Carson Peters-Berger, 18, will not stand trial for the alleged murder and sexual assault of his 10-year-old cousin, Lily Peters, in Wisconsin. A resolution hearing is scheduled for August 26, according to Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell. The date marks a conclusion to the case, which has been ongoing since Peters' death in April 2022.
Online court records are sealed, and it is unclear what will be discussed at the resolution hearing. Peters-Berger was 14 at the time of the alleged crime.
Peters was reported missing by her father on April 24, 2022, after she did not return home from her aunt's Chippewa Falls residence. Her abandoned bicycle was found near the woods two hours later. A search party discovered her body the following morning in a wooded area off a walking trail. Authorities ruled her death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma and strangulation.
According to a criminal complaint, Peters-Berger told police he had intended to rape and kill his cousin when they left the house. He stated he punched her, knocked her down, struck her with a large stick, and then strangled her. He admitted to sexually assaulting her after believing she was dead. He then allegedly returned to the scene that night, dragged her body further into the woods, and covered it with leaves.
Peters-Berger was arrested days later and charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault, and first-degree sexual assault of a child. He was held on a $1 million cash bond. Prosecutors successfully sought to try him as an adult, and his identity was later made public.
Attorneys for Peters-Berger had requested a change of venue and specific jury selection requirements, citing extensive media coverage and concerns about an unfair trial in Chippewa County. These changes were granted by Judge Steven Gibbs, with jury selection scheduled for October 21-22 and a potential 10-day trial beginning November 2. Peters-Berger faced a potential life sentence if convicted.