LILY PETERS CASE: COUSIN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR 2022 MURDER

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — More than four years after 10-year-old Iliana “Lily” Peters was found dead in a wooded area in Wisconsin, her teenage cousin has been sentenced to life in prison for her murder.

Carson Peters-Berger, now 18, pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in the 2022 killing of Lily. He was 14 when the crime occurred. A judge sentenced him to life imprisonment with the possibility of extended supervision after 25 years, with credit for time already served.

LILY DISAPPEARED AFTER VISITING FAMILY

Lily was reported missing on the evening of April 24, 2022, after she failed to return home from visiting her aunt in Chippewa Falls.

Her bicycle was later discovered near a wooded trail. The following morning, authorities found Lily’s body nearby, prompting a homicide investigation.

Peters-Berger was arrested shortly afterward and eventually charged as an adult.

THE TEEN ADMITTED LURING HER INTO THE WOODS

According to the case, Peters-Berger told investigators that he asked Lily to go exploring with him away from the trail.

Prosecutors said he had planned to sexually assault her and then attacked her in the woods. He later returned to the area after fleeing and attempted to conceal her body.

Because the case involved a child victim and extremely disturbing allegations, many of the details were presented in court filings rather than during a trial.

HE WAS ORIGINALLY FACING A TRIAL

Peters-Berger had been expected to stand trial as an adult in November 2026.

His defense had previously argued that the case should be handled in juvenile court, but a judge rejected that request. An appeals court later upheld the decision to prosecute him as an adult, given the seriousness of the allegations.

Instead of going to trial, the case was resolved through a guilty plea.

As part of the agreement, prosecutors dismissed two sexual-assault charges, while the circumstances surrounding those allegations could still be considered during sentencing.

A LIFE SENTENCE AFTER A FOUR-YEAR CASE

The sentence means Peters-Berger will spend decades in prison before becoming eligible for extended supervision.

He has already spent approximately four years in custody since his arrest at age 14.

The court also ordered him to pay more than $30,000 in restitution, according to reports.

LILY’S FAMILY REMEMBERS HER

Lily was remembered as a joyful fourth-grade student who loved biking, snow and spending time outdoors.

During sentencing, family members spoke about the lasting impact of her death and the pain of knowing that she will never grow up.

Her story has remained in the memories of the Chippewa Falls community since her disappearance in 2022.

THE CASE FINALLY REACHES A CONCLUSION

The guilty plea means there will be no lengthy November trial in the case.

Instead, the court has now formally imposed a life sentence for the killing of a 10-year-old girl whose disappearance shocked the Wisconsin community.

More than four years after Lily Peters disappeared, the case has reached its legal conclusion — but for her family, the sentence can never erase the loss of a child whose life ended far too soon.