(CNN) -- A 9-year-old girl was laid to rest Wednesday as a 15-year-old girl, described as an acquaintance, was in court on charges she carried out the younger girl's murder

Elizabeth Olten was coming home from a friend's house last week in St. Martins, Missouri, when she disappeared.

Distraught residents searched for days for Olten without luck, when the Cole County Sheriff's Department received a tip that led them to the alleged killer.

It didn't lead them to a stranger, a child predator or a convicted sex offender -- avenues police had originally considered because of Olten's age

Instead, it led them to a 15-year-old girl who, according to Peggy Florence, a family spokeswoman, had played with Olten.

The girl then led police to the body -- which was found in an area authorities searched before, the sheriff's department said, but was hidden so well they hadn't seen it. Authorities said both physical evidence and some written evidence led to the suspect's arrest. She has been charged with first-degree murder.


On Wednesday, Olten's family looked towards closure as two drastically different scenes unfolded in Missouri.

Olten's family and friends watched as two white horses pulled her casket in a glass hearse. Hours earlier, a judge had ordered the 15-year-old suspect to be held while he decides whether she should be tried in adult court. Authorities have not released the suspect's name.

Authorities released few details about the case, though they said an autopsy was conducted Saturday.

The Olten family spent the day of Elizabeth's funeral remembering a very special little girl and mourning their loss, choosing to celebrate her life, instead of attending the court hearing of the teen accused of killing her. After the funeral ceremony, they released pink balloons, in honor of Elizabeth Olten's favorite color.

For them, it was about their little girl -- the one who was always ready with a bright smile.

"She wanted to be a mother, she wanted to love others and take care of others," family spokeswoman Florence told HLN's Nancy Grace. "She was just a lovely child -- she never met an animal she didn't love and dress up and play with."

She loved to dress up and put on fancy dresses, Florence said, even in the snow and the mud.

"She was a beautiful little girly girl," Florence said. "She had everyone's heart."

That is really sick. That 15 year old girl has some serious issues. But one thing, I don't agree with is her going into an adult prison. I think she should be put into a mental hospital. No normal mentally sound 15 year old girl is going to kill another child to "see what it felt like". I don't think she should be put back into the public because she could hurt someone else, but she doesn't deserve to be put into a prison with grown women who could easily kill her & probably will. I think she needs some help. Maybe one day she will be sane & realize what she has done & the guilt she will live with for the rest of her life will be enough.

When they are tried as an adult she doesn't go into an adult prision right away. She goes to a juvenile facility which will address mental, physical, and emotional characteristics (sp - it's too early) until she's 18. After she turns 18 they usually send them to a high security woman's center which will continue to work on her mental and emotional state.

I hope she gets tried as an adult!

P.S. That's just what my aunt told me - she's a guard at a high security prision here in Washington. It is different in every state, though.

That is what needs to happen to her. I don't know Missouri laws though, so I don't know if it's what will happen or not.

If an adult who had never killed before and didn't have a criminal record of anything killed someone and used that as their reason, we'd be all over it and say it doesn't matter, they should have known better and they should get the proper punishment....life in prison.

Why is it any different in this case? Who cares if she's "only" 15. She's old enough to know better. Yes, being tried as an adult is EXACTLY what should happen to her.

I saw this story on Nancy Grace last night. And it was said that the 15 year old girl killed the little girl because she 'wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone'

This is sick and disgusting. I hope they try this girl as an adult.

^ That's the sign of someone with issues. "I want to know what it FEELS LIKE to kill someone". Yeah, at least they caught her young, and she might have a chance to be rehabilitated before she gets a chance to do it again. Who knows what will happen, though...

Shame they do not do public executions in the local town square anymore. That POS is a prime candidate for it.

It reminds me of the Jamie Bulger case. Except the two kids that killed him were only about 10