An Aug. 26 resolution hearing could prevent a November jury trial for 18-year-old Carson Peters-Berger, accused in the 2022 death of his 10-year-old cousin, Lily Peters. Prosecutors say the scheduling suggests the case may be resolved after the hearing; the defense says the proceeding will determine whether a trial is necessary. Court records have not yet detailed what resolution might be proposed. The complaint alleges blunt-force trauma, strangulation, attempted sexual assault and efforts to conceal the body; Peters-Berger faces life if convicted on the most serious charge.
Resolution Hearing Could Avert November Trial In Death Of 10-Year-Old Lily Peters
Teen accused of killing 10-year-old cousin Lily Peters may avoid November trial after new hearing scheduled
An Aug. 26 resolution hearing in Chippewa County could mean that the November jury trial for Carson Peters-Berger, accused in the 2022 death of his 10-year-old cousin, Lily Peters, will not go forward. Prosecutors and the defense say the upcoming proceeding will determine whether the case will be resolved without a full trial.
Hearing, Charges And Statements
The Chippewa County District Attorney's Office confirmed to WEAU that a resolution hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26. District Attorney Wade Newell said the scheduling indicates the matter likely will be resolved after that hearing rather than proceeding to the November jury trial. Defense attorney Michael Cohen told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the proceeding will "address issues in the case that will determine whether there will be a trial." Court records filed so far do not identify the specific resolution prosecutors plan to seek.
Allegations And Evidence From The Complaint
Authorities say Lily was reported missing by her father on the evening of April 24, 2022, after she did not return from a visit to an aunt's home. Her father later found Lily's bicycle in a wooded area of Chippewa Falls; an initial police search that night did not locate her. The next morning, officials were notified that a body had been found near where the bicycle was discovered.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators found injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma. The complaint alleges that, at the time of the incident, Peters-Berger—then 14—told police he had asked Lily to "go exploring off the trail," punched her in the stomach, struck her with a stick, strangled her and attempted a sexual assault after she had died. The complaint further alleges he later returned home, showered and put the clothes he had been wearing into the laundry, then came back and dragged the body several feet and covered it with leaves in an effort to hide it.
Possible Penalties And Next Steps
Peters-Berger has been charged as an adult with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault, and first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13 resulting in great bodily harm. If convicted of the most serious count, he faces a possible sentence of life in prison. Fox News Digital reported that it contacted both the Chippewa County District Attorney's Office and Peters-Berger's defense attorney for additional comment; the report noted contribution from Fox News Digital reporter Adam Sabes.
"The hearing will address issues in the case that will determine whether there will be a trial," —Michael Cohen, defense attorney
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