LILY PETERS CASE: TEEN COUSIN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOUR YEARS AFTER 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL’S DEATH

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

Carson T. Peters-Berger, now 18, pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in the April 2022 death of Lily, bringing a long-running case to a close. He was 14 when the crime occurred.

LILY DISAPPEARED ON HER WAY HOME

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

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

Peters-Berger was arrested shortly afterward. Investigators said he admitted to luring Lily away from the trail with the intention of sexually assaulting her before fatally attacking her.

TEEN WAS TRIED AS AN ADULT

Because Peters-Berger was only 14 at the time, his case became the subject of a major legal dispute over whether he should be prosecuted in juvenile court or as an adult.

His defense argued that he needed mental-health treatment and that the juvenile system would be more appropriate.

However, courts ultimately determined that the seriousness of the case warranted adult prosecution.

He had originally faced additional sexual-assault charges, but those charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. The allegations were nevertheless considered during sentencing.

LIFE SENTENCE WITH POSSIBILITY OF RELEASE AFTER 25 YEARS

A Chippewa County judge sentenced Peters-Berger to life in prison, with the possibility of extended supervision after he has served 25 years.

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

The sentence also included more than $30,000 in restitution, according to reports.

Peters-Berger remained largely silent during the sentencing proceedings apart from entering his guilty plea.

LILY REMEMBERED BY HER FAMILY

Lily’s loved ones have spent years remembering the fourth-grader as a happy and energetic child.

She loved biking and playing in the snow, and family members have continued to speak about the joy she brought to those around her.

Her death devastated the Chippewa Falls community and sparked a massive search in April 2022.

Now, more than four years later, the legal case has reached its conclusion with a life sentence.

A CASE THAT SHOCKED THE COMMUNITY

The case drew national attention not only because of Lily’s age, but because the person responsible was a family member who was himself still a teenager.

The guilty plea means there will be no full criminal trial, but the sentencing hearing gave Lily’s family an opportunity to confront the loss that has shaped their lives since 2022.

Lily Peters was only 10 years old when her life was tragically cut short. Four years later, her cousin has been sentenced to life in prison — bringing a painful chapter of the case to a legal conclusion while her family continues to remember the little girl they lost.