The anticipated trial for a Wisconsin teenager accused of murdering his young cousin might not take place in November following the scheduling of a resolution hearing.
Over four years since Lily Peters’ tragic death, her cousin, 18-year-old Carson Peters-Berger, was set to face trial next month on severe charges, including first-degree intentional homicide and sexual assault, related to Lily’s death.
The District Attorney’s Office in Chippewa County revealed that a resolution hearing is slated for August 26, according to reports from WEAU.
Lily Peters, a 10-year-old girl, was tragically killed in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in April 2022. (Chippewa Falls Police Department)
According to Chippewa County’s District Attorney Wade Newell, this resolution indicates that the case will not be proceeding to trial, concluding with the upcoming hearing instead.
However, Peters-Berger’s defense attorney, Michael Cohen, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the proceeding will “address issues in the case that will determine whether there will be a trial.”
Court records do not yet indicate the nature of the resolution expected to be presented during the hearing later this month.
Lily was reported missing by her father on the evening of April 24, 2022, after she failed to return home from her aunt’s house.
Stuffed animals are left at the altar during a prayer vigil for 10-year-old Iliana “Lily” Peters at Valley Vineyard Church in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on April 25, 2022. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP)
Her father later found Lily’s bicycle in a wooded area in Chippewa Falls, but an initial search by police did not locate her.
Authorities were notified the following morning that Lily’s body had been found near the area where her bicycle was discovered. Investigators said her injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma, according to the criminal complaint.
During an interview with police, Peters-Berger, who was 14 at the time, allegedly said he asked Lily to “go exploring off the trail.”
According to the complaint, Peters-Berger allegedly “punched [Lily] in the stomach, knocking her to the ground” and struck her with a stick while they were in the woods.
Lily Peters, 10, was found dead near a wooded area in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in April 2022 after being reported missing by her father. (Chippewa Falls Police Department)
Peters-Berger also allegedly told investigators that he strangled Lily and attempted to sexually assault her after her death, according to the complaint.
Afterward, Peters-Berger allegedly returned home, where “he showered and put his dirty clothes in the laundry,” according to the complaint.
After learning Lily had been reported missing, Peters-Berger allegedly determined that “he needed to hide her better” and returned to her body, dragged her several feet and covered her with leaves, according to the complaint.
Peters-Berger was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child under age 13 resulting in great bodily harm. He faces life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge.
News Media has reached out to the Chippewa County District Attorney’s Office and Peters-Berger’s defense attorney for additional comment.