Missing Wisconsin girl, 10-year-old Lily Peters, was found dead; suspect is arrested
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wisc. – A minor was arrested Tuesday night in connection with the death of 10-year-old Illiana “Lily” Peters, authorities said.
“The suspect is not a stranger,” Chippewa Falls Sheriff Matthew Kelm told a news conference. “Suspect was known to the victim.” Police do not believe “there is any danger to the community at this time,” Kelm added.
Officers executed a search warrant at an address on the property where Lily was visiting her aunt on Sunday, when she went missing. Kelm said. He did not disclose whether the search yielded any valuable evidence. “Evidence was gathered and additional interviews were conducted,” Kelm said.
The sheriff declined to provide more information about the cause of death, the suspect’s relationship to Lily, or where the arrest was made – other than saying it was within city limits.
“I am confident that there is no longer any danger to the community at this time,” he said.
Authorities began searching for Lily after her father reported Sunday night that she had not returned home from a visit to her aunt’s house. Police said a bicycle believed to be hers was found Sunday night in the woods near the walking trail.
Lily’s body was found around 9:15 a.m. Monday in a wooded area near a walking trail.
Police received more than 200 tips on the case, Kelm said. “These tips are very important to deal with this case,” he said.
Kelm urged people to continue to avoid the road and wooded area, describing it as a “crime scene.”
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT LILY PETERS:Missing 10-year-old Wisconsin girl found dead
Peters’ body was found around 9:15 a.m. Monday in a wooded area near a walking trail, according to police.
‘She is a very sweet little girl’
“She was a very sweet little girl,” her great-grandmother, Diane Eyerly, said Tuesday in an interview with Sentinel Magazine, part of the USA TODAY Network. “She’s very polite and very sweet.”
Peters’ death shook the community at Chippewa Falls, about 100 miles east of the Twin Cities. Some gathered to tie purple ribbons to lampposts downtown in her memory.
The news of Peters’ death was “absolutely devastating for our community,” said Jennifer Barrett. “We’re a tight-knit community, a great community of people,” she said. “This is really difficult for us.”
Teri Ouimette said Lily’s murder left many in Chippewa Falls feeling shocked and helpless.
“You feel so helpless,” says Ouimette. “You want to make things better. We don’t know what else to do. What can you do?”
‘Where we can show our support now’
A fence near Parkview Elementary School – where Lily is a 4th grader – lined with flowers, balloons, stuffed animals and other items was left as a memorial to Peters.
Tiffany Thompson and her stepdaughter Lexy Frank, 8, dropped by the memorial when school was dismissed on Tuesday afternoon. The past few days have not been easy, Thompson said, but have shown how communities can come together.
“As long as we can show them the greatest support and love and inform them about how to stay safe in the community right now that’s most important,” she said.
Thompson said she was worried about how her stepdaughter would handle the situation, but leaving a few items, including a stuffed unicorn and a drawing, at the memorial seemed useful.
“We don’t know how she’s going to do it, but she’s very strong and she wants to support Lily as much as she can,” she said.
As students boarded the bus outside the school, Thompson described the memorial as a place “where we can show our support right now.”
“Honestly, it made us feel really warm inside,” she said. “The fact that the community comes together and does things like this for a child in our community is very special.”
Contribution: Associated Press
Follow Hannah Kirby on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby.