The Cops Had A Nervous Breakdown From What They Saw! Heartbreaking Case of Lily Peters! True Crime

The Cops Had A Nervous Breakdown From What They Saw! Heartbreaking Case of Lily Peters! True Crime

“Go. Can you show me how you do a pullover on your bar? What about, can you do a front flip, or I mean on the ground, or a round off, or the splits? Yeah. Can you do a flip forward, like do a headstand but do a flip? Do a handstand but then flip over, kick back over the other way. There you go. You’re pretty awesome. I want to take your picture. Can you smile? Here. Let me fluff this up a little there. Stay. Just like that. Don’t move. Now look at me.”

It was a spring evening like any other in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Quiet, calm, uneventful. But by nightfall on April 24th, 2022, that peace would be shattered forever. A 10-year-old girl named Lily Peters had vanished without a trace. She’d only gone to visit a relative just down the street, something she’d done countless times before. But this time, she never came back. As darkness fell and the hours dragged on, her father’s growing worry turned into panic. And by morning, that panic became every parent’s worst nightmare.

In a small American town called Chippewa Falls in the state of Wisconsin, on November 4th, 2011, a girl was born who was named Lily Peters. Her parents divorced when she was still very young, so Lily stayed to live with her dad. Despite this, her mother tried to see her daughter as often as possible and take an active part in her upbringing and life. Lily grew up as a typical, cheerful, and active child. She adored playing outdoors, meeting with friends, and riding her beloved bicycle. Since Chippewa Falls was a small and relatively safe city, her father sometimes allowed Lily to independently ride around the neighboring streets.

Usually, the girl visited her aunt, who lived very close by, just a few hundred meters from their house. On April 24th, 2022, Lily decided to go for a bike ride and visit her aunt as usual. After asking her father’s permission, the girl left home at approximately 3:00 in the afternoon. Several hours passed and Lily still hadn’t returned home, which began to worry her father very much. The concerned man called his sister to find out if his daughter was still with her. But the aunt reported that Lily had left her place about an hour ago. The father instantly realized that something was wrong. After all, his sister’s house was very close by, literally just a few minutes away, and he had clearly instructed his daughter to return home immediately.

Frightened beyond words, the man began calling the parents of Lily’s friends, hoping that the girl might have stopped by one of them to play, but none of them had seen the child. Then the father contacted all his relatives and friends, begging them to help find his missing daughter. Together they searched the entire neighborhood, combing every corner. They searched for Lily until late in the evening until it got dark. Attempts to find the girl proved futile. At around 9:00 in the evening, when there was almost no hope left, the father decided it was time to turn to the police. Law enforcement officers immediately joined the search, also involving numerous volunteers from among the local residents.

The father insisted on the immediate launch of the Amber Alert emergency notification system. This system is used when minors go missing and allows for quick dissemination of information about the missing child among the population within a certain territory. But the police officers refused the request, reasoning that Lily’s disappearance did not meet the criteria for activating an Amber Alert. For the system to be engaged, there must be strong evidence that the child is in direct danger. The father was furious at the refusal, but he could not convince the police. The search continued all night. The parents hoped that Lily would be found very soon. But in the early morning, something happened that her parents were so secretly afraid of.

The police found Lily’s bicycle hidden in the bushes of a small park near a footpath. The discovery of Lily’s bicycle left little doubt. Something terrible had happened. But what deeply puzzled investigators was the exact location of the bike. It wasn’t left on the familiar, safe sidewalk she usually took to visit her aunt. Instead, it was hidden deep in the brush along a less traveled wooded path in the park. A shortcut that wound between thick trees and dense undergrowth. It was faster, yes, but far more secluded. Why had Lily taken that isolated route? No one could answer. But one thing was clear. Somewhere along that shaded path, something went very wrong.

With a new search zone established, law enforcement escalated their efforts. K-9 units swept the park. Drones buzzed overhead. Officers went door to door asking about anything unusual. Dozens of volunteers joined the search. Still, the night passed with no trace of Lily. Then, around 9:00 a.m. the next morning, a discovery brought the nightmare into full light. Deep in the woods, just yards from where the bike had been found, searchers came across a child’s body, hidden under a pile of branches and leaves. It was Lily. Even in daylight, she was hard to spot. She had been deliberately concealed. The officers on scene instantly understood this was no accident. This was a deliberate, violent murder.

“I am Chief Matt Kelm with the Chippewa Falls Police Department, and I’m providing an update on the homicide investigation. I first want to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Lily Peters. I will be able to answer a few questions at the end of this briefing, but please bear in mind that we are very early in this investigation, and I am limited in what information I can provide so as not to compromise the investigation. At this point, we do not have anyone in custody, and I want to reiterate that people remain vigilant as there could be a danger to the public.”

“We have established a tip line and we encourage anyone with information to call the tip line at 1-800-263-5906, and again that number is 1-800-263-5906. Our investigators are following up with leads and tips actively. The people of our community are honest, hardworking, and kind-hearted. It is almost impossible to believe that something this horrific could happen in our city, and an event like this threatens our sense of security. However, I believe we will come together as a community to overcome this fear.”

“A number of resources are being utilized in the search for answers in this tragic case. We currently have representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations, the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, as well as many local law enforcement agencies assisting in this investigation who are working tirelessly to uncover the truth. We also have victim advocates who are working with the family. I would ask in closing that if anyone has any information about this case that they please reach out to that tip line. And again, that’s at 1-800-263-5906. There’s a few questions. I will try to answer some of them.”

“Chief Kelm, Courtney Bry with Fox 9. You said you want people to remain vigilant. The school district even came out and said, ‘Parents, if you can pick up your kids, don’t let them walk or bike.’ It sounds to me like you think this person could still be around, that people may be in danger. Can you just expand on that?”

“Well, the simple fact is that we have not made an arrest in this case. So, the suspect is still at large. So, in that case, we just want to be extra vigilant and make sure that if there are any tips, anyone has any information, to go ahead and follow and call that tip line. We have a lot of investigators that are working on those all the time.”

“Could you talk about a timeline possibly? We saw the release that 9:00 is when a family member called, but could you please just describe when she was last seen, when she left her aunt’s home, help folks know what they should be looking for, you know, as a certain time frame?”

“Yes. Sure. I can appreciate asking that question, and those are things that everyone wants to know about, but timelines and things like that are really things that are speaking about this active investigation, and I can’t really go into those right now.”

“How quickly were you able to determine that this was a homicide investigation?”

“Once we located the deceased, at that point it transitioned from a missing person into what we believe to be a homicide based on evidence at the scene. At that point, we made the decision to transition that. So I can’t speak as to what the evidence is or, you know, specifics as to that decision, why we went to that decision, but that was at that time.”

“Is that a route that she would have taken home then from her aunt’s house to her home?”

“Again, those are things that our investigators are still looking into, conducting interviews and things of that nature. So, I don’t have any more information on that, unfortunately.”

“At this point, we’re not saying cause of death. We’re not saying how, or were there obvious signs of what caused the death?”

“At this point? No, we’re not saying that. We’re only a day into the investigation. This is a major incident and we want to make sure we do it correctly, properly. And at this point, we don’t have that information to give out.”

“Is there any indication as to whether the suspect knew Lily, that there was any prior knowledge of who she was?”

“Right. At this point, we really can’t say because again, we’re developing that information. Right now, our investigators are following up on leads and I don’t really have anything to give out on that.”

“This is pretty scary for this community, for parents especially. What can you say to parents in Chippewa Falls tonight?”

“What I would say to parents in Chippewa Falls is that Chippewa Falls is a safe community. This is a very rare occurrence. However, we have to be cognizant of the fact that it will require some additional vigilance here today. So, I guess that’s what I would say at this point.”

“Well, Chief, you told the community that there could be a danger out there and be vigilant, right? What do they need to be vigilant for? What should they be looking for? What are the things that should concern them?”

“That’s a good question. Anything that’s suspicious, things that are suspicious based on some of the information maybe we’ve already given out. If they think something might be relevant to this case, they should really call that tip number. So, I’ll take one more question.”

“Leinenkugel’s said that they’re cooperating with your investigation. Can you tell us anything about surveillance video or anything that’s available from the property?”

“Our investigators are following up on all leads and Leinenkugel’s has been helpful in providing us a location to stage, and we’re looking into those areas as well. So, okay. Thank you very much.”

As forensic teams moved in, a separate operation began: finding whoever had done this. Police intensified patrols across Chippewa Falls. Officers were stationed at Lily’s Elementary School. The school itself sent urgent messages to all parents, warning them not to leave their children unattended under any circumstances. News of the murder spread rapidly across the small town. Fear gripped the community. The idea that a child could be brutally killed in such a quiet, tight-knit place was unthinkable. Panic set in. A predator they feared was still out there.

The next day, the police station was flooded with calls, tips, rumors, and sightings. Citizens reported anything remotely suspicious. At the same time, detectives began combing through local records, reviewing the backgrounds of anyone with a history of violence or offenses against children. But the police kept publicly silent, careful not to release unverified details. This lack of updates only fueled the rumors. Some believed Lily had fallen into the river. Others claimed a drifter was seen in the area. A few even suspected a neighbor. With no answers, the community’s imagination ran wild and their fear only deepened.

Then on April 26th, a major development. Officers served a search warrant at the home of Lily’s aunt. The house was surrounded by police vehicles, drawing attention from the entire neighborhood. Why were the police focusing on a family member’s house? That night, Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm stepped before the press and made a chilling announcement. A suspect had been arrested for the murder of Lily Peters.

“Good evening. Thank you for coming. I’m Matthew Kelm. I am the police chief for the Chippewa Falls Police Department and I’m providing an update on the homicide investigation. First and most importantly, earlier this evening, we arrested a juvenile suspect in this case. The suspect was not a stranger. The suspect was known to the victim. We do not believe there is any danger to the community at this time. While nothing will bring Lily Peters back or change what happened, we are very grateful to be able to deliver this news for the family and for the community.”

“While driving through town and through our communities, we can see the purple ribbons. And honestly, I would expect nothing less from the Chippewa Falls community, Chippewa Valley, and our surrounding communities. A tremendous amount of work has gone into this investigation by a large team of investigators, including those at the federal, state, county, and local level. Law enforcement has been working on this case 24 hours a day since this call came in less than 48 hours ago. First of all, I want to thank the community for the over 200 tips that we have received. These tips were critical to solving this case.”

“Our security team has and will continue to hold the crime scene, which is the wooded area around the footpath between the north end of Grove Street and the Leinenkugel’s Brewery parking lot. This is important to the integrity of the investigation and we would ask that you continue to avoid this area. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Crime Lab processed the crime scene last night. At that time, the body of Lily Peters was removed by the coroner’s office. A forensics autopsy is being conducted. Investigators executed a search warrant at 422 North Grove Street. Evidence was collected and additional interviews were conducted.”

“That is all the new information I have at this time. There is still much work to be done. Please contact the tip line if you have information you think we should know. The number is 1-800-263-5906. Again, 1-800-263-5906. The line will remain up until noon tomorrow. After that time, you can contact the police department’s non-emergency number. Our thoughts continue to be with the family through this terrible time. We would ask everyone to keep them in your thoughts while respecting their privacy as they grieve. This is still an active investigation.”

“I wanted to note some of the agencies that were involved in this. We had over 70 officers working this case just today. Close to 20 agencies including the Department of Justice, DCI, FBI, Wisconsin Crime Lab, Eau Claire Police Department, Menomonie Police Department, Altoona Police Department, Lake Police Department, Cornell Police Department, Ladysmith Police Department, Eau Claire County, Dunn County, Rusk County, Chippewa County, the Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin DNR, Wisconsin County Emergency Management, and Wisconsin County Victim Services, as well as support we’ve had from our community throughout this whole time. The outpouring of support for our first responders throughout this entire investigation and through this incident has been nothing short of amazing. So at this time, as I said, it is an active investigation, but I can take a few questions.”

“Is the suspect related to Lily?”
“I can’t provide any more information than I already have on the juvenile offender.”
“Are you able to say age and gender of the suspect?”
“No.”
“Whose house was this? You mean the 422 North Grove? Is that where you made the arrest of the juvenile? What was the 422 North Grove?”
“That’s where the search warrant was executed.”
“Any more information you could share on a cause of death?”
“Not at this time.”
“So, where was the suspect arrested?”
“I don’t have that information that I can put out at this time. He’s been taken into custody.”
“What was the search warrant for?”
“Information related to the case.”
“And where is the suspect now? Is he in the jail? Is there a place for this suspect?”
“I’m not sure where the suspect is right now, but he is in custody.”
“What charges are you going to ask Wade to file on this?”
“I don’t have that information.”

“I only ask without knowing his age. You know, we don’t know if this would be a first-degree murder or if there’s, you know, depending on the age, but can you talk about the limitations when it comes to a juvenile suspect arrested in connection to a murder case? What sort of limitations are in place when it comes to charging?”
“Yeah, I can’t speak to that. I’d have to defer that to the district attorney’s office.”

“Has anyone from you or anyone spoken with Wade at this point? Has he been brought in on this at this point?”
“The district attorney’s office has been part of this the whole time.”
“Has the family been notified of this arrest?”
“The family is aware. Yes.”
“Was the suspect found in the city limits? Was he arrested within the city limits? Was he nearby the scene?”
“The suspect was arrested in the city. Yeah. So, I’ll take one more question.”
“Is there any reason to believe anyone else is involved or do you feel like you’re confident it was a single person?”
“I’m confident that there’s no further danger to the community at this time.”
“Was the arrest made after 422 or that was…”
“That’s the last question. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Matt.”

Relief swept through the town briefly because what followed was more shocking than anyone could have imagined. The police withheld the suspect’s name due to his age. But in a town as small as Chippewa Falls, where everyone knows one another, the truth came out quickly. The suspect wasn’t a stranger. He wasn’t a drifter. He wasn’t a neighbor. He was Lily’s 14-year-old cousin, Carson Peters-Berger, the son of her aunt. The community was stunned. A child had killed a child.

Even more disturbing were the details behind the arrest. Investigators had received an anonymous tip posted on Reddit. A user described seeing a girl matching Lily’s description walking with a slightly older boy near the wooded trail the day she went missing. After reading news of the murder, the user suspected the boy might have been involved and shared the sighting. That tip, already promising, was followed by something even more damning. Another tip from Carson’s own grandmother. She told investigators that Carson had confessed to his younger sister. He had killed Lily.

What investigators uncovered next was beyond comprehension. According to multiple sources close to the case, the young suspect spoke about the crime with disturbing ease, as if recounting a casual event, not a horrific act of violence. One family member reported that he had confessed to his younger sister with a chilling smile that prompted immediate intervention by authorities. During questioning, the boy admitted everything. On the evening Lily disappeared, he had invited her for a walk, claiming they would explore the nearby woods together.

Once they reached the thickest part of the trees, secluded and far from public view, he suddenly struck her in the stomach. Then, according to his own confession, he picked up a branch and hit her three times on the head. As she collapsed, he strangled her with his bare hands. When the girl stopped breathing, he left the area, went home, and washed his clothes to erase the evidence. But he didn’t stop there. Later that same night, as family and neighbors frantically searched for Lily, he returned to the park. Quietly, he covered her body with leaves and branches to keep it hidden.

Perhaps the most horrifying detail: this was not a spontaneous outburst. He told investigators he had planned it before they even left the house. That changed everything. It wasn’t just a senseless tragedy. It was premeditated. His confession included facts only the killer could have known. Details that hadn’t been made public, not even shared with Lily’s devastated father. Forensic teams later confirmed the timeline and physical evidence. DNA analysis matched. The bruises, the scene, everything aligned with his account. He was just 14 years old, but the brutality, planning, and nature of the crime led authorities to charge him as an adult.

Prosecutors argued that the violence wasn’t impulsive. It was cold, calculated, and targeted at a vulnerable child. A judge set his bail at $1 million. With no resources to post it, the boy remained in juvenile detention, awaiting trial. His grandmother later filed a petition asking the court to move the case to juvenile court, claiming her grandson was a kind boy who made a horrible mistake, but her plea was denied. Meanwhile, Lily’s family was living through an unthinkable nightmare. Their child was gone, and the person responsible was someone they had hugged, grieved with, and trusted. The same boy who stood beside them during the memorial. The same one who days earlier comforted Lily’s parents with tears in his eyes, now revealed to be her killer. It shattered what little peace they had left.

As reporters investigated further, a troubling family history emerged. The boy’s biological father, Adam Berger, had a criminal record that included possession of illegal substances and explicit material involving minors. In 2016, he was arrested and later sentenced to 3 years in prison after authorities found multiple graphic images and written fantasies in his possession. Though he served his time, the emotional damage lingered. Carson, who had once been described as cheerful and sociable, withdrew into himself. He became moody, angry, and isolated. Some relatives claimed he blamed his mother for tearing the family apart. Her refusal to allow unsupervised visits with his father only deepened his resentment.

Still, they stayed in contact. From behind bars, Adam exchanged electronic messages with his son. And when Carson stayed with his grandmother, she allowed long phone calls between them. According to her, those moments brought back glimpses of the boy he used to be. But the home environment offered little stability. Carson’s mother had legal issues of her own, including charges related to substance abuse and domestic violence. After separating from Adam, she entered a relationship with John Rapto, a man with his own criminal background, including fraud. His social media presence sent shivers through the community: posts glorifying serial killers, disturbing memes involving children, even vague threats of violence. It painted a picture of a household immersed in chaos, not healing.

All of it raised haunting questions. Could this tragedy have been prevented? Were there signs no one saw? Or worse, signs that were ignored? It’s hard to grasp how a troubled boy raised in a dysfunctional environment by a mother with a criminal past and a deeply disturbed father could have stood a chance. And yet, no one could have foreseen just how far things would go.

Several months after Carson’s arrest, during trial preparations, a surprising new twist emerged. At a pre-trial hearing, Carson’s defense attorney claimed that a YouTube video had surfaced online containing what appeared to be confidential materials, crime scene visuals, internal police notes, even alleged recordings of phone calls. The lawyer argued that this unauthorized leak could jeopardize the fairness of the trial, especially since the video had already gained nearly a million views. What stunned everyone was the revelation that even the defense team hadn’t had access to some of the documents supposedly featured in that video.

The judge immediately launched an investigation. But to the surprise of the court, the so-called leaked footage turned out to be a basic true crime video made from publicly available news clips. Nothing confidential, no illegal material, no actual breach. The complaint was dismissed, but it raised an unsettling question. Was the defense trying to delay proceedings by stirring up confusion? Another question lingered. How did Carson’s family, with no visible financial means, manage to hire such a skilled legal team? There was no public answer.

But the court continued moving forward. In August 2023, a critical hearing took place to determine whether Carson, referred to in court documents as CTPB and shielded by the pseudonym Christopher, would be tried as an adult or as a juvenile. He appeared via video call from the detention center. Cameras captured only a blank screen, no image, no expression. The stakes were enormous. If tried as a juvenile, Carson could be placed in rehabilitation and released after just a few years. But if prosecuted as an adult, he faced life imprisonment for charges including first-degree intentional homicide and sexual assault of a child under 13 with resulting great bodily harm. Both classified as the most serious felonies under Wisconsin law.

Lily’s family made their position clear. They demanded justice. Their daughter had been lured, attacked, violated, and murdered. Not in a moment of rage, but with calculated intent. This wasn’t a child’s mistake. It was a planned, deliberate act of evil, and they believed society had a right to be protected from it. In September 2024, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals agreed. The case would remain in adult court. The defense later tried to argue that a fair jury couldn’t be found in Chippewa County. Due to widespread media coverage and public emotion, the court partially accepted the request. The trial would remain in the same venue, but jurors would be selected from a different county. A trial date was set for November 2nd, 2026.

“Please be seated. All right, everyone. Before we begin again today, I want to remind everyone that the court has entered an order on decorum for this proceeding similar to the one that we had last week. So there shall be no outbursts, no photography of the juvenile at this time, and no videography of the juvenile either. There are orders that we need to enter for preservation of the juvenile’s rights and victim rights of the family as well. So please make sure you follow through with those orders. At this time, I would ask—it looks like the juvenile delinquent facility is still muted. So, I’d ask the facility to please unmute. Attorney Cohen, can you hear us?”
“Yes, your honor. Good afternoon.”

“Attorney Newell, would you be able to call this matter and give the appearances, please? I would ask the attorneys to please refer to the juvenile by initials for this proceeding. Go ahead.”
“Yes, your honor. It’s C, middle initial T, last name P-B. Case number 2022 CF 265. Wade Newell appears on behalf of the state. Also present on behalf of the state is Sheila Yon. The juvenile and his attorney Michael Cohen appear from JDC in Eau Claire via video.”
“Thank you. All right. This is a continuation of the hearing from last week. The public defenders appearing with the juvenile last week had sought a continuance for the appointment of new counsel, and we have attorney Michael Cohen appearing with the juvenile from Eau Claire. Attorney Cohen, did you want to address anything in this matter today regarding those time limits that had been previously waived by the previous attorneys in this matter and whether you wanted to address any hearings going forward?”

“First, Judge, we are not going to at this time address bond. Secondly, we are not in a withdrawing any waiver of time limits. I spoke with Mr. Newell briefly late last week, I believe, and we had discussed what we were going to do today. He advised that at that time he was still waiting for any information beyond the probable cause statement. He advised that he would be willing to give some time for those materials to be provided to his office to provide them to me so that I could review them with my client to determine whether there would be a need for a preliminary examination or whether there would be a waiver of the same.”

“I’m in agreement with that. I’ve discussed it with my client. He understands that he will remain here at the detention facility while this case is pending, at least unless there’s some circumstances regarding bond which we will not be addressing now. So we would ask the court to give us—I think that, given that we’re not rushing for speedy dispositions on prelims and things like that, I’d ask for probably 45 days for Mr. Newell to get the information and to get it to me, and for us to then review it together and then just to come back to court.”

“All right. Does that make sense for us to come back within around 45 days? Attorney Newell?”
“Yes, your honor.”

“All right. Then at this time, I am going to go off the record and we will compare schedules so we can find a date that works in the future. We are off the record.”

“All right, Judge. Just on that point, just on that point, Judge, what I was thinking is that if 45 to 60 days works with the court and Mr. Newell, and Mr. Newell thinks he can get me information, I would be prepared to set that hearing as a preliminary examination or a waiver thereof, depending on where we are. Just so you’re aware, I’m not looking to drag this out unnecessarily, but I want to be able to at least have a meaningful conversation with Mr. Newell. So with that in mind and Mr. Newell’s thoughts about when he’s going to get the information and how fast he can get it to me, that might also help us with scheduling.”

“Your honor, regarding that, I’m hoping to have at least a majority of the information by the end of next week. I’ve been in consultation with the Chippewa Falls Police Department regarding that. Regarding the setting of the preliminary hearing, I’m fine with that. Although, if there is going to be a preliminary hearing, there’s going to be the need obviously to subpoena witnesses and have people clear their schedule. So it may be better just to set it for a status first and then for a set date where we would know whether a preliminary hearing was going to be held or not.”
“That’s fine.”
“Okay. Well, if we want to go out 45 days, I have the entire day available on June 23rd and June 24th.”

“The state’s available both those days, your honor. If that’s going to be a status, your honor, I would be available in the morning. I could do the morning of June 23rd. I could also do the morning of June 24th.”
“Whatever is… I have to be in court in Eau Claire at 11:00, and I’ll be there on the 23rd, and I’ll be in fair in the afternoon of the 23rd. So perhaps the morning of the 24th would be best.”
“Does 9:30 work on the 24th?”
“It does for me, your honor.”
“9:30 on the 24th. Yes, your honor. Yeah, that should give you plenty of time to complete the hearing and get to your next hearing at 11:00, I think. Attorney Cohen, does that work?”

“My hearing is on the 23rd, Judge. If we’ll be on the 24th, I’ll be fine. I guess my question, Judge, is if it’s going to be a status, will the court have my client again here at the facility or will he be transported?”
“I’m fine convening these hearings electronically by video as long as both parties consent, which was the new law that we had earlier this year. “As long as both parties consent to having these hearings conducted by video, I will honor that request.”

“And Your Honor, if… Oh, sorry. Um, my only suggestion would be that I don’t even—since it’s simply essentially a scheduling hearing, I think we could do that. We could have it during that time, but we wouldn’t have to have it in open court. It’s essentially just to set a new date.”

“Sure. That said, though, we do have our new Marsy’s Law which, uh, representatives of any complaining witness or victims may have input at that time as well. So, uh, we would have to make sure that they are properly noticed. All right. Uh, Attorney Cohen, um, anything?”

“I have no objection, Your Honor. I have no objection to the next hearing on June 24th at 9:30 being done in the same fashion. I will be present with my client by video here at the detention facility.”

“Okay. Then at this time, we are back on the record. Um, the court and the attorneys have coordinated their schedules and have set a hearing for June 24th of 2022 at 9:30 in the morning for a status conference, uh, after any evidence has come into the State’s possession. And, uh, for the defense to determine whether or not it may want to seek a preliminary examination or not. And so that way we can update the status in this matter at that time and then do further scheduling as well.”

“Um, I wanted to bring something up to the parties today. I have received numerous requests from, uh, press contacts in this matter. Uh, ex parte requests for release of the criminal complaint that was ordered to be held under seal by the clerk of courts, as well as, uh, search warrants that have been filed with the clerk of courts in this matter after they’ve been returned after being executed. And there’s been requests from press contacts for those to be released. The court notes that our public records law has a presumption for complete public access to court or not court documents but public documents which these are. They are held in the custody of the clerk of court’s office, but they are under seal and so they remain, uh, closed due to that order. And so I wanted to first ask the district attorney, since it was the party that requested, uh, to have these matters be held under seal, uh, whether or not there are any objections with the court ordering that that be released so that those contacts may have those documents.”

“Are you referring to just the search warrants, Your Honor, or the complaint as well?”

“To confirm on the complaint, the court ordered the entire complaint be sealed, but I believe just to confirm you had asked for just the victim key to be sealed at the last hearing.”

“Correct.”

“Okay. Are there any objections to having the complaint released?”

“From the State’s perspective? No, because the victim’s information is not contained within the complaint.”

“Um, Attorney Cohen, are there any objections or anything that you’d want to make for the record if the court were to offer, uh, or to grant the requests in this matter for release of the complaint?”

“Are you only asking about the complaint, Your Honor, which my understanding is is a one-and-a-half-page document? It does not have any… Let me just, let me just review it just a second, Judge, before I say that. Um, the complaint that I have, Your Honor, in my possession is not one that has the name or the date of birth of my client, uh, removed. So, to the extent that if there’s a one that’s been filed that I’m not aware of that changes that and removes that identifying information, um, let me say it this way, Judge, at this time, I object. I don’t know. I don’t want this case tried in the media. I haven’t seen any search warrants, the returns thereof, the evidence. I certainly don’t want that information in the public arena before I get a chance to review it and address it. Um, I don’t know that there’s a need for the media to have this information, um, right this minute. There may be a time in due course where I remove that objection. Perhaps that could be raised at the time of the June 24th hearing, but I have little to no information about this case and I certainly don’t want to be finding out about it first from some media outlet from England or California or Texas or wherever. I don’t know that there’s a need to release it now.”

“Okay. Um, just to bring you up to speed, Attorney Cohen, at the previous hearing, I ordered that the complaint be held under seal and that if it were to ever be released, that all names of any juveniles be redacted, uh, except for the initials of the defendant. And so therefore, uh, no names of any juveniles or dates of birth would be included as part of any release. Um, but I note your objection. Uh, I am also, uh, offering the request to any representatives of any victims here today if anyone wants to speak in that matter. All right.”

“Just on the… we’re just talking about the complaint right now.”

“Just the complaint right now. So as noted, uh, our legislature has enacted a policy which says that, um, it is… there is a presumption for complete public access. And so I am going to grant the request of the parties seeking the criminal complaint in this matter and that that complaint will be released to the public, uh, and to those parties who have requested it, subject to redaction, uh, by the court of the names of all juveniles, uh, or any witnesses who may be mentioned, uh, as well as any addresses and, uh, the dates of birth of any parties. Um, I would note to any party who has requested a copy of that document that the redaction will not be done today and the document likely will not be available until sometime later tomorrow or Monday. So, uh, that way, uh, you can expect to receive documents at that time. So, the next item then would be the warrants. Uh, Attorney Cohen, I’m assuming the same objection as you had made before. You have not seen those documents or the return, uh, of the evidence that was, uh, that was received from when those warrants were executed. Correct?”

“I haven’t seen anything other than the complaint that I mentioned, Judge.”

“All right. Any thoughts on that? Uh, as discussed, it was the State that sought to have those warrants held under seal, uh, seeking to have the secrecy of those documents, uh, remain in place. Are there any items that you would like to make for the record on whether the court should release those documents, Attorney Newell?”

“Your Honor, I believe that the reasoning behind sealing it to begin with, um, is still present. My understanding is it’s—I don’t think it’s on all the sealed documents, but at least some of it, um, noted that the investigation would probably be ongoing for, um, at least 90 days. We had asked for essentially 90 days, um, by which to keep it sealed, at least 90 days to begin with. I know on two of the search warrants—well, all the search warrants, but two or three of them in particular—the reasoning for the sealing of it is because it has the victim’s identifying information, and because it’s a search warrant, it has a lot of identifying information regarding a lot of people in that, but more presumably the juvenile victim and the juvenile defendant. Um, so I have concerns of that information going out because now, and I understand the court’s rules regarding, um, not sealing documents, but we also, as the court already mentioned once today, we have Marsy’s Law, which creates more of a constitutional privacy right for victims than we had before then, which is like in criminal complaints now, we don’t list the victim’s name, we just call them victim one, victim two, or just victim. Um, I think that the victim in this matter, even though deceased, still has the right to have that information not publicly available. I’m not naive enough to think that they don’t have it because this case started out as a missing child case that then turned into a homicide case. So, there’s information that the media has, but none of that information that the media has is from the district attorney’s office or the criminal filings, um, in this matter. Um, so I guess I would ask that due to the privacy concerns for the victim, unless someone raises that it’s not a concern for the victim, that we, um, keep that information private and at least keep it private for the next 90 days while there’s still an active investigation into the matter.”

“Thank you. Are there any representatives of any, uh, victim or victim’s families or representatives that would like to speak in this matter?”

“No, Your Honor.”

“All right. Then at this time, based on the requests of both parties, I will, uh, not grant the request to unseal the warrants in this matter until that investigation period, uh, lapses. Uh, we can address this again at the next hearing as well. Um, so that way, uh, the parties have a chance to determine whether or not it was necessary for unsealing to occur at that time. Um, are there any other items to address today, Attorney Newell?”

“No, Your Honor.”

“Attorney Cohen, were there any other items you wanted to address for the record today?”

“No.”

“All right. Then at this time, I will, uh, see everyone back on June 24th at the time we scheduled and, uh, bond will continue in this matter. We are adjourned.”

By then, more than four years had passed since that horrific night in April. But time hadn’t healed the wound. For Lily’s parents, the pain had only deepened. Their family was shattered in every sense. Not only did they lose their little girl, but the person responsible had once called them aunt and uncle. The betrayal was personal. The grief unimaginable.

The town of Chippewa Falls has never been the same. Children are no longer allowed to walk alone. Trust in neighbors, in family, in familiarity has been eroded. A quiet fear now lingers in the places where Lily used to laugh and play.

And yet, amid the darkness, a community came together to remember her. Local parents raised money to install purple benches, Lily’s favorite color, in the places she loved most: her church, her gym, the ice cream shop. They sit quietly, etched with her name, a reminder of a joyful little girl whose life was stolen far too soon.

Lily Peters was just 10 years old. She should have had a future: school dances, summer camps, dreams, and milestones. But instead, her life ended in the shadows of a wooded path just minutes from her home. Her name now lives on, not only as a symbol of tragedy, but as a rallying cry, a warning, a lesson, that danger doesn’t always come from strangers. That monsters don’t always hide in the dark, and that sometimes the greatest threats come from those we never thought to fear. May her memory remind us to protect the innocent, and may Lily Peters forever rest in peace.