Alyssa Bustamante Case: Prosecutors Say Prozac No Defense For Mo. Teen Killer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Prosecutors trying to debunk a key defense theory about why a Missouri teenager killed a 9-year-old neighbor girl relied on the testimony Tuesday from a psychiatrist who said an antidepressant drug played no role in the teen's decision to murder.

Dr. Anthony Rothschild was the main prosecution witness in the second day of the sentencing hearing for Alyssa Bustamante, who has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Elizabeth Olten in a small town just west of Jefferson City.

The young girl was stabbed, strangled and had her throat cut before being buried in a grave that Bustamante admitted she dug before the October 2009 murder. Bustamante, who recently turned 18, was 15 at the time of the crimes and is being sentenced as an adult. She faces a possible sentence of 10 years to life with possibility of parole.

Bustamante's defense attorneys have attempted to build a case that her troubled childhood and the increased dosage of the antidepressant Prozac heightened her mood swings and made her more prone to violence in the weeks leading up to Elizabeth's murder.

But Rothschild said it was "nonsense" to try to suggest that Bustamante was taking too much Prozac, which he said had been proven to decrease hostility and anger in people who like Bustamante suffer from major depression and a borderline personality disorder.

"There is no reliable evidence in the medical and scientific literature that Prozac causes people to commit murder," said Rothschild, a psychiatrist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School who has testified in numerous court cases against claims that Prozac causes suicides or homicides.

PHOTOS:(Story Continues Below)

Rothschild's testimony was a rebuttal to that given Monday in Cole County Circuit Court from Edwin Johnstone, a psychiatrist from Houston who said that Prozac can lead to greater instances of violence, particularly in young females.

Johnstone testified that Prozac was "a major contributing factor" in Bustamante's slaying of Elizabeth.

Also during testimony Monday, Bustamante's grandmother described how the teen had tried to commit suicide on Labor Day 2007 by swallowing a large bottle of Tylenol pills and slicing herself hundreds of times — even carving the words "hate" and "pain" into her arms.

On Tuesday, defense witnesses recounted Bustamante's long history with cutting herself, which was first noticed at the start of her eighth grade year in the Jefferson City school district.

A nurse from the University of Missouri Hospital who examined Bustamante while the teen was in jail last November testified that she had documented well over 300 scars from intentional cuts on Bustamante's arms, legs and torso. Among those still visible scars were a peace sign, two broken hearts and the word "hate," which Bustamante had carved into herself, said nurse Alyssa Neitzert.

Bustamante's body also showed signs of a self-inflicted burn mark, bite, and an attempt to pierce the skin underneath her lips, Neitzert said.

Prosecutors have emphasized the deliberate nature of Bustamante's actions and downplayed any impact from Prozac. They noted that Bustamante dug a hole for a potential grave several days in advance, and on the evening of the killing, sent her younger sister to lure Elizabeth outside with an invitation to play.

They cited Bustamante's written words against her to urge a long prison sentence. In a journal entry on the night of the killing, Bustamante described the slaying of Elizabeth with a sense of exhilaration, using texting-style acronyms.

"I strangled them and slit their throat and stabbed them now they're dead," Bustamante wrote in her journal, which was read in court by a handwriting expert. "I don't know how to feel atm. It was ahmazing. As soon as you get over the 'ohmygawd I can't do this' feeling, it's pretty enjoyable. I'm kinda nervous and shaky though right now. Kay, I gotta go to church now...lol."

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS ON CBS NEWS:

Comments

[knicole001]

04:37 PM on 02/13/2012

Why are we still talking about this girl???? Lock her up & throw away the key! Gosh like she deserves no more of our attention she needs to fade away into oblivion...

[zepplin2011]

07:33 PM on 02/09/2012

This psychiatrist who was a witness is full of you know what! It is common knowledge that these drugs can cause people to kill someone else or themselves! People wake up! Look around you and see how many killings involved people who have had some kind of contact with these drugs! Check out ssristories.com for many many acts of violence associated with these drugs!

[megsy123]

01:14 AM on 02/15/2012

The problem is that she has a personality defect. Prozac doesn't turn people into a serial killer, which she happily would have become. she planned this, thought about it for days, dug a grave, and felt enjoyment while murdering a nine year old, that is just plain old not having a conscience. If prozac had anything to do with it shed have flown into a rage and killed the closest person, not stalked her prey the way she did, she is defective and should never see the sun again.

[PsychiatryMD]

06:34 PM on 02/21/2012

This is simply not true. Yes, SSRI's have been reported to have very rare side effects such as new or worsening agitation, panic attacks, aggressiveness, impulsiveness, irritability, hostility. However, this girl was profoundly disturbed. Your argument is flawed. This is a typical Chicken-Egg argument. Was she unstable and emotionally imbalanced for many years? Yes. Is this why she turned to FDA proven medication for a shot at feeling more normal? Yes. Did it work? No. She still was profoundly disturbed, and murdered a child.
I don't understand your logic as to why the drug would have been the cause of this crime. It would be like me driving a car at a wall at 80 mph, and when I pushed the breaks 4 feet in front of the wall, blaming the breaks for my death. This young girl's only chance at normalcy in the short-term was medication, unfortunately it did not work.
Please stop spreading lies and rumors about these medications. It is, for some people, the only hope they have at living a normal life and enjoying their children and spouses and daily life.

[zepplin2011]

07:14 PM on 02/21/2012

wow look a psychiatrist comes to the rescue! These drugs are known to cause a host of problems including worsening of depression. SSRIstories.com collects these types of incidents related to psych drugs. While not all the incidents can be blamed on psych drugs, many of them can because you all are playing with fire by altering the brain chemistry and creating a genuine chemical imbalance. The drugs will never cure anything. Can they help? In the short run yes, in the long run no. And do not even start with the FDA approved crap, thats just hilarious.

[kliptrip]

08:58 AM on 02/09/2012

Prozac is well documented to cause psychosis in teens due to inadequate liver enzymes to break down the drug. It build up to high enough levels to disrupt normal brain activity. The cutting behavior is common in depressed kids. It seems very likely to me that this girl was depressed, took prozac and had the "black box" reaction: became psychotic.

[Beeleevur21]

07:48 AM on 02/09/2012

Another example of an expert psychiatrist working for the pharmaceutical industry and is highly paid to cover up the real truth about dangerous prescription drugs. His price tag must be pretty high as pharmaceutical companies continue to get more doctors into their profit system and cover up the side effects of the drugs they are producing. This teenager was obviously in an deranged, altered mental based upon the comments that she made after this horrifying murder. If PROZAC worked, as the psychiatrist stated on the stand, then why was she in such a terrible mental state? Ask yourself, if PROZAC worked to keep people from violent acts of aggression, then how did this murder occur??? She was on PROZAC! Many, MANY people have reported feeling violent and aggressive while taking PROZAC, people who have never been violent before. PROZAC is an extremely dangerous, mind altering drug that causes people to become violent. Read up on it and you will find that research and even the Manufacturer's public disclosures regarding side effects show this to be true. Her dosage of PROZAC was increased 2 weeks before this murder and during that time she flipped her lid.

[jenalan]

07:18 PM on 02/09/2012

Very insightful.

[jenalan]

07:18 PM on 02/09/2012

I'd fan you, but the button still doesn't seem to be working.

[Ann BlakeTracy]

10:13 AM on 02/08/2012

Prozac & other SSRI & SNRI antidepressants are almost identical in action to PCP (Angel Dust). The effects are generally more gradual making it more subtle but the end result is the same. Some of these drugs already carry the listed side effect of "homicidal ideation." Now homicidal ideation is NOT just killing someone but it is developing an obsession to kill with constant ruminating thoughts of both killing coupled with obessional thoughts of various methods of killing. And according to FDA warnings the ideations produced by these drugs (homicidal ideation is known to be linked with suicidal ideation) is warned to be about DOUBLE for anyone under the age of 25 yet doctors continue to give these drugs to children! Was she a troubled teen? Yes. Did she need Prozac? Of course not! It clearly pushed her over the edge! Google ssristories to see a large database of similar cases. This prosecutor needs to read the Nov. 2010 issue of Atlantic Monthly where in an article titled "Lies, Damn Lies & Medical Science" the world's leading expert on scientific studies that his "expert" is using to build his testimony on states boldly that 90% have been influenced by the industry profiting from the drugs & do not reflect true science.

[zepplin2011]

06:26 PM on 02/23/2012

thanks so much for helping to get the word out!

[UmYeah]

08:42 AM on 02/08/2012

They sure start early these days huh?...some as young as 7. SMH

[bynddrvn5]

08:27 AM on 02/08/2012

Just another good Mormon, like Mitt Romney.

Must be hard going door to door and having people slam doors in your face and yelling at you.

All of that negative energy has to go somewhere.

[jjbennee]

01:27 PM on 02/08/2012

boo... TERRIBLE comparison. Mormons are some of the best people I know. The Mormon church had nothing to do with Alyssa Bustamante psychotic decision. Her earthly punishment will be nothing compared to her eternal punishment.

[bynddrvn5]

05:36 PM on 02/08/2012

The Mormons bus their members into other states to deny LGBT individual rights.

A religion that encourages harassing people and forcing their bigoted ideals on others, is anything but a good religious organization.

Goes to the character of those who would sign up with such a church.

[jjbennee]

01:43 PM on 02/08/2012

Boo... bad comparison. Mormonism and this psychotic act have no relation. Alyssa's earthly punishment will be minimal compared to her eternal punishment.

[Rahbben]

03:29 PM on 03/29/2012

I hope you make the same statement about Islam - that the psychotic acts of some Muslims have no relation to the religion. So many Americans can't make this connection.

[jenalan]

07:48 AM on 02/08/2012

I agree that this girl should not be a part of society for a very, very long time...but too many are dismissing her as an "animal" that "should be put down." We are not our own worst acts. While the pain of the victim's family can never be overstated, as human beings we need to be willing to give others the opportunity for redemption. Especially one so young.

[drwds]

08:10 AM on 02/08/2012

Yes, but not this time.

[bynddrvn5]

08:30 AM on 02/08/2012

Not with this kid, she had dug several graves for future victims.

[Kathleen SchmidtPowel]

06:57 AM on 02/08/2012

The girl is obviously deranged to begin with, aside from taking too much prozac or not enough. She seems to have always had issues. She does need to be put away for a very long time, maybe forever, no matter what happens in her case. She is a danger to society and to herself and something should have been done with her long before this tragic story

[elizabefal]

06:01 AM on 02/08/2012

From the words of Faramir in "Lord of the Rings" about Gollum. ....."he's got an ill-favored look" . That's her, "an ill favored look"

[WilhelmKein]

05:50 AM on 02/08/2012

"'There is no reliable evidence in the medical and scientific literature that Prozac causes people to commit murder,' said Rothschild, a psychiatrist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School"

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1553-prozac-triggers-increase-in-aggression-in-mice.html

Psychiatric drugs should NEVER be administered to children; except perhaps in the very rare cases of childhood-onset schizophrenia (1 in 40,000 compared to 1 in 100 for adults).

[thisismyname]

09:55 PM on 02/08/2012

I do believe SSRI's are over prescribed to adolescents. I also think it's hard for psychiatrists to properly diagnose children and adolescents because they go through so many emotional ups and downs. I've heard that individuals with Bipolar disorder should not be prescribed SSRI's because they can worsen manic episodes that can cause aggressive behavior. I think this girl was messed up in her head though. Digging an actual grave? That's not normal. That's sociopathic behavior in my opinion but I'm no Doctor.

Some patients with schizophrenia can show symptoms in their teen years. Usually anti-psychotics are prescribed to schizophrenic patients. Anti-psychotics are in a different category than SSRI's. I think if they are going to prescribe any medication to children(and adults) they should be closely monitored for months before they feel confident the patient is properly diagnosed and doing well on the medication. Unfortunately the health care system(no matter what country you live in) seems to be doing this. These drugs are a big deal, with major side effects that should not be taken lightly.

[Romo502]

12:32 AM on 02/09/2012

Anti-psychotics are just as bad as SSRI's, maybe even worse. Psychiatrists, general med practitioners, and even psychologists, should really re-evaluate how they diagnose children. The American Psychological Association needs to step up and talk about what research actually says when it comes to children and "schizophrenia or bipolar disorder." There is no scientific data to suggest or "prove" that psychotic or bipolar disorder even begins in childhood. In addition, the pharmaceutical companies have told blatant lies to the public, as well as medical practitioners, about the effectiveness of SSRI's, anti-psychotics, SNRI's, and anxiolytics for decades. These drugs are not proven to be effective. (Example: 83% of the reported "effectiveness" of SSRI's is due to the placebo effect). Furthermore, there is significant evidence to show that these drugs have adverse effects on children, teens, and adults. More specifically, long-term studies show that those who have had a mental disorder and took a psychotropic med in the past have worse outcomes in terms of social and occupational functioning, as compared to those who have had a mental disorder and did not take medication (including those diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder I, and Major Depressive Disorder).

[rey davis]

05:28 AM on 02/08/2012

I think maybe a light spanking while shes' LOOKING BACK watching is fair enough!

[xmasfreud]

02:11 AM on 02/08/2012

Am I the only person who feels the pain of both the victim and the murderer? I'm certainly not trying to excuse Bustamante's horrible actions. She seems like a troubled teenager in need of far more help than a bottle of Prozac could provide her. I wish we could find ways to reach troubled kids before they act on their violent impulses. Perhaps we can start by attempting to understand where they're coming from rather than casting them aside as evil. I blogged more on this topic here: http://thisambiguouslife.blogspot.com/2012/02/this-ambiguous-life-violent-kids.html

[Antifish]

12:58 AM on 02/08/2012

This monster should have been in an asylum and that poor little girl would still be alive. We can thank Saint Reagan for predators like this one and Jerod Loughner being free to pray on innocent people. We really need stronger laws to protect society from the mentally ill.

I've got one living across the street from me. One night, at 4:30 in the morning, he bashed in my mailbox with a large beer bottle. When I went out to investigate the noise, he set his pit bull loose on me. Thankfully, I had a very powerful flashlight and was able to keep the dog blinded as I backed my way onto the safety on my gated front porch. The police refused to charge him with anything because of his mental condition, although, according to his mother, he's had several brushes with the law. I know it's just a matter of time before he does something really bad and just hope I'm not his target.

[MissFish]

08:28 AM on 02/08/2012

We have a crazy old lady in our neighborhood. She throws garbage in other people's yards & says, it came from them. She yells at kids riding their bikes on the street. Once she threw a piece of kindling at my Dad, who was cutting grass for another elderly woman, across the street. Whenever anyone calls the cops - they do nothing. She lives alone most of the time, BUT when her husband is home, she takes her 'meds' & she is "normal". I will not be surprised if I hear she has hurt someone - and the cops do nothing. She needs to be in an asylum.

[fwiblefwoble]

02:36 AM on 02/22/2012

Or on Prozac then you will have to move address

[bassx101]

12:52 AM on 02/08/2012

prozac defense=modern day twinkie defense