As CrimeOnline previously reported, police arrested a juvenile after finding the victim dead in a wooded area after she disappeared following a visit with her aunt.
During a court hearing today, it was revealed that the suspect is a 14-year-old male who is known to the family, according to the Chippewa County District Attorney’s Office. His name and relation to the victim is unclear.
Judge Benjamin Lane set the defendant’s bond at $1 million. According to Fox News, the boy has been ordered to avoid any contact with minors, aside from supervised contact with his siblings.
Prosecutors said that the suspect physically and sexually assaulted Lily before killing her and leaving her in a wooded area near her home.
“The suspect was not a stranger, the suspect was known to the victim,” Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm previously said. “We do not believe there is any danger to the community at this time.”
According to ABC 18, Chippewa County coroner, Ron Patten, confirmed that the victim’s body was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office in Minnesota. The autopsy began Tuesday but could be done by as early as today.
Lily disappeared Sunday after reportedly visiting with her aunt who lives four blocks away from her own residence. The child’s father contacted police at around 9 p.m. Sunday and reported that no one could find her. She was seen by family members that evening but didn’t return back to a home off of 50 block of E. Birch Street in Chippewa Falls.
Lily’s bicycle was found Sunday night near her aunt’s house, close to a walking trail between the end of N. Grove St and the Leinenkugel’s brewery parking lot. Her body was found nearby.
The suspect is being held at a juvenile facility.
Investigators are currently interviewing Lily’s friends and family members. Anyone with information on the case should call 1-800-263-5906.
