I say lock her up, and throw away the key. She should never see the light of day again..

Psycho!

The times they are a changing I am amazed how the young people now have little regard for life and what is the proper way to live just following the rules of society. Many things can lead to this video games tv internet it a combination of the above. This world is so fast to report the evils of man.

We have turned in to a society that faces the truth of evil daily moment to moment.

We cant blame what we see or hear all we can control is to try and teach our children the real world get rid of the fantasy of evil, when things are wrong teach the children let them know how real things are instill in them the idea of loss, pain and the reality of actions. Sure things will still happen but if we can save one child just hope its your child.

I don't believe all humans, or even most of them, are born "fundamentally good". I think most of them are born "bad" (purely self-serving, unable to consider their impact on others, etc)

Children are, by and large, not born good or bad, but neutral. They have to be taught the concepts of "right" and "wrong." Being self-serving is a survival technique for an infant, but as children develop, they start learning, through observation, example, teaching and reinforcement, concepts such as cooperation, consideration, altruism, etc. Sure, there are always a few that don't ever get it, but those are few and far between. Parents and society are the real responsible parties behind actions like this. If you're content to let a Playstation teach your children morality, you'll reap what you sow.

Sick world. Sympathy towards criminals. No sypathy for the victims. Its always someone else's fault and never those who did it. She looked like she had a pretty good upbringing. Of course looks can be deceiving and quite often are.

Sad - 2 lives thrown away.

I believe that this girl knows right from wrong. She knew killing was wrong and chose to take the life of a 9 year old innocent child. I hope she gets everything thats coming to her and then some. An eye for an eye.

The 9 year old does not have a choice to change her life and neither should the 15 year old! You talk of the 15 year old having a bad upbringing, but that does not matter in this case. She was not chained to a bed and locked in a dark room for years, she went to school every day and did not cause any trouble there, which means she knew how to act. Ive lived a bad life with sick parents who have only showed me pain, but I know killing is not right. Its sad the 15 year old is going to be in jail the rest of her life,,when somewhere in those 50 years im shure she will regret what she did, but if the little 9 year old girl cant HAVE HER LIFE BACK why should the girl that put her there get hers back????!

If you kill just to know what it feels like you are too far gone to be rehabilitaed. If it weren't against the law I would say fry her!

This whole thing is an absolute tragedy.  For both kids.  For all the parents and relatives.

Just curious though, if a fifteen year old is not 'adult' enough to consent to sex how can a fifteen year old be 'adult' enough to be tried as one for murder?

You people are all such blind hypocrites. I don't really care what happens to her tbh, but while this girl "just wanted to know what it felt like to kill," you're all getting your rocks off on imagining her punishment. This issue quits being about justice when I can smell your animal bloodlust through the screen. And look at how much support you're giving yourselves, with all the votes; it's almost masturbatory as well as sadistic. Justice was supposed to be exercised without passion or prejudice, remember that? Don't get too angry at this comment, though; I'd hate to have those insecure, sadistic imaginations turned in my direction.

She killed to see what it felt like

See, this is what gets me. Initially, I would say as an adult as well..as has been said, 15 is close enough to the magical "adulthood" in which all teenagers suddenly become all knowing in right and wrong, but at the same time I am seeing a very mentally disturbed teenager. Now, understanding that I don't condone the murder in any way shape or form, this statement by the girl shows one of two things. First, either she is a potential serial killer along the lines of Jeffrey Dahmer or, again, she is one very seriously disturbed teenager. In truth, her mug shot photo gave me the creeps. Charged as a juvenuile or adult, that look that I saw shows a total lack of caring of what she did, her attitude of just wanting to know what it felt like, tells me to lock her up for a very long time, in a facility from which it will be nearly impossible to escape, with some serious psychiatric help involved. Her lockup time may not be in a prison per se, but rather in a very secure asylum.

We'll see what the psych evals turn up. I wonder if they are even going to deem her competent for trial

I have no doubt she is a potential serial killer. If you are that screwed up by 15 nothing is going to help you.

It has nothing to do with the population or muddy DNA, It has everything to do with human nature without morals, without conscience. It is a spiritual issue, or lack thereof.

This 15 year old girl killed this poor little 9 year old cause she wanted to know what it felt like. She has some serious issues but that shouldn't negate the fact the she knows right from wrong and the fact the she dug holes to bury the body shows premeditation. I say since she is being tried as an adult then a adult sentence of the death penalty should be in forced. She knew what she was doing and don't think she wouldn't do it again especialy now that she's knows she can do it.

so she killed the girl to see how it felt, i say try her as an adult and put her in jail so she could see how it feels to be punished!!

She lost the right to be called a child and treated like a child when she committed such a heinous act. I am so tired of these animals being treated with kid gloves!!! Children do not kill, thus once one does this regardless of age, in all fairness we cannot define him/her as a child. In addition, how does one expect to rehabilatate something like that? If for whatever reason she doesn't survive in jail...oh well...

If she wanted to know what it's like killing someone, then she should be able to see what it's like being killed!

Juvenile defense attorney Kurt Valentine argued that she would either kill herself or be assaulted and killed by others if she were placed with adults in a jail cell while awaiting trial or in a prison if convicted.

I have no problem with either of these two solutions.

That's a little myopic. Look at the child soldiers in some of the more desperate 3rd World Countries. They have seen and done horrific things, and yet many of them, when separated from those situations, revert back to the childhood they had stolen from them.

I mean if an adult, with all their experience and reasoning and mature mental faculties, can still commit henious crimes, why exactly wouldn't a child, with a lesser understanding of cause/effect and weaker restraint?

tripp-- are you trippin? i bet you would not have the same thought process if it was your little nine year old girl at the bottom of that grave.

I'd like to think my more rational self would eventually assert itself - your speaking about raw emotions, which should never dictate serious decisions, that's how we got to this point to begin with. I know if it was my daughter who had DONE this I would be there every single day, not condoning what she did, not avoiding punishment (if I was convinced she was guilty I'd be trying to get her to confess and accept her punishment) but being a parent to my child, and sharing in the responsibilities for her actions. I guess being a father who actually MEANS it when he tells his 2 sons that I'll love them no matter what they do gives me a different insight. I don't think many people bother to look at it from that angle. I just don't think I could hate my kid.

I think a key fact here is glossed over. She was being treated for depression. In the modern world, that means drugs, the same drugs given to the boys who did Columbine and all the other mass killings. Every single one was taking antidepressants.

Those drugs, in some people, cause them to stop feeling emotions at all. They are turned into drug store generated psychopaths without empathy, the kind of rare people who like to torture animals and people just for fun. I first started paying attention to this after a couple friends said the stopped taking SSRI depressants because they found themselves without feelings anymore, capable of doing anything.

John,

You may have a point and people on antidepresents may need to be looked at more carefully.

Those drugs, in some people, cause them to stop feeling emotions at all.

too bad that didn't happen with this girl who WANTED TO SEE HOW IT FELT to kill someone. i guess that theory is blown here.

people on antidepresents may need to be looked at more carefully.

yeah maybe we can lock them all up & throw away the key or just kill them all before they kill someone ::rolls eyes:: there are enough screwed up people out there - heaven forbid some do find pharmaceutical relief with the meds & they actually FEEL human again! what shall we do with those people -- OMG - damn those people to hell! i took neurontin for nerve pain from a comp injury & i think i should be able to sue the drug company because it WORKED & took away my pain & therefore made me no longer homicidal....(and for the people who can't tell - i am being sarcastic....LOL). grow up & take responsibility for your own actions whether you're "on meds" or not - STOP blaming everything else. you, and only you, are responsible for your own actions - no one else. driving, drinking, voting, etc. are privileges NOT rights. she committed an premeditated adult crime and should be tried as such! for all those spouting love will cure all - you had all better be loving/involved foster parents to children/teens with emotional issues.

Calm down, keeping a closer eye on someone does NOT mean locking them up! It means that the person taking the meds and the people who live with him are aware that it might have such side effects. They could be given a list of warning signs along with the fact that the vast majority do NOT have such problems.

Our silly prison and justice system will just let her have conjugal visits with men so she can have as many babies as she wants.

I say, if you are in for 20 years you should be shut off from the free world for twenty years. Do you really think you can rehabilitate this girl, NO!

id say give her death.

She is too young by law for the death penalty but she can get life without parole.

Ivorymar, Why keep her alive draining our tax dollars and taking up more room in a prison system that is already too full? Anyone who would kill just to see what it felt like doesn't need to exist anymore, those are serial killer thoughts, and need to be taken seriously. By keeping her alive all you do is pay to house her and give the system a chance to fail and let her out into the world again. Put her down like the rabid animal she is. Game over.

Maybe it's time to change the out of date law!!

How many killers, of all ages/gender/race/ etc., were "going to commit suicide" before they decided to kill someone else?

Too bad she didn't complete suicide! I wish she would get the Death Penalty. I hope we don't have to see the parents of the murdered child on some TV interview "forgiving" this MONSTER for what she has done!

Never said I agreed with the law - and I don't in this case - but by law she is not eligible for the death penalty due to her age.

JM, she's not married, so I doubt she would get conjugal visits.....besides she's 15, do you think the state will be ok with providing the venue for statutory rape.

If you kill someone just to see how it feels, you get no sympathy from me....

She's a kid. We don't kill kids in America (anymore). Deal with it. Life in prison, for a 15 yr old, is punishment beyond most people's ability to comprehend.

Capt Tripps, I don't know what your issue is. The juvenile designation is a legal one, and legal designations can be changed, you know? I was 15 once, at 15 you start doing adult type things like dating, driving and working. She's not 10, and I would expect a 10 year old to know that killing someone just because you "feel like it" is wrong. First you say don't try her as an adult, now you're saying life is too much for a poor 15-year-old? Bullhockey! What do you think is appropriate, a slap on the wrist? No TV for a week? Nobody's agreeing with you here, maybe you should take that into consideration.

Actually I said life in prison is what she deserves and what she'll get, and it's a severe punishment. The Death penalty is too much. Don't get it twisted.

I'm not running a popularity contest, I'm stating my opinion. I neither desire or require your, or frankly anyone else's agreement to have one.

Capt Tripps,

This girl is evil and is a bad seed. She can not be saved.Society would be better off with her gone. sorry to hurt your feelings

yeah I'm not that sensitive...We just don't kill kids in America, thankfully.

Oh geez capt tripp....bleeding hearts have good intentions but you know what they say about good intentions and the road to hell, don't you? A 15 year old is close enough to adulthood to know right from wrong. Just about ten years ago there was a study done about just when a child understands right form wrong. On average a six year old can make that distinction. I have a huge problem with bleeding hearts, they don't realize the damage they cause. What happens is other people get mowed over and their rights get diminished. Look around and try to tell us that isn't so. while the first group is encouraged to ALWAYS think of themselves as the victim.

She committed an adult crime, in cold blood, not self defense or accident. This was premeditated. In my state we have the death penalty and I'm glad of that. What disturbs me is that you stated that in your state you don't kill kids. Well, apparently this young person has NO PROBLEM killing a kid.

As another poster stated above, she is not eligible for the death penalty due to her age (that law was passed during the DC Sniper ordeal if I remember correctly). The max she can get is life without parole, regardless of how you feel about it. I think that is what some mean when they say she "can't" get the death penalty - it is not allowed by the Supreme Court.

Pray that she doesn't ever get out to reproduce.

if she is tried as an adult, i think she'll get death penalty. when she turns 18, give her something to think about for three years

I can't understand the mentality of some of the posters here (Capt. Tripps for one) who want to stick this obviously twisted psychopath in jail for the reat of her natural life.

Why?

Why should you and I, as taxpayers, support this monster for who knows how many years? It should be blatently obvious to anyone that she is not going to be rehabilitated, just look at her actions before the murder. This was not a spur of the moment, 'oops' crime, it was a deliberately planned and executed criminal action. There are arguments about someone that young not capable of understanding their actions, but her actions themselves render that argument moot in this case. She dug 2 graves for God's sake. She knew exactly what she was doing and carried out her sick plan precisely as she had mapped it out.

No, no life sentance and rehabilitation. Strap her down, put the needle in and let's move on.

I don't understand why people are so agianst the death penalty. I agree that the punishment should fit the crime. She took a life, she should lose hers. It seems pretty simple to me. Is it a drastic cruel punishment? Yes, but so isn't strangling and stabbing someone to death. Parents SHOULD be accountable for their children's actions. They should get the bill for all of the court costs and the cost of execution!

I don't like the death penalty as a matter of principal - I don't think society has the right to kill it's members. Remove them and put them in prison, yea, but some of you sound like just because it's expensive to incarcerate someone means the death penalty is warranted. That's bull@!$%#. Why not kill any one who commits a crime then? Save a lot of cash that way eh?

Prison is a reality and has to be paid for, we don't need to go stretching the net of capital punishment to reduce expenditures.

How about we stop putting people in prison for non violent offenses, huh? Most of them look like fenced in halfway houses anyway.

capt tripps - do you work for the prison system or what - are you that worried about losing your job? we couldn't build enough prisons - look at prison OVER population now. I do think society has the right & the privilege to kill it's members - especially those that kill other members of society. how do you propose to house the non-violent offenders? maybe tent them in your backyard literally. or maybe put that half-way house in your immediate neighborhood. you wouldn't protest vigorously against either? easier said than done. I DON'T want these offenders in MY society, please feel free to keep them in yours.

You should be sad that things have gotten to the point of where even children are committing adult crimes.

Children have always commited adult crimes, people just didn't hear about it unless they lived there. The internet, tv and newspapers have made news like this spread far and wide. She hasn't been convicted yet also, glad there are the usual torch and pitchfork weilding mobs on here.

I'm more sad that a little 9 year old girl is dead.

"Juvenile defense attorney Kurt Valentine argued that Alyssa would either kill herself or be assaulted and killed by others if she were placed with adults in a jail cell while awaiting trial or in a prison if convicted."

Boo-hoo, why is it the criminals have more sympathy then the victims anymore? There is a 9 year old girl dead who never had her chance to live either.

I agree. She didn't worry about how her victim felt. If she wanted to do the crime--well, do the time. Let her "know what it feels like" to feel the fear that poor 9 year old innocent must have felt.

Ik in la; Things have always been that way, probably worse in ages past. We just hear about it alot more with the proliferation of global communications.

Then put her in a single cell...surely we're paying enough taxes for that to be possible...or to hire an extra guard in these tough economic times to watch her.

You still should be sad that children are committing adult crimes, no matter the past. And it is something that we did for a little while start to get a grip on in our legal system, although the intent to do so is going by the 'wayside' now.

It's only 'about time' if the parents of the murderous children are also held liable for their children's act.

lk in la ??? serious?? Why should the parent be held liable for her, a 15-year-old, commiting murder.

People need to be held accountable for their actions, 15-years-old or 50 years-old.

I think she should be tried as an adult, she murdered a little girl and she should pay. This wasn't an accident this was deliberate. As far as her parent go, I'll bet big bucks there was a @!$%#load of nasty going on in her young life for her to turn out the way she did. It's really, really rare for a kid to go this wrong without a little help along the way. So not only do I think she should be held completely accountable for her actions I also believe there is a good chance there really is some kind of parental culpability. Maybe I'm wrong and they were great parents and are horrified at what happened. Just dont know yet.

Parental culpability my ass. This girl is 15 years old. She knows right from wrong regardless of what her parents did and didn't teach her. The reason these kids are like this is because the parents are always taking the responsibility for their kids' screwing up. But after the parents do this, the kid turns arounds and tells them "I don't have to listen to you". When my son was 14 I kicked him out of my house for two weeks. At 15 when I was going to do it again, I was told by the police that I would be charged with "child abandonment". Ain't that a bitch. I have to fight to keep peace in my house? Oh hell naw. At 16, I didn't kick him out, but he did leave my house in the custody of the police and sporting a black eye. He is 17 now and knows I DON'T PLAY. And to those of you who will pick up on the "black eye", yes I punched him. He's bigger and stronger than me. What was I supposed to do while he's tearing up my house (throwing and breaking things) give him time-out? I don't think so. I'll even give you 100 to 1 odds that you will NEVER read about him killing somebody.

LusciousDC

Good for you!!!

Luscious-why not, he already seems well on the violent, criminal path thanks to you. Kicked out numerous time and already been arrested? Yea, your obviously raising a winner. Way NOT to take responsibility there...keep patting yourself on the back for punching your kid tho.

I mean, and maybe I'm just funny this way, but I think punching my son and calling the cops on him qualifies as a failure in parenting. And I have two of them, FYI.

Capt,

I'm with you 100%. Dominating/controlling your children probably eff's them up even more. Sounds like DC is proud of it.

God help us!

"LisaV
lk in la ??? serious?? Why should the parent be held liable for her, a 15-year-old, commiting murder.

People need to be held accountable for their actions, 15-years-old or 50 years-old."
So you are saying that the parents had nothing what so ever to do with the 15 year olds choice? There is an implication there that it is someone elses fault not in the family, which is really sickening. Everyone with children, if you are raising them well, I wish you the best. But for anyone else implying that someone else is responsible for your child's choices-you are stupid.

Having children does give us extra worries, but without them you will still worry about someone or something. Children bring such joy and happiness to a family (usually). I can not and do not want to imagine my life without them. There are crazy people everywhere, and you just have to keep God first and pray for the best.

Taking prayer out of our schools and not teaching discipline at home will cause lawlessness with our young. May God bless and comfort this family for their loss of their lovely family member.

Religion is the disease that is causing all this unrest and terrible behavior. It is because we have created a focus for our internal compass that is faulty that we have a society of children who have little or no compass at all. It was Voltaire who said. If you can make someone believe in absurdities then you can make them commit atrocities. And this is exactly what is happening in every "religious" country on the planet, from the middle east to Asia to the United States.

Too many parents think their kids are immunte to the law.

WILDWONDERFUL: I'm suprised you don't advocate a little bit of torture before she is executed. Assh.l.!!! I'll bet you are an undercover agent for the Taliban!!!

Then, Bernie, what should happen to her? We pat her on the hand and say "bad girl", now go play?

seriously...how are these kids goiing to learn, with the exception of some chemical imbalance, that they can't ignore the basic rules of society and expect to not endure any consequences. thanks, wildwonderful...i agree. st least let her rot in prison. too many people in general think they are immune to the law. We need repercusions that work.

See it is People like Bernie that miss the point, they are blinded by their own ideology or Rush Limbaugh. The taliban is a religion, Christianity is a religion they are equal in their destructive force on a culture. Instead of comparing one set of idiots to another...how about this?

The Denmark or Switzerland or Finland or Austria ...how many child murderers per capita exist in these countries? We are a country that has allowed conservative Christians to distract us from core values like Integrity, Honor, and Discipline. These are the characteristics that would make us great again. And these are the characteristics that should be drummed into the heads of any child born in this country even long before they learn how to count.

And then as a society we must commit to holding those accountable who fail to honor those lessons as is the case with this particular child.

Exactly diverdown.

Bernie- hey, pull the trigger, push the plunger, flip the switch, pull the trap door. what ever it takes to get it done.

LisaV: you sound like a very compassionate American. You must be proud!!

Bernie - I always used to wonder what "they" meant by bleeding heart piece of @!$%# liberal pinko - now having read your post - i know !!!

Bernie:

I am certain that when you look in the mirror when you want to see BS.

Thanks for confirming that.

Now, try growing up and acting mature and responsible.

screw that. See below comments.

Leafy, so you're saying that we (the taxpayers) should feed and house this murderer for 50 years? And then HOPE she is okay?

Why?

She gave up any rights and priveleges, including continued life, when she meticulously planned and then murdered another human being.

Age is irrelevant at this point in time. By her digging the graves and planning to dispose of the body (and one has to wonder why she dug 2 graves, was she planning a second murder?) she has shown an adult capacity for criminal activity.

I would rather my hard earned tax dollars be spent on programs in prison designed to rehabilitate, not to feed and house little monsters.

I would rather my hard earned tax dollars be spent on programs in prison designed to rehabilitate, not to feed and house little monsters.

So tell me something.... When she is slaughtered, would you expect to "rehabilitate" those who have influenced her? Or are they still free to raise bright, beautiful, intelligent, yet very dangerous little girls?

Who said someone has influenced her? Lets deal with one issue at a time, shall we?

And as far as 'slaughtered', why would you even use that term? What do you propose for her as punishment for this crime, that we spank her bottom, give her a time out and take away her latest CD's?

She planned and then committed a MURDER. Bottom line.
She planned to kill someone, chose her victim, chose a method to kill this victim and dispose of the victim's remains, then carried out the plan.
All for the thrill of doing it.
If that isn't a twisted person who should not be allowed to live, why don't you tell us about someone who is worse?

Who said someone has influenced her? Lets deal with one issue at a time, shall we?

Some has most assuredly influenced her, because she has not survived by raising herself. Consider this..... There was a great deal of thought put into this crime. She did not watch Bugs Bunny and go to the breakfast table thinking that the little girl next door had to die just so she could have the experience. She had been wondering for quite some time how it would feel to kill. So, we are not talking about a 15 year old at that point. Where did it start? 12? 8? We don't know yet.

Now let's address those around her. She had a grandmother. She excelled in school. There's not much activity in Ozark, Arkansas, because there are only 3,525 living there, but I daresay that she had a few Sunday school lessons. And yet, when she reached her darkest moment, she had no one to turn to. Why not? How was it that all the love escaped her and she did not even consider the feelings of anyone who had influenced her life? Because she didn't feel the love to begin with.

And as far as 'slaughtered', why would you even use that term?

I use the word 'slaughtered' because that is what it will be if this child is destined to die when the society around her is not forced to reckon with the environment that created the mindset that she had.

She planned to kill someone, chose her victim, chose a method to kill this victim and dispose of the victim's remains, then carried out the plan.

That's what the story says, and that tells me that she didn't see a reason not to. For all her intellect, she still never found a reason to want to live, herself. She should have been able to recognize and be put off by the consequences of her actions. How can it be that she never learned that?

If that isn't a twisted person who should not be allowed to live, why don't you tell us about someone who is worse?

I can't imagine a more heinous crime than the premeditated death of innocent children. Yes, this murderess is twisted. She's twisted as twisted can be. She did not reach that frame of mind alone.

Hmmmm convenient time for a murder. Guess what i just wrote my english assignment (POV story) on?

There's not much activity in Ozark, Arkansas, because there are only 3,525 living there, but I daresay that she had a few Sunday school lessons. And yet, when she reached her darkest moment, she had no one to turn to.

As noted elsewhere in these discussions, I have mistakenly confused two stories I am studying right now. Please accept my apologies for the confusion, and note that this particular child/case was not in Ozark, Arkansas, but instead in Missouri.

Also, as noted elsewhere, the sociological patterns between the two states are much the same, in my observations.

so leafy, we can blame your mommy & daddy for your all of your actions right? try growing up & accepting responsibility for yourself. Shall we blame our parents also for raising rapists, pedophiles, necrophiliacs, and every other deviation out there? NO - you, and you alone, are responsible for your actions. She knew right from wrong & couldn't care less - kids today think/basically are taught they are immune for anything they do. I never wanted to murder, rape, or even just commit any other violent crime against anyone just to see how it felt - as a teen or even now. damn my parents for raising me with values, morals, and the idea that I am responsible for my own actions. i blame them for making me a responsible part of society........ROFLMFAO

Ok. That does it. Now she goes in for life.

There's a lot more about this girl that should come out soon. She had planned it beforehand and even dug one or more graves. You're right, kbjwwu, She had bragged to her friends about wanting to see what it was like.

Lol leafydebater! That was fast!

If she gets 50 years imprisonment she would be released at the age of 65 (that is if she makes it out alive). Don't know if i will be around to hear or read someone say "i wanted to know what it felt like to freeze bodyparts."

Mar - I can tell that you don't have any children, and you are obviously never around any either. Every child is different and they don't come with a manual either. Especially not the once who are born with mental problems. This girls mother and grandmother might be the best parents on the planet, but yet because of that teenagers mental issues it was not possible for them to change her behaviour through parenting. Her mother even send her to therapy, it didn't help. This girl is mentally very sick. I just don't think that she will get off on an insane plea since she planed on the murder. And no it's not just todays kids, and they don't get any younger. 100 years ago 14 year olds got married and had kids and they killed others just like it happens today, you just didn't hear about it since there was no Internet or telephone.

Bottom line is that this teenage girl is mentally very sick, and we share the world with a lot of very sick individuals. All we can do is study the human mind even more and try to react to warning signs just like her mother did by sending her to therapy.

I hope she will get help in prison, and I hope her mother and grandmother will be able to forgive themselves. And for sure hope this girl is not getting out of prison as long as she is still a thread to herself and especially others. As sad as it is to lock a 15 year old up, but we need to keep the rest of us safe from a sick person like that.

Of course they'll get this little demon seed off. On the news tonight there was already mention of her being "mentally ill"...Ya think??? Makes me sick! I live in MO. so we'll hear about this for the next 5 years on the news.

Get her off the planet...git er done!

She dug TWO GRAVES . . . I wonder who was next?

her therapy is most likely what went wrong. a condoning, accepting enviroment. you know, im o.k your o.k no matter what you have done.

Who knows....sometimes people are just born with no conscience and are not "right"......I've read alot of books on so many serial killers that yes often times there were signs at a young age of what they were to become or they were brought up in an abusive family, etc...BUT...sometimes some were not...they were just born that way....something in them is evil....when I hear stories like this one it reminds me of that movie "The bad seed".....I find it sad that a kid would do something like this....something is definately wrong with her.....I pray for her family....as well as her victims...it can't be easy living in the same area for both families ....it's going to be tough.....

As far as I can tell, the more religion a place has, the more messed-up its residents are in the head. That makes sense anyway, since religion (predominant American religion, anyway) teaches only hate, fear, ignorance and disrespect for any (post-birth) life. I'd have been VERY surprised to hear this happened in any other kind of community.

That is really nice of oyu to attack a whol ecommunity because of the actions of one person. Religion can teach hate. true christianity will not. It is a relationship with Jesus Christ adn learning how much he cares for us and wants to lead us to a great life.

Tell that to all the gays out there who want to be married and can't because of our so called "Christianity".  Tell me that's not hate!  Go ahead and tell me christians believe jesus loves us all! 

On a side note and getting back to this thread.  This girl should be made an example of and be given the maximum, most sever penalty so it teaches all these other little kids who think they're thugs that this won't be tolerated in our society!

she's 15 not 10.

If she understood the ramifications of her actions then she should be tried as an adult. Under the juvenile system she would be out at 21 with no guarantee she has been rehabilitated. We don't want to believe kids are capable of committing such horrific crimes but they do and we need new laws in place to deal with it. Until then the choice is try them as a juvie and they get out at 21 (or even as early as 18) or we try them as adults and prevent them from harming anyone else.

Laws are only as just as the person applying or agreeing to them. Minors or not. A minor is still a minor. A minor has laws that are supposed to protect them for a reason.

To basically ignore them is to laugh at our legal system & say that it's unjust. So, who's right in their assumptions?

We'd have to revamp our whole legal system, as if it's really possible, to actually impose fair new laws. And, we'd most likely fail to improve what's been screwed up & unfair for so long now. Most laws would have to be thrown out & revised. And, where would that leave our society? Better, or worse than we are now? In the state our society is in now, I'd shudder to think it would be good.

Nonenow, in many places, there are no laws that say a person is automatically considered a juvenile if he/she is under a certain age. So trying a 15 year old as an adult is not "setting aside" laws. In fact, more and more, cities and states are enacting laws that specifically state that regardless of age, a person can be tried as an adult if a capital crime is committed. I doubt that any jurisdiction would attempt to try a 9 or 10 year old child as an adult; but a 15 year old is perfectly capable of distinguishing between right and wrong. If she had killed the 9 year old in the heat of the moment, it's one thing; but this was obviously a premeditated crime - and in fact, she may have been considering killing another child, since she dug TWO graves. (Unless she was planning to kill herself and the second grave was for her.)

I'll tell ya what Nonenow, why don't you just take her to your house for the next 3 years since we don't have any place in MO. for a young criminal like her...ok?

I've got a place for her right down the road, it's called Truman lake, there's bridge, I think I've got some cinder blocks out in the barn, somebody get a rope. Let the fish eat her...she's broken and cannot be fixed. We don't need her reproducing or the tax payers of this state supporting her for the rest of her life. She knew right from wrong, just didn't think she'd be tried as an adult.

There is a reason why the laws ALLOW children to be tried as adults. It was for heinous and inexcusable actions like this. How would you feel if she killed your 9yr old daughter and then served 3 years in a juv detention center, then came home to live her life like nothing happened!

I'll get the rope!

According to one of my students (who is a friend of hers) "to see if she could get away with it".

Why did the "friend" not open their mouth and say something BEFORE the freaking psycho killed that beautiful little girl? I have little girls and so help me if anyone ever hurts any of them like that I'm going after them! They better hope the cops get to them before I could!

Nope, I hear you...at 15 you should know what you're doing no matter what it is...sex included. I'm sorry. And I'm just respectively stating my opinion on her being accountable and feeling she should pay for what she did...now I don't wish death upon this girl or anything..but she did a serious thing. She needs help.

The reason she should not be tried as an adult is simple to me. If she's not considered old enough to be an adult in other ways, how can she be tried as an adult in just one specific way?

Should we send a 15 year old to war? Rediculous! Should we allow them to vote for us all? You'd have to be kidding! The list could go on for miles. Their life experiences usually don't condone good judgement because of their age. The correct & simple answer is - "no".

If anyone should be tried as an adult it is who sets the standards for our society. Who is it? Us? Our government? Both? Sometimes, I don't think that's possible. Maybe, those standards should be tried as minors? The trash of outlandish violent television, Internet, video games & other sources can be appalling to even the toughest of us. They do little to instill good behaviour from anyone, young or old. Why is that? What for? Too bad for us all when it's only about greed?

Society reflects more? Single family homes most times lack the time to direct good morals for our children. Who's responsible for that? Much of this appears to be condoned by our misguided government & society that sets it values only on money and not on good balanced moral standards for us all.

I'm far from a prude & have been around the block more than once. I've seen societies "justice" from both sides of the fence. The one thing I have learned is that everything has a good & bad side to it. Most of the time, the truth of the matter generally lays in the middle. And, that most things have consequences to them too. But, not always the right ones. Still, they are consequences.

Many times, things are out of whack, all lopsided because of the whims of another person when they may have more power, at the time. Justice is rarely served by just another person. Especially, when the others know little to none of the real facts involved. A 15 year old truly knows that? - Get real!

If anyone's to blame, if someone sadly needs any blame, as if it will repair anything, it's all of us as a society. Sadly, she's just a reflection of all of us heading the wrong way.

What goes around, sometimes comes around - to haunt or heal us? Ying & Yang?

What a bunch of malarky! At fifteen, she formed a thought process to commit a heinous crime. She pre-planned the execution of that crime, and the process in which to cover her crime from detection. 15 or 51, she is a sociopath. To take your analogy in another way, If she was 16, stole your car, ran over your child while speeding away, she would not be punished? It isn't the fault of society that this child is guilty, it is just that she is a stone-cold killer.

Dakota twin,

Obviously, you've led a very narrow & protected life of black & white with no gray matter in between. The lack of it is what's showing with your statement.

dakota-- you are right and you can bet she did know the law before she did this to that little girl.

There's a HUGE difference between having sex with an adult because you've been pressured, threatened, or otherwise coerced/forced into doing so, and making an individual, conscious decision to take the life of another person. To equate the two is completely ludicrous.

nonenow- do you REALLY believe what you have written? That this girl is just a child?

Read the reports again. She dug 2 graves in a secluded area. Arranged to take time off from school. Killed an unsuspecting child and disposed of the body. The killing was done in multiple forms (strangling, stabbing, cutting).

This was not some kid dismembering her Barbie dolls in a fit of anger, this was a deliberately planned crime. If you or I had done the same thing there would not be a question of whether we would fry or not. The fact that she planned this out shows that she has no remorse and no conscience. And, add to that, her victim was apparently chosen at random, just because she 'wanted to feel what it was like.' So you can logically dismiss revenge as a possible motive for this crime.

This was a deliberately mapped out disgusting crime and she should be held responsible for her actions. If you think otherwise you need to review the facts.

I believe an age younger than 12 is when a Child knows right from wrong. Think back from when you were younger than 12, did you do things that you "knew" were not right??? Of course you did so the public needs to do an evaluation of all criminals when they are under the age of 18 to determine if they "really" dont know right from wrong and if it turns out that they do not have that capibility then lock them up in a padded room until they die. NO SECOND CHANCES!!!!

LarryB...In my opinion, if a 15 year old girl lies about her age and has sex with an adult male, no he should not be held liable. But if he knew and had sex with her anyway, he's a child molester. There are teens out there that look well over 21 let alone 18. If they lie to a grown man just to get laid, they get what they get. A 21 yo guy had sex with a 15 yo thinking she was 18. she admitted in court that she lied to him. They were going to make him register as a sex offender anyway. Poor boy killed himself over it. That's BS!

You're missing my point...whether the girl lied about her age or not is irrelevant, and again I'm not suggesting that it should be OK for an adult to have sex with a person under the age of consent (which isn't always eighteen as most people believe, it's seventeen here in Missour, and varies from state to state). My point is if we treat them as an adult in this situation, and claim they're old enough to know better, then why the double standard when it comes to them making other decisions. What are your thoughts on her being treated as an adult here, since you believe if a man had sex with her knowing her age, she should be veiwed as a child? Just curious.

If a man has sex with an underage girl (or boy) he is a pervert. I don't think it matters if the underage teenager knew what they were doing as much as it matters that the adult knew what they were doing was wrong. Also, the fact that murdering a child is wrong is probably a lot easier for a young teenager to understand than sex.

I see your point about an adult being a pervert Erin, but that wasn't my point. I just believe it's a double standard, though I don't begrudge people who feel differently. I just think it's amusing how sex is bad (at least that's the popular thing to believe as it concerns our kids), and kids don't know what they're doing when it comes to that...murder is bad too, yet we believe they should be treated as adults if they do it.

Yes, Larry, I see the double standard. But it happens. Yes, if the older male has sex with her and knows she is only 15, yes she would be considered a child. Why? Because the adult knew she was underaged, the blame would be placed on the male. But check this double standard..A girl 16 years old (in most cases) can walk into a abortion clinic and have a baby sucked out of her. Sometimes without her parents consent. But....a 21 year old woman with 3 kids (1 boy, 2 girls) can't get her tubes tied. Chew on that one..LOL Yes this world is a mess.

That's my point, the laws in this country are full of double standards. And they're all ridiculous.

I am in OHIO (Dayton). The age of consent is 16. There are boys/men on our SO registries that had sex w/underage girls who prosecutors knew were lying about their age (in fact, said that "little girls lie all the time about their age"). They call it "reckless in regard"; if you don't actually ask for an ID; you're guilty. Case closed.

But it gets even more ridicules than that!

Prosecutors also will not take into consideration whether or not the "lying little girls" were being provided contraceptives by their parents who knew they were sexually active; as well as knew their daughters were deceiving older boys about their age in order to get the older boys to have sex with them.

The joke of Ohio is that if you have girls; you don't even have to parent them. The state is going to do it for you!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Guess all the "bleeding hearts" out there can consider the biggest mistake the 15 y.o. in this story made wasn't that she killed an innocent 9 y.o. girl....but that she didn't do it here in Ohio....girls aren't responsible for their actions here....at damn near any age!

how is it you take horrific story about a 15 yr old girl who deliberately murdered a 9 yr old & twist it into a sex debate to protect perverts/pedophiles. Please stay on the task at hand...

Are you kidding me? So if a juvenile murders someone it's different because they were a juvenile? I'd like to see you say that to the face of the parents of this 9 year old victim.

there are no juvinelle rights!!!!

If you don't have an adult comprehension of "murder is wrong" by the time you're a teenager, you should be "thrown away".

Robot, I agree with you. There are reasons the law defines a juvenile vs adult. Just because this was a horrific crime it doesn't change the fact that the perp was 15 and legally a child. I'm not saying that the laws are right or wrong, but that's the law. If it's wrong, have it changed. What other laws do you want bent/broken/ignored because of the situation? Someone thought long and hard about defining the age of an adult for legal purposes...I doubt very much that they were considering a 15 year old murdering a9 year old when they made the decision. But, it is what it is, and until the law changes, the 15 year old should be treated and tried as a juvenile.

Constitutional Rights?

Until our laws and our government actually abides by them once again; constitutional rights are merely a punchline to a sick joke being played on us all.

what specific constitutional rights do juveniles have?? she lost her privilege (NOT a right) to be a "juvie" when she deliberately & maliciously performed an adult crime. I guess when it's not your family - it's easier to spout off about the "rights" of the CRIMINAL rather than compassion & wanting justice for the murdered child & her family.

I don't think they stated the cause of death yet if they ever will but considering it took two days to find her and then only because supposedly the accused led the police to her. I doubt if she was killed with something as loud as a firearm. Also just because a news article reported something doesn't make it true anyway. Let the jury sort it out.

There's a lot more about this girl that should come out soon. She had planned it beforehand and even dug one or more graves (hence the inability to find Elizabeth during the search). You're right, kbjwwu, she had bragged to her friends about wanting to see what it was like and to see if she could get away with it.

Sorry for the repeat above-

Eliabeth murdered by strangulation and multiple stabblings. Alyssa is pure evil.

Mari 977098: there is nothing in the article that says "she wanted to know how it felt to kill" You sould like you would be an impartial person a jury!!!!!!

Bleeding heart Bernie - Read the 4th paragraph ...

"A police officer testified in court that the 15-year-old told investigators she killed Olten because she wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone."

Shut your trap and go jump off a rock.

Poor Bernie is still behind the curve.

can you really not read or is it a lack of reading comprehension? bernie, please read the article again before you post - thank you.

Cry me a river, Mr. Valentine. This little girl will never see her parents again, never attend prom, get married or have children. The "alleged" killer should never experiance those things either as she is a murderer.

Juvenile defense attorney Kurt Valentine argued that Alyssa would either kill herself or be assaulted and killed by others if she were placed with adults in a jail cell while awaiting trial or in a prison if convicted. "We are throwing away the child and we are signing a death sentence for Alyssa," Valentine said. "She is not going to survive her time in the Cole County jail

It couldn't happen to a more deserving person.

Karma I'm sure will get her in the end. Humans are @!$%#ed up.

Karma has already gotten her. She is the direct result of America's karma. Now society as a whole stands to reap what it has sown. It's not quite so special, when you look at it from either of these little girls' points of view, is it?