A Wisconsin boy who was 14 when he allegedly sexually assaulted and killed his 10-year-old cousin in 2022 will stand trial as an adult, a judge ruled on Monday.
Lily Peters’ accused killer (initials C.P.-B.), now 15, will be publicly identified in light of the latest ruling. The ruling also means the case will remain in adult court, where he is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree sexual assault, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
WEAU reported that the judge denied the defense’s petition for a reverse waiver into juvenile court, as attorneys sought to move the case out of adult court.
“The court disagrees that a possible 10-year confinement in the juvenile system, registering as a sex offender and that the Defendant would be vulnerable to the adult system would be punishment enough for the Defendant,” the judge wrote.
Peters was reported missing after she did not return home from her aunt’s house in Chippewa Falls. Her bike was found a mile from the aunt’s home that night, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Peters’ body was discovered a day after her disappearance. She was reportedly beaten with a stick, strangled, and sexually assaulted. After learning Peters was reported missing, the suspect allegedly returned to the scene to move her body and cover her with leaves.
According to KARE, the teen told police that he planned to “rape and kill the victim [Peters] from the get-go.”
The 15-year-old, who remains jailed on $1 million bail, faces life in prison if convicted.
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[Feature Photo: Lily Peters/Facebook]
