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October 22, 2009 1:09 PM

Elizabeth Olten Missing; 9-Year-Old Disappears in Cole County, Missouri

Posted by Carlin DeGuerin Miller
(Handout)
Handout Photo: Elizabeth Olten.

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) Cole County Sheriff's deputies are still searching for Elizabeth Olten, a 9-year-old girl who was reported missing late Wednesday night after she didn’t return home from a friend's house.

Olten is from St. Martin's, Mo., a small town two and half hours drive West of St. Louis.

According to authorities, Olten was supposed to have returned home after visiting a friend who lived about a quarter mile from her home. She was last see at around 6:15 p.m. when she left her friend's house to walk the short distance down Route D west of Jefferson City.

(Handout)
Handout Photo: Elizabeth Olten.

Her family called police when she did not arrive home by 7 p.m. Search teams were assembled at the Extreme Body and Paint shop by 7:30 p.m. and combed the wooded area using flashlights. They were still searching at around 10:20 p.m. last night. They are expected to resume the search early this morning.

Olten was last seen wearing a pink sweater over a T-shirt with butterflies when she disappeared. She was also wearing blue jeans and white sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cole County Sheriff's Department at 573-634-9100.
Tags:
elizabeth olten ,
missouri ,
missing ,
st. martins ,
crimesider
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by Suelue October 23, 2009 4:32 PM EDT
Elizabeth has been found deceased according to our local news sources. This child abduction insanity has got to stop.
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by Suelue October 23, 2009 4:02 PM EDT
You have no idea how twisted this story is. Coralync has it right but she failed to mention that Mr. Olten's (dad of girl) girlfriend went missing two years ago and is presumed dead. And I pray also that this is not some sort of drug retaliation.
Reply to this comment
by sharkie62 October 23, 2009 3:31 PM EDT
As a member of a search and rescue unit, I can advise you the reasoning behind this is simple: the safety philosphy during any rescue is self, unit, subject. In other words, while we are trained for many situations, some very extreme, the safety of the searcher comes first. They don't want to end up with two or three or five, etc, more subjects which then greatly impacts the search for the original subject.

On this search, there must be evidence to the contrary that this child was not abducted or an Amber Alert would have been issued. Maybe they believe she is hiding or with someone. That could change over time. YOu have to keep in mind that a great deal of information that LE has is NOT released to the media for good reason.

On a personal note, I hope she is found safe and sound. My prayers for her, her family and for the searchers dedicating their time to find her.
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by Al_Iswell October 23, 2009 12:13 PM EDT
It's now Friday and still no Amber Alert? Authorities are stating they don't believe foul play is involved??? Are you kidding me? What is going on with this case? Does money and a problem-free family determine a child's worth? Where is the media coverage???

WHY NO AMBER ALERT???
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by ericalina October 23, 2009 1:27 PM EDT
The general requirements for an Amber Alert are having sufficient evidence of an abduction, oftentimes with vehicle descriptions (why you see Amber Alerts on highways and hear them on the radio). This poor child could have fallen into a ditch somewhere or gotten lost and is suffering from exposure, in which an Amber Alert on the highway and news system is not going to help that anymore than just having her on the news as missing.

This is what they suggest in Missouri:

* Law enforcement officials have reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred
* Law enforcement officials believe that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
* Enough descriptive information exists about the victim and the abductor for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert.
* The victim of the abduction is a child age 17 years or younger.
by kerrib2 October 23, 2009 1:38 PM EDT
There also must be different criteria in different states, because I don't recall the police investigating Somer Thompson's disappearance saying that they had a description of a car or suspect at all either. The local sheriff investigating Elizabeth's disappearance said they have declared an endangered child alert or something like that. But with every passing hour it seems foul play is possible. The area they have been searching is not that large, so if she was lost in those woods and still alive with all those volunteers you think they would have found her by now.
by Misanthropic65 October 23, 2009 9:32 AM EDT
With all the crimes going on against children nowadays why do parents still insist to not ESCORT their children back and forth? I mean I would never, ever let my child walk by themselves ANYWHERE!!!
Wake up, turn off your tv and be a parent!!!!!!!
Reply to this comment
by bschmaltz1 October 23, 2009 10:48 AM EDT
You are a piece of work attacking the heartbroken parents.
They live in a small town where crime is NOT an issue. They are not the only parents in the area to allow their child to walk to a friend's house or play outside until dusk. I am sure now, however, the innocence of this town is gone and children will not have the carefree childhood the families thought they would have in this area.
by kerrib2 October 23, 2009 8:43 AM EDT
Why do they call the searches off so often because of bad weather? I know they care about the safety of the people searching, but time is critical when children are missing. Maybe they need to have a group of specially trained people out there who can handle searching in bad weather. I hope and pray that she just lost her way and that Elizabeth was not kidnapped because of her families problems, but I also am hoping that there isn't some kind of serial killer out there. I say this because to me she seems to look very similar to Somer Thompson. Are the police looking at this possibility?
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by coralync October 23, 2009 12:17 AM EDT
This child has not at this time been found. It is now 23:15 Thursday - the law enforcement officials are still out but all volunteers have been sent home because of the darkness and alot of rain and at this point resume in the morning at daylight. The father and brother of this beautiful young child are in the Missouri Corrections Facility in Bowling Green, Mo in NE Missouri. I pray that this child is not a part of the drugs that they were sent to prison for.... Please everyone in the USA will keep the family and friends in their prayers until she is found.
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