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.
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Lily Peters autopsy: Chippewa Falls victim suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation- Lily Peters suspect, 14, held on $1m bond as court told he ‘beat her with stick, strangled and raped her’
Everything we know about the homicide investigation into the death of 10-year-old Lily Peters
Everything we know about the death of 10-year-old Lily Peters
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, this week.
Lily was found dead on Monday morning in a wooded area close to a walking trail by the Leinenkugel’s brewery.
The fourth-grade student had been reported missing by her father at around 9pm on Sunday after she failed to return from her aunt’s house on North Grove Street to her own home on East Birch Street.
Here’s everything we know so far about the case:
Everything we know about the death of 10-year-old Lily Peters
Teenage killer allegedly strangled and sexually assaulted Lily Peters, leaving her body in a wooded area
Preliminary autopsy results show Lily Peters suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation
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:
Lily Peters suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation, preliminary autopsy shows
Chippewa County Coroner Ron Patten tells The Independent that preliminary autopsy findings confirmed that the 10-year-old’s death was a homicide
Suspect held on $1m cash bond as judge agrees on need ‘to protect the community’
Lily Peters’ suspected killer is being held on $1m cash bond after a judge agreed there was a need to “protect the community”.
In Wednesday’s court appearance, prosecutors asked the judge to set bond at $1m saying a high cash bond was necessary because of the severity of the case.
Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell raised concerns that the suspect could be a flight risk and said that there is a “need to protect the community” from the suspect.
The defence asked for bond to instead be set at $100,000 arguing that, as a 14-year-old eighth-grade student who has lived in Chippewa Falls with his mother his whole life, the suspect is not 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 however allow the suspect to have contact with his siblings as long as any such visits are supervised.
Students and staff to wear purple in memory of Lily Peters
Students and staff at schools across Chippewa Falls will wear purple on Friday in memory of murdered 10-year-old Lily Peters.
Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District (CFAUSD) announced the tribute in a Facebook post on Wednesday, with purple being the young girl’s favourite colour.
“In support of Lily and her family, we invite students, staff, and our entire community to wear purple on Friday, April 29th,” the post read.
Lily was in the fourth grade at Parkview Elementary School, which is part of CFAUSD.
A memorial has grown outside the school in the days after her body was found.
Purple ribbons, banners and posters featuring lily flowers have also been placed around the local town in her honour.
What happens next?
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.
Reddit post may have helped lead police to killer
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.
Neighbours recall seeing Lily Peters playing outside aunt’s house on day she died
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.
Killer strangled and sexually assaulted victim
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.
Preliminary autopsy results show Lily Peters suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation
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:
Lily Peters suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation, preliminary autopsy shows
Chippewa County Coroner Ron Patten tells The Independent that preliminary autopsy findings confirmed that the 10-year-old’s death was a homicide
ICYMI: Lily Peters suspect, 14, held on $1m bond as court told he ‘beat her with stick, strangled and raped her’
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.
Read the full story here:
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