Police: 10-Year-Old Killed on Way Home Knew Suspect

Juvenile suspect has been arrested in connection with the homicide
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 26, 2022 10:00 PM CDT
Police: 10-Year-Old Lily Peters Knew Her Killer
A memorial for 10-year-old Iliana "Lily" Peters is displayed on Jefferson Ave. Monday evening, April 25, 2022, in Chippewa Falls, Wis. Peters was found dead in a park earlier in the day after being reported missing the night before.   (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP)

An arrest has been made in the death of Illiana "Lily" Peters, and Police Chief Matthew Kelm said Tuesday the juvenile suspect "was not a stranger, the suspect was known to the victim." The 10-year-old Wisconsin girl went missing Sunday night during the brief trip home from her aunt's house in Chippewa Falls; a bike thought to be Lily's was found near a walking trail, and her body was found near that same trail Monday morning. CNN reports Kelm did not detail the relationship between Lily and the unnamed suspect, nor did he disclose the suspect's age or sex.

While "there is still much work to be done," Kelm did say that the more than 200 tips his department received were "critical to solving this case." The AP reports police executed a search warrant at an address located in the block where Lily went to visit her aunt. "We do not believe there is any danger to the community at this time," Kelm added. FOX9 has a map showing Lily's home and her aunt's home, as well as the location where her body was found. The two homes are about a quarter-mile apart, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "While nothing will bring Lily Peters back or change what happened, we are very grateful to be able to deliver this news for the family and for the community," Kelm said. (Read our initial report on Lily's disappearance.)

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