As you may know I'm from Jefferson City. Regarding a couple of recent posts (bear with me I'm new and probably don't know best way to do this):
W8nc said: "I've also wondered if there is any significance to the fact that EO has family members in prison, as well. I can't explain the connection, just sort of feels like maybe that may have had importance to AB, in choosing EO as her victim? I don't know, just unfinished theories in my head."
Perhaps it has not been mentioned, and if it has, it needs repeating, Elizabeth's father, Dale Olten and a brother are in prison. It is my understanding Dale Sr. was involved with drugs. Also, it has been reported that Dale Sr. was the last person to see alive a young woman who has been missing for a couple of years and is probably dead, I think her name is/was Jasmine Haslag. Her mother, first name Florence, has been very active in helping families of missing persons here in MO and was with Elizabeth's family before the body was found.
lajr56 mentions that MO's juvenile justice system is a national model. Yes, and it has been for quite a while. Our Division of Youth Services (DYS) has a long history of trying to find the best programs to help youth in their custody. MO has been a national leader in many areas: services to problem youth (DYS), early learning (we started the Parents as Teachers program), state parks (some of the best in the country but now facing funding cuts), child support enforcement (once a national leader, now barely exists). Sorry, I'm off topic.
I invite you to look at the News Tribune, and join in the discussion on the forums.
Thanks, mybackyard. We
have discussed the Olten/Haslag connection, but I don't know if AB knew of that, or if she did, how or if that may have affected her choice of EO as a victim, or if EO was just handy, as a younger, smaller, non-family-member who happened to be around a lot. LE said EO did nothing to provoke AB's attack, but if she'd been hanging out with the younger sibs for who-knows-how-long, there may have been something that happened awhile back, or an old irritation, dislike, slight. Or even, as some have speculated, maybe EO had caught AB at something, and AB wanted to make sure she didn't tell...no evidence of this, but how would we know? EO could have seen AB using drugs or making out with a bf or some other thing she'd get in trouble for. However, none of those theories have anything to do with the older Olten's. So far, we've heard NO clear motive or reason behind her choice of victim.
I've read the a few of the NT forums, and posted on one. More rambling thoughts (I apologize), but was thinking after reading some of those NT things, again regarding motive...AB wanted to know
what it feels like to kill someone. I wonder if it ever crossed her mind, before OR SINCE, to wonder what it feels like to be killed by someone? What Elizabeth felt, or how she herself might feel if all those predictions made by Mr Valentine come true. He sat right beside her and said "if she is tried as an adult, she won't live through her trial." He predicted she would be abused, molested and either killed in jail, or commit suicide before the trial was over. Then minutes later, Judge Beeton announced
she would be tried as an adult.
She didn't really appear to react to that, IMO.....but maybe, just maybe, deep down, the chilling truth was dawning on her. "Whoa....maybe this will be worse than just losing my cell phone........."