Lily Peters news - latest: Preliminary autopsy shows victim suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation

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.

Lily was found dead at around 9.15am on Monday morning in a wooded area close to a walking trail by the Leinenkugel’s brewery.

On Thursday, a preliminary autopsy found that the 10-year-old suffered blunt force trauma and strangulation with her death being ruled a homicide.

Read the full story here:

Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm said on Thursday that the Wisconsin community is devastated after the murder of 10-year-old Lily Peters.

Mr Kelm told Fox News: “It was devastating. We were ready to continue looking for the missing girl hoping that she was gonna show up to school the next day, that we could call off the search, and then when we learned that that wasn’t going to happen, it hit us all very hard.”

Earlier the police had confirmed that they had arrested a 14-year-old prime suspect. Law enforcement officials said that the suspect was not a stranger to the 10-year-old girl.

Mr Kelm said that tips from the [Wisconsin] community led to the arrest.

A juvenile who is believed to have killed 10-year-old Liliana “Lily” Peters has been arrested on suspicion of her murder following a search of her aunt’s home, according to authorities.

Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm announced in a press conference on Tuesday evening that the suspect was taken into custody earlier that evening and that there is no longer any danger to the public.

The police chief said that the suspect is “not a stranger” but was “known” to the murdered 10-year-old.

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Chippewa County District Court Judge Benjamin Lane has ordered that the identity of Lily Peters’ suspected killer be protected due to his age.

In the suspect’s first court appearance on Wednesday, the judge said that he would only be referred to by his initials C P-B and that neither he nor any members of the public gallery – which could include members of the suspect’s family and members of the victim’s family – can be photographed or filmed.

The restrictions could change as the case progresses.

Officials said that the suspected killer is a 14-year-old boy who knew his victim but have refused to confirm if they are related.

They have also refused to comment on whether or not the boy lived in Lily’s aunt’s house. Lily left the house with her killer and headed along a walking trail where she was killed.

A local lawmaker has vowed to review the current Amber Alert process for missing children as a Change.org petition calling for the launch of a “Lily Alert” grows following the murder of 10-year-old Lily Peters.

Wisconsin State Rep. Jesse James said he plans to meet with local police chiefs “about what is in place and look at possibilities for improvement” when children are reported missing in the state, in a memo shared on the Change.org petition page.

“We are not sure yet what can and will be able to be changed,” it reads.

“Creating legislation is a slow process but be assured that this issue is very much on Rep. James’ radar.”

The message came in response to a Change.org petition launched by local resident Eric Henry after Lily’s body was found in a wooded area close to a walking trail in Chippewa Falls on Monday morning.

In the petition, Mr Henry said there is a need to be “more proactive” when a child goes missing, saying “we need something more”.

“An amber alert was never sent due to the rules around what constitutes its use. We need something more. Any parent would agree that when a child is missing even for a short amount of time and they need help then help should be sent,” it reads.

“The community is devastated and rallied to start a search group for the missing child. We can do better as a community and must be more proactive.

“We need an alert with less regulations around it so we can respond quicker to missing children.”

An Amber Alert is an emergency child abduction alert sent out to the public as soon as possible after a child goes missing providing information about the child and the abduction.

When Lily was reported missing by her father at around 9pm on Sunday night, no such alert was issued for the 10-year-old.

In an initial media release, prior to her body being found, Chippewa Falls Police Department said that her disappearance did not meet the criteria.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, there are three criteria that must be met for an Amber Alert to be issued.

These are: that the child must be 17 years of age or younger; that the initiating agency must have enough descriptive information about the child, the suspect and/or the suspect vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert will help locate the child; and that the child must be in danger of serious bodily harm or death.

It appears that there was not enough information at the time to satisfy the last criteria.

The Change.org has now reached more than 69,000 signatures and counting as of Friday morning.

It is one of the fastest-growing petitions on the platform.

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:

Students and staff at schools across Chippewa Falls are wearing 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.

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:

The suspect charged with the murder of Lily Peters is a 14-year-old boy who police said was known to the 10-year-old victim.

Because of his age and the sensitivity of the case, Chippewa County Court on Wednesday ordered that the suspect’s name must not be released and that he cannot be filmed during court appearanaces.

Instead, the suspect is known only by his initials C P-B.

Officials have refused to say if he is related to Lily but have confirmed that they knew each other.

According to prosecutors, the teenager admitted in statements to law enforcement that “his intention was to rape and kill the victim from the get-go” when they left a house together and headed down a nearby walking trail.

Lily was last seen alive at her aunt’s house on North Grove Street on Sunday before she left to return to her home at East Birch Street. Her body was discovered on Monday morning in a wooded area close to a nearby walking trail.

Prosecutors said the suspect told officers he and the victim left the home together and headed along the walking trial.

There, he allegedly punched Lily in the stomach, knocked her to the ground, hit her with a stick, strangled her “to the point of death” and sexually assaulted her.

Police arrested the suspect after carrying out a search warrant at the aunt’s home on Tuesday, where they collected evidence and carried out interviews.

Officials have refused to confirm if the boy lives at the address.

The defence team said in court on Wednesday that he is an eighth-grade student who has lived in Chippewa Falls with his mother his whole life.

The 14-year-old 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.

If convicted as an adult, he faces up to life in prison on the charges.

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.