Police arrest teen in death of girl, 9

ST. MARTINS, Mo. (AP) — Juvenile authorities said Saturday that a 15-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 9-year-old central Missouri girl found in the woods two days after she went missing.

Police did not release the teen’s gender or name and provided few other details about the person suspected of killing Elizabeth Olten. Cole County Sheriff Greg White has said the teenage suspect is not related to Elizabeth but was acquainted with her and is from the same area just west of Jefferson City.

Several hundred people braved soaking rain and cold weather to search a heavily wooded area near Elizabeth’s home after she was reported missing Wednesday evening. Police found Elizabeth’s body Friday afternoon after the suspect led them to a wooded area several hundred yards from her St. Martins house, White said.

“We had been in that area — actually more than once. The body was very well concealed,” said White, who would not say whether police believed Elizabeth had been killed there.

Under Missouri law, children as young as 12 can be charged as adults with first-degree murder. But the case must start in the juvenile court system while a hearing is conducted on whether to transfer it to an adult court. Juvenile-court records generally are closed under Missouri law unless a judge grants an exception.

Cole County Juvenile Court Administrator Michael Couty said the suspect was in the custody of the juvenile-justice system and would undergo a background and psychological check. Couty planned to request a hearing next week before a family- court judge to determine whether the suspect should be tried as a juvenile or as an adult.

Police initially had said Elizabeth was last seen walking home from a neighbor’s house Wednesday night. White said that time line was developed through interviews.

But on Saturday, White declined to say whether police believed Elizabeth had started walking home when she encountered the suspect. He said many details could not be released to avoid risking the prosecution’s case and because the suspect is a juvenile.

An autopsy was being conducted Saturday to determine the time and cause of death.