A teenager in Wisconsin will potentially spend the rest of his life in prison after he pleaded guilty to the 2022 murder of 10-year-old Lily Peters, whom he lured into the woods and sexually assaulted.
Peters was reported missing on the evening of April 24, 2022, after she left her aunt’s house in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and headed home. One day after she disappeared, her remains were found in the woods near her aunt’s residence.
Her cousin Carson T. Peters-Berger was arrested the next day, and an investigation into Peters’ death revealed horrific details of her murder.
Peters-Berger, who was 14 years old at the time, told police officers that he lured Peters into the woods and planned to sexually assault her, according to a criminal complaint viewed by People.
He allegedly punched Peters and she fell to the ground before he hit her head multiple times. He then claimed that he strangled her “until he believed the victim was deceased,” per the complaint.
Peters-Berger said he then sexually assaulted Peters before he got scared and fled the scene.
After Peters was reported missing, Peters-Berger returned to the scene, dragged her body and covered her with leaves in an attempt to hide his crimes.
Peters-Berger pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide on Wednesday, August 26. He was also initially charged with first-degree sexual assault/great bodily harm and first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13, but the charges were dismissed. Peters-Berger acknowledged that the judge could consider those charges when determining sentencing.
He was ultimately sentenced to life in prison with eligibility of extended supervision after 25 years served.
Peters was remembered in an online obituary shared by her family shortly after her death. In the tribute, the child was described as a fourth grader who loved the color purple, playing in the snow with her friends and riding her bike.
One family member also shared a photo of a poem Peters wrote, in which the little girl revealed her hopes for herself and others.
“I wish people were kind to each other,” she wrote.“I wish that people would stop littering. I wish there was peace in this world. I wish it was summer all the time.”
She was survived by her parents and brother.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
