Prosecutors stated Wednesday that the suspect in the killing of 10-year-old Lily Peters in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, is a 14-year-old eighth-grader.
According to District Attorney Wade Newell, he is charged with first-degree intentional killing, and first-degree sexual assault of a minor under the age of 13 resulting in serious bodily damage.
Police Arrest Juvenile Suspect in Lily Peters' Killing
When they walked down the forested route where her corpse was recovered on Monday, the defendant who was detained on Tuesday told the police that "his objective was to rape and kill the girl from the start," the prosecution stated at a hearing. Given the seriousness of the sentence he may face for the accusations against him, Newell contended that there was a need to safeguard the community as well as a worry about the defendant leaving.
Judge Benjamin J. Lane granted the state's request for a $1 million cash bond, subject to the defendant, named only as 'C.P-B,' having no contact with other minors and having no hazardous weapons. Karl Schmidt, a defense counsel, has maintained that his client is not a flight danger.
The juvenile defendant's next hearing is scheduled for 4:30 pm, according to Newell. He allegedly struck the victim in the stomach, knocked her to the ground, basically strangled her, whacked her with a stick, before strangling her to the point of death, and sexually assaulting her. On May 5, at 8:00 pm ET, he will appear through video rather than in person.
The child's attorneys requested a $100,000 cash bail, which Lane refused. The judge ordered the youngster to stay away from kids and not possess any firearms, save for supervised contact with his siblings.
Missing Wisconsin Girl Found Dead in Wooded Area
Peters, who knew her alleged murderer, had been visiting her aunt in Chippewa Falls over the weekend when her father reported her missing when she failed to come home. Her corpse was discovered the next morning in a forested area near a walking route, just a few blocks from her aunt's house. Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm said a minor had been detained in connection with the crime on Tuesday evening, but he declined to release any other information, CNN reported.
Chippewa County Coroner Ronald Patten told The New York Post that coroners have been working on an autopsy since early Tuesday and that a preliminary report might be available as early as Thursday.
The story gained national attention after Chippewa Falls police reported the youngster, who went by the name Lily, missing and asked for public assistance. Her corpse was discovered in a forested area near the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., later Monday morning. After learning of her death, other classmates and others adorned fences and left tributes at Parkview Elementary School, where she was a fourth-grader.
Lily's father reported her missing when she failed to return from a visit to her aunt's house on Sunday evening, prompting police to launch an investigation. Later that night, a bicycle thought to be hers was discovered near a walking route not far from the Leinenkugel's brewery parking lot.
Even as additional information about Lily's death became out Tuesday, many individuals in the neighborhood were disturbed. To guarantee the safety of youngsters, police increased patrols near local schools. Volunteers attached purple ribbons to trees and lights in the city's downtown to show sympathy for Lily's family and friends, while her classmates made a tribute of flowers, teddy animals, and other items outside of her school, according to USA today.
Related Article : New York Mercy Flight Air Ambulance Helicopter Crashes During Doomed Training, Leaving 2 People Dead
@YouTube
