CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI (WSAU) — His name remains under wraps, but the case against the 14-year-old boy accused of beating, sexually assaulting, and killing ten-year-old Lily Peters this spring is moving forward.
The suspect, identified by the initials C.P.B., was in court on Friday for a scheduling conference where a judge set a 4.5-hour preliminary hearing for September 1st. He faces charges including first-degree homicide and first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.
Investigators say the boy was riding a hoverboard alongside the girl as she was riding her bike home after visiting her aunt’s house. That’s when he is said to have asked her to “go exploring” in a wooded area.
Police say he told them that he beat her with a stick and punched her numerous times, then left her body in the area and returned home. When he learned that she had been reported missing, officers say he returned to the area to try to hide her body better.
Numerous documents in the case remain sealed or partially redacted for various reasons. The defense team also reportedly asked for a gag order on certain information relating to the trial after some video and audio footage related to the investigation was leaked. That order wasn’t given, but the judge did remind both sides that certain information relating to the case needs to remain private and is not subject to open records.
If found guilty C.P.B. faces a mandatory life sentence if the case remains in adult court.
