A lawyer for a Wisconsin teen accused of murdering and sexually assaulting his 10-year-old cousin wants his case to be tried in juvenile court.
According to the Star-Tribune, the 14-year-old suspect who’s accused of killing Lily Peters waived his rights to a preliminary hearing Thursday at the Chippewa County Circuit Court. The defendant is currently facing charges as an adult, but his attorney, Michael Cohen, told the court that he planned to file a motion to have the case taken to juvenile court.
After the teen waived his rights, Judge Benjamin Lane said the case would proceed to trial due to the probable cause heard during the hearing.
The teen is currently being held at a juvenile detention center on a $1 million cash bond. However, according to Wisconsin law, anyone who commits murder and is 10 years old or older, will be considered an adult in the court’s eyes.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Lily disappeared in May after visiting with her aunt, who lived around four blocks away from her own residence, off of 50 block of E. Birch Street in Chippewa Falls. The child’s father contacted police at around 9 p.m. when she didn’t return home and reported that no one could find her.
Lily’s bicycle was found the day after she vanished 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.
According to the criminal complaint, the defendant admitted to prosecutors that he planned to rape and kill Lily “from the get-go” after she went to her aunt’s house on April 24.
CBS Minnesota reports that the suspect told investigators that he helped Lily pick up her bike, then left on a trail with her while riding his hoverboard. He then told the victim he wanted to go exploring. He then lured her into the woods, where he said he “punched (Peters) in the stomach, knocking her to the ground,” hit her with a stick, strangled her, and sexually assaulted her.
The teen said he ran home afterward, took a shower, and changed his clothes. When he heard people were searching for Lily afterward, he made plans to move her body to “hide her better.”
He returned to the scene and moved the victim’s body a few more feet into the woods, according to the criminal complaint. He was subsequently arrested in connection with the child’s death.
Previous Video Coverage
Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell previously spoke with reporters after the suspect’s initial hearing and said the official charges are “first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault, and first-degree sexual assault with a child under age 13 resulting in great bodily harm,” Fox News reports.
A judge ordered the suspect to avoid any contact with minors, aside from supervised contact with his siblings.
Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:
[Featured image: Facebook]
