LILY PETERS CASE: COUSIN PLEADS GUILTY AND IS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — More than four years after 10-year-old Lily Peters disappeared while riding her bicycle home from her aunt’s house, her cousin has pleaded guilty to her killing and been sentenced to life in prison.

Carson Peters-Berger, now 18, pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree intentional homicide in connection with Lily’s 2022 death. A Chippewa County judge accepted the plea and sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of extended supervision after 25 years.

A CASE THAT BEGAN IN 2022

Lily was reported missing on the evening of April 24, 2022, after leaving her aunt’s home in Chippewa Falls.

Her body was discovered the following morning in a wooded area near a walking trail.

Peters-Berger was 14 at the time and was arrested shortly after Lily’s body was found. According to the criminal complaint, he told investigators that he had persuaded Lily to leave the trail and go into the woods with him.

GUILTY PLEA ENDS YEARS OF COURT PROCEEDINGS

Peters-Berger had previously faced three charges and was scheduled to stand trial later this year.

Instead, prosecutors and the defense reached a plea agreement.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide, while two sexual-assault charges were dismissed but read into the record, allowing the judge to consider those allegations during sentencing.

He was also ordered to pay more than $30,000 in restitution and received credit for approximately four years already spent in custody.

HIS AGE BECAME A MAJOR LEGAL ISSUE

Peters-Berger was only 14 when Lily was killed.

His attorneys previously argued that his case should be handled in juvenile court and raised concerns about his access to mental health treatment within the adult criminal justice system.

The judge rejected that request, and a state appeals court later allowed the case to remain in adult court.

That decision meant Peters-Berger faced the possibility of an adult criminal sentence if convicted.

LILY’S FAMILY SPEAKS IN COURT

During Wednesday’s hearing, members of Lily’s family spoke about the lasting impact of losing the 10-year-old.

They described the pain that has continued since 2022 and expressed concerns about the possibility of Peters-Berger eventually becoming eligible for release.

Peters-Berger did not make a statement during the hearing.

REMEMBERING LILY

Lily was remembered by relatives and friends as a joyful fourth-grader who loved riding her bicycle and playing outside.

Her family has continued to remember her for the personality and interests that made her special to those who knew her, rather than allowing the circumstances of her death to define her entire story.

A CASE THAT WILL NOT GO TO TRIAL

The guilty plea means the jury trial that had been scheduled for November will no longer take place.

Instead, after more than four years of legal proceedings, the case has reached its sentencing stage.

Peters-Berger will remain in prison under his life sentence, with the possibility of extended supervision after 25 years.

For Lily’s family, the guilty plea brings a legal conclusion to a case that began with a 10-year-old girl simply riding home from her aunt’s house. But no sentence can erase the loss that has remained with them since April 2022.