THE teen who brutally strangled ten-year-old Lily Peters to death has pleaded guilty to her murder four years later.

Lily was reported missing on April 24, 2022 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and found dead the next day.

Lily Peters was found dead in April 2022 after she failed to return home from a visit to her aunt’s house

Lily’s 18-year-old cousin Carson Peters-Beger pleaded guilty to her murder on August 26, four years after her death

Carson Peters-Berger, Lily’s 18-year-old cousin, pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in connection with her death on Wednesday morning, according to WEAU.

It was announced earlier in August that Peters-Berger would not be facing trial and instead would attend a resolution hearing.

Appearing at the Chippewa County Court in person, the 18-year-old told Judge Steven Gibbs he understood that by pleading guilty he was admitting to killing Lily and planning to do so.

The judge convicted him of the crime and sentenced him to life in prison, with the chance of parole after 25 years.

Lily was first reported missing on April 24, 2022 by her father after she failed to return from her aunt’s house, prompting a massive search effort.

Her bike was found in a wooded area by the end of the street where her aunt lived, and police then discovered Lily’s body by the Duncan Creek walking trail the next morning.

Peters-Berger was 14 at the time and admitted to punching Lily in the stomach and striking her on the head three times with a heavy stick when interviewed by police.

Peters-Berger walked with Lily along a trail when he asked her to explore part of it, and then strangled and assaulted her after she left the trail, investigators said.

The teen then returned home, threw his clothes in the wash and returned to the scene to move Lily’s body and cover her with leaves.

“His intention was to rape and kill the victim from the get-go when he left the house with the victim going down the trail,” District Attorney Wade Newell said in April 2022.

Several members of Lily’s family spoke at the hearing, but due to a previous order from Judge Gibbs, they are not allowed to be identified or quoted directly, according to WEAU.

In their statements, the family shared the impact losing Lily has had on them and the community.

Lily was reported missing on April 25, 2022 and found dead the next morning near a walking trail

Some people connected to the Peters family expressed concerns about Peters-Berger being eligible for parole

They also talked about how much they missed Lily, and some connected to the family expressed concerns about Peters-Berger being eligible for parole, worrying about another crime that may be committed.

Peters-Berger did not speak at the hearing beyond entering the guilty plea.

He was scheduled to go on trial in November after he initially pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree child sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault causing great bodily harm in December 2024.

He was charged as an adult despite efforts from his lawyer to get the case moved to juvenile court in 2023.

His lawyer further argued Peters-Berger had an adverse childhood and was diagnosed with psychological disorders.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16900725/carson-peters-berger-lily-peters-guilty-sentence/