Lily Peters murder latest news: Victim suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation, autopsy reveals

Chippewa County District Court Judge Benjamin Lane has ordered that the identity of Lily Peters’ suspected killer be protected due to his age.

In the suspect’s first court appearance on Wednesday, the judge said that he would only be referred to by his initials C P-B and that neither he nor any members of the public gallery – which could include members of the suspect’s family and members of the victim’s family – can be photographed or filmed.

The restrictions could change as the case progresses.

Officials said that the suspected killer is a 14-year-old boy who knew his victim but have refused to confirm if they are related.

They have also refused to comment on whether or not the boy lived in Lily’s aunt’s house. Lily left the house with her killer and headed along a walking trail where she was killed.

A juvenile who is believed to have killed 10-year-old Liliana “Lily” Peters has been arrested on suspicion of her murder following a search of her aunt’s home, according to authorities.

Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm announced in a press conference on Tuesday evening that the suspect was taken into custody earlier that evening and that there is no longer any danger to the public.

The police chief said that the suspect is “not a stranger” but was “known” to the murdered 10-year-old.

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Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm said on Thursday that the Wisconsin community is devastated after the murder of 10-year-old Lily Peters.

Mr Kelm told Fox News: “It was devastating. We were ready to continue looking for the missing girl hoping that she was gonna show up to school the next day, that we could call off the search, and then when we learned that that wasn’t going to happen, it hit us all very hard.”

Earlier the police had confirmed that they had arrested a 14-year-old prime suspect. Law enforcement officials said that the suspect was not a stranger to the 10-year-old girl.

Mr Kelm said that tips from the [Wisconsin] community led to the arrest.

The death of 10-year-old Iliana “Lily” Peters and the arrest of a 14-year-old boy for her murder has shocked the small, tight-knit community of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

Lily was found dead at around 9.15am on Monday morning in a wooded area close to a walking trail by the Leinenkugel’s brewery.

On Thursday, a preliminary autopsy found that the 10-year-old suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation with her death being ruled a homicide.

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A 14-year-old boy has been held on $1m bond for the murder of Lily Peters, after the court heard how he allegedly led the 10-year-old along a wooded trail before beating her with a stick, strangling her and sexually assaulting her.

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Preliminary autopsy results have revealed that 10-year-old Lily Peters suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation and her death has been ruled a homicide.

The Independent first reported the findings of the preliminary autopsy on Thursday after speaking with Chippewa County Coroner Ron Patten.

Mr Patten said that the results are preliminary and he expects the full autopsy report to be completed in around six weeks’ time.

He said that the full autopsy will include additional testing as officials want to be “very thorough” with the investigation into the girl’s murder.

The preliminary findings support the version of events presented in court on Wednesday, where a 14-year-old boy was accused of punching Lily, hitting her with a stick and strangling her, before sexually assaulting her.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Prosecutors revealed details about the murder of Lily Peters in Wednesday’s court hearing, saying that the 10-year-old left her aunt’s house with her alleged killer and they headed along a nearby walking trail together.

As they went along the 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, prosecutors said.

Preliminary autopsy findings released on Thursday revealed that Lily suffered strangulation and blunt force trauma.

Her death has been ruled a homicide with the full autopsy report expected in around six weeks, Chippewa County Coroner Ron Patten told The Independent.

Neighbours recalled seeing Lily Peters playing with one of her cousins outside her aunt’s home just hours before she was killed.

Jeremy Machnik lives on the same street as Lily’s aunt – North Grove Street in Chippewa Falls.

Mr Machnik told Fox9 earlier this week – prior to the suspect’s arrest – that he saw the 10-year-old girl rollerblading along the street between 1pm and 3pm on Sunday afternoon.

She was with one of her cousins who was playing on a hoverboard and they appeared to be having fun, he said.

“Between about 1 and 3[pm], one of her cousins was on a hoverboard, he had his hands behind his back and she was on rollerblades holding on,” he said.

“And they were scooting down the street just laughing.”

Sometime later that day, Lily left her aunt’s house with her 14-year-old alleged killer and they went along a nearby walking trail, according to prosecutors.

There, the suspect allegedly attacked, punching and strangling the 10-year-old before sexually assaulting her.

At 9pm that night, Lily’s father reported her missing when she failed to return home from her aunt’s house.

Her body was discovered the next morning close to the trail.

Prosecutors said the suspect intended to rape and murder his victim when they left the house.

A harrowing Reddit post may have helped lead police to the 14-year-old boy now charged with the murder and sexual assault of slain schoolgirl Lily Peters.

On Monday night, Reddit user HomesliceNation4 commented on a thread about the 10-year-old’s death saying he had seen a girl matching Lily’s description “with another kid” on the walking trail close to where her body had been found.

“What’s scary is I was playing Pokemon Go in the park that day walking along that very same trail,” the Reddit user wrote.

“My stomach turns when I think I saw that girl in a pink/purple hoodie on her bike with another kid on my way out.”

They added: “I have a suspicion that it could be another kid that did it.”

At the time the comment was left, police had found Lily dead in a wooded area by the walking trail.

No arrests had been made, there were no suspects in the case and police were urging the community to be vigilant for fear that there could be an ongoing danger.

Lily was last seen wearing a purple 1/4 zip long sleeve shirt with black stretch pants and grey shoes, according to the missing persons press release.

Other Reddit users were quick to comment on HomesliceNation4’s post, urging them to contact law enforcement while others said they had called the tipline to report the alleged sighting.

On Tuesday, police arrested a 14-year-old boy known to Lily on suspicion of her murder.

The suspect, who is to only be referred to by his initials C P-B, allegedly led Lily down the walking trail where he punched her in the stomach, beat her with a stick and strangled her before sexually assaulting the 10-year-old.

The suspect is scheduled to next appear in court at 3.30pm CT on Thursday 5 May.

The 14-year-old boy 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.

At present he is being charged as an adult because Wisconsin law stipulates that first-degree homicide charges must first be brought in adult court if the suspect is aged 10 or older. The case can later move to juvenile court.

If convicted as an adult, he faces up to life in prison on the charges.