The Wisconsin teen charged in the 2022 killing of his 10-year-old cousin, Lily Peters, may no longer be headed for a November trial after the court set a resolution hearing in the high-profile case.
Carson Peters-Berger, now 18, had been scheduled to face a jury in November on several charges tied to Lily’s death, including first-degree intentional homicide and sexual assault, more than four years after the Chippewa Falls girl was killed.
According to WEAU, the Chippewa County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that a resolution hearing has been placed on the calendar for Aug. 26.
Lily Peters was 10 years old when she was killed in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in April 2022. (Chippewa Falls Police Department)
Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell told the station that the planned resolution indicates the case will not proceed to trial and is expected to come to an end after the upcoming hearing.
Peters-Berger’s defense attorney, Michael Cohen, offered a more cautious description to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, saying the hearing will “address issues in the case that will determine whether there will be a trial.”
As of now, court filings have not clarified what type of resolution may be presented when the parties return to court later this month.
Lily was first reported missing by her father on the night of April 24, 2022, after she did not come home from a visit to her aunt’s house.
Stuffed animals are left at the altar during a prayer vigil for 10-year-old Iliana “Lily” Peters at Valley Vineyard Church in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on April 25, 2022. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP)
Her father later found Lily’s bicycle in a wooded area in Chippewa Falls, but an initial search by police did not locate her.
Authorities were notified the following morning that Lily’s body had been found near the area where her bicycle was discovered. Investigators said her injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma, according to the criminal complaint.
During an interview with police, Peters-Berger, who was 14 at the time, allegedly said he asked Lily to “go exploring off the trail.”
According to the complaint, Peters-Berger allegedly “punched [Lily] in the stomach, knocking her to the ground” and struck her with a stick while they were in the woods.
Lily Peters, 10, was found dead near a wooded area in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in April 2022 after being reported missing by her father. (Chippewa Falls Police Department)
Peters-Berger also allegedly told investigators that he strangled Lily and attempted to sexually assault her after her death, according to the complaint.
Afterward, Peters-Berger allegedly returned home, where “he showered and put his dirty clothes in the laundry,” according to the complaint.
After learning Lily had been reported missing, Peters-Berger allegedly determined that “he needed to hide her better” and returned to her body, dragged her several feet and covered her with leaves, according to the complaint.
Peters-Berger was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child under age 13 resulting in great bodily harm. He faces life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge.
News Outlet has reached out to the Chippewa County District Attorney’s Office and Peters-Berger’s defense attorney for additional comment.
