Lily Peters news - latest: Preliminary autopsy shows victim suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation
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A preliminary autopsy has found that 10-year-old Liliana “Lily” Peters suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation with her death being ruled a homicide.
Chippewa County Coroner Ron Patten confirmed the details to The Independent on Thursday, saying that the full autopsy report is not expected for several more weeks.
The preliminary findings support the version of events presented in court on Wednesday, where a 14-year-old boy was held on $1m bond on charges of first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault, and first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age 13 resulting in great bodily harm.
Prosecutors said the teenager, who knew his victim, led Lily along a walking trail near her aunt’s house where he allegedly punched her in the stomach, knocked her to the ground, hit her with a stick and strangled her before sexually assaulting her.
The teenager, referred to by his initials C P-B, allegedly confessed to police that “his intention was to rape and kill the victim from the get-go” when they left Lily’s aunt’s house together on Sunday.
Lily was reported missing by her father that night and her body was discovered on Monday morning close to the trail.
The three charges against the suspect
Here are the three charges against the suspect:
- First-degree intentional homicide
- First-degree sexual asssualt
- First-degree sexual asssualt of a child under age 13 resulting in great bodily harm
Murder charge is tried in adult court
The 14-year-old suspected killer has been charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual asssualt, and first-degree sexual asssualt of a child under age 13 resulting in great bodily harm over Lily Peters’ death.
Under Wisconsin law, first-degree homicide charges must first be brought in adult court if the suspect is aged 10 or older. The case can then be transferred to juvenile court.
The prosecutor said in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that it would be “premature” to speculate whether they plan to continue to try the suspect in adult court however he added that it is a “very serious case”.
Prosecutors said high cash bond was necessary ‘to protect the community'
In Wednesday’s court appearance, prosecutors asked the judge to set the suspect’s bond at $1m cash.
They said that the high cash bond was necessary because of the severity of the case which created a “need to protect the community” and also raised concerns that the suspect could be a flight risk.
The defence argued that, as a 14-year-old eighth-grade student who has lived in Chippewa Falls with his mother his whole life, the suspect could not be a flight risk.
The judge agreed with the prosecution, setting $1m cash bond and ordering the suspect to have no contact with juveniles and no access to dangerous weapons if he is released.
The judge said that he would allow the suspect to have contact with his siblings as long as any such visits are supervised.
What we know about the suspect
The suspect charged with the murder of Lily Peters is a 14-year-old boy who police said was known to the 10-year-old victim.
Because of his age and the sensitivity of the case, Chippewa County Court on Wednesday ordered that the suspect’s name must not be released and that he cannot be filmed during court appearanaces.
Instead, the suspect is known only by his initials C P-B.
Officials have refused to say if he is related to Lily but have confirmed that they knew each other.
According to prosecutors, the teenager admitted in statements to law enforcement that “his intention was to rape and kill the victim from the get-go” when they left a house together and headed down a nearby walking trail.
Lily was last seen alive at her aunt’s house on North Grove Street on Sunday before she left to return to her home at East Birch Street. Her body was discovered on Monday morning in a wooded area close to a nearby walking trail.
Prosecutors said the suspect told officers he and the victim left the home together and headed along the walking trial.
There, he allegedly punched Lily in the stomach, knocked her to the ground, hit her with a stick, strangled her “to the point of death” and sexually assaulted her.
Police arrested the suspect after carrying out a search warrant at the aunt’s home on Tuesday, where they collected evidence and carried out interviews.
Officials have refused to confirm if the boy lives at the address.
The defence team said in court on Wednesday that he is an eighth-grade student who has lived in Chippewa Falls with his mother his whole life.
The 14-year-old has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual asssualt, and first-degree sexual asssualt of a child under age 13 resulting in great bodily harm.
If convicted as an adult, he faces up to life in prison on the charges.
Autopsy could take several more days
Lily Peters’ autopsy could take several more days to complete as the medical examiner carries out additional testing on the 10-year-old’s body.
Chippewa County Coroner Ron Patten told The Independent on Wednesday afternoon that he expects it to be at least another day or two before preliminary findings are released.
Mr Patten said the timescale is down to the fact that officials are carrying out a full forensic autopsy with extra testing on the girl’s body.
This is standard practice when the death is considered to be a homicide, he said.
The Ramsay County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting the autopsy but Mr Patten said the findings and report will come from his office.
Local residents react to suspect’s arrest
Local residents have spoken of their relief that a suspect has been arrested in connection to the murder of Lily Peters, which has rocked the small tight-knit community of Chippewa Falls.
Lance Nicolai told WCCO that he is sad for Lily’s family but that the arrest was a step towards justice for the murdered 10-year-old.
“I do feel sorry, my sympathy is to the family. The little girl, I’ve seen her around,” he said.
“It’s a small town. It’s a good town, Chippewa Falls.”
Teenager faces life in prison if convicted
The teenager suspected of murdering 10-year-old Lily Peters faces life in prison if convicted on the charges.
DA Wade Newell said that the 14-year-old has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual asssualt, and first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age 13 resulting in great bodily harm.
Under Wisconsin law, first-degree homicide charges must first be brought in adult court if the suspect is aged 10 or older. The case can then be transferred to juvenile court.
If the suspect is tried in adult court, he faces up to life in prison on the homicide charge, up to 60 years on the sexual assault charge, and up to life in prison on the sexual assault of a minor charge.
Lily Peters’ suspected killer told police he ‘beat her with stick, strangled and raped her’
A 14-year-old boy has confessed to murdering Lily Peters, admitting that he led the 10-year-old along a wooded trail before beating her with a stick, strangling her and sexually assaulting her, according to authorities.
The suspect, who was referred to only by his initials C P-B, appeared in court for the first time for a bond hearing on Wednesday afternoon over the brutal killing which has shocked the tight-knit community of Chippewa Falls.
Prosecutors said that the teenager admitted to law enforcement that “his intention was to rape and kill the victim from the get-go when he left the house with the victim going down the trail”.
After going along the walking trail, the suspect allegedly punched Lily in the stomach, knocked her to the ground, hit her with a stick and strangled her “to the point of death”.
He then sexually assaulted the 10-year-old child. Lily’s body was discovered on Monday morning in a wooded area close to the trail, after she was reported missing by her father the night before.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Juvenile suspect held on $1m bond for rape and murder of Lily Peters
Suspect allegedly told police he led Lily Peters along a wooded trail where he strangled and sexually assaulted the 10-year-old
Map of Lily Peters’ route home and where her body was found
The initial search for Lily Peters was launched on Sunday night when she left her aunt’s home on North Grove Street and failed to return to her home on East Birch Street.
Taking the most direct route, the journey is a roughly six-minute walk or two-minute cycle.
Her body was discovered in a wooded area close to the Duncan Creek Trail, near the Leinenkugel’s Brewery, on Monday morning.
Prosecutors said the suspect has admitted to leaving the home with Lily and heading along the walking trail together.
He then allegedly attacked the 10-year-old, strangling her before sexually assaulting her.
Pictured: Map showing Lily’s aunt’s address at North Grove Street, her home at East Birch Street and the Leinenkugel brewery close to where her body was found
Criminal complaint remains sealed
The criminal complaint against the suspected killer of Lily Peters was sealed by the judge on Wednesday.
Due to the alleged killer’s age – as a 14-year-old boy – information has so far been restricted about the case.
The court ordered that the suspect can only be referred to by his initials C P-B and that neither the defendant nor the victim’s family may be filmed during court proceedings.
As well as the criminal complaint, search warrants have also been sealed.
This includes the search warrant executed at the home of Lily’s aunt.
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