The 14-year-old cousin of murdered 10-year-old Wisconsin girl Lily Peters has been charged with sexually assaulting and strangling her.
Lily, 10, vanished on Sunday evening in in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin after an afternoon spent with her aunt Lauri Davis, 45, and her boyfriend John Repetto, 50.
Her father, Alex Peters, 43, reported her missing when she failed to return home around 9pm.
Cops launched a desperate search for her, and found her bicycle in a hiking trail behind her aunt’s house. Her body was found on Monday in a wooded area just off a footpath and less than half a mile from the home she shared with her parents father, mother, Jennifer Eyerly, 38, and her brother Dylan.
The boy, who was named in court as CP-B, appeared via a Zoom link from and appeared alongside his attorneys from juvenile detention.
Dressed in a black sweater, he sat silently as the court heard how ‘he [the boy] told police his intention was to break and kill the victim from the get go as he left the house and walked down the street with her.’
DA Wade Newell asked for bond to be set at $1 million as he described how the boy ‘punched the victim in stomach, knocked her to the ground and strangled her to the point of death and then sexually assaulted her.’
Lily Peters, 10, visited her aunt’s home in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on Sunday night. Her house is only a few streets away
The body of Lily Peters was found in woodland near close to a walking trail in Chippewa Falls, northeast of Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Monday morning
Lily had been at her aunt Laurie’s house in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (pictured) when she failed to return home on Sunday night
The child’s body was found on a hiking trail less than a mile from her aunt’s house, near where her bike was discovered
Despite defense objections, Judge Benjamin Lane agreed to set bond at $1 million and banned him from any contact with minors.
Lily’s disappearance and murder has shocked the small Chippewa Falls community of around 30,000 people with locals telling DailyMail.com that the 10-year-old was regularly seen riding her bike around town.
On a bridge near the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewery close to where Lily was found, a huge display of purple balloons and flowers was laid out.
A security guard watching the area said she instantly recognized Lily when she was declared missing – telling DailyMail.com she often saw her cycling along that path.
She added: ‘This is a small town so everyone knows everyone. I never spoke to Lily but I saw her cycling all the time.’
On the street where the 10-year-old lived, every tree has been decorated with purple ribbons while some supportive signs were also seen on Davis’s street.
The house that she shared with her son has been taped off and is currently guarded by police.
Fourth-grader had gone missing on Sunday night after being at an aunts house
The house where Lily’s aunt lives has been taped off and is currently guarded by police. Toys can be seen in the yard
The house where Lily was visiting before she vanished is taped off, and a skeleton hanging can be seen in one window
After the boy’s arrest on Tuesday, Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matt Kelm said: While nothing will bring Lily Peters back or change what happened, we are very grateful to deliver this news to the family and the community,’ Kelm said of the arrest.
Kelm, himself, choked up during the news conference as he announced Peters’ death.
‘As you can imagine, our first responders are tremendously impacted by anything that impacts one of our children,’ Kelm said, ‘so it is very difficult for them, and the investigators.’
Lily’s parents, Alexander and Jennifer, are yet to issue any kind of public comment.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family which has already raised more than $20,000.
It was set up by a friend who said they were raising money for the family.
Signs reading ‘Justice for Lily’ are seen on the street where she lived with her parents and brother in Chippewa Falls
On the street where the 10-year-old lived, every tree has been decorated with purple ribbons
One note written for Lily reads: ‘I’m so sorry this happened to you, you didn’t deserve to die!’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk