Lawmaker says proposed parole change shouldn’t apply to a teen JCMO killer

KMIZ 17 — A Missouri state representative said changes he suggested to the state’s parole eligibility were not intended to apply to a Cole County woman serving a life sentence for murder.

Rep. Mark Sharp, D-Kansas City, told ABC 17 News he did not support an early release for Alyssa Bustamante, the St. Martins woman that killed 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten when she was 15. Sharp said he did not know about the case until ABC 17 News sent him a petition from an advocacy group calling for Gov. Mike Parson to veto the bill based on a provision he brought to the House floor.

Sharp successfully added a provision to Senate Bill 26 this year that would make people eligible for a parole hearing after serving 15 years of any sentence that comes with a punishment of 15 years or greater. That wouldn’t apply to people convicted of first-degree murder or capital murder.