Lily Peters Homicide: Criminal Complaint To Be Unsealed

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI — The criminal complaint in the homicide of Iliana "Lily" Peters will be unsealed and released to the public, a Chippewa County judge ruled Thursday.

However, the name of the teen accused of killing her will be redacted.

Peters, 10, died of blunt force trauma and strangulation before she was found in a wooded area of the Wisconsin city on April 25, the county coroner ruled. A 14-year-old boy was charged with multiple crimes, including first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree sexual assault of a child under age 13 resulting in great bodily harm.

Chippewa Falls is located just over an hour east of St. Paul.

The Chippewa County Clerk of Courts received "numerous requests" from media outlets for the criminal complaint to be unsealed, Chippewa County Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Lane said in a hearing Thursday. He agreed to release it, but said the names and dates of birth of minors will continue to be withheld.

Prosecutors agreed to the request since the victim's information isn't contained in the complaint, they said in a court hearing. The defense team for the teen objected, not wanting the case to be "tried in the media," a defense attorney said.

The teen's father was convicted of possessing child pornography, and his parents had a long court battle over his custody after their breakup, The Star Tribune reported. The boy appeared to be a normal 14-year-old who played video games and did well in school, neighbors said.

Peters was reported missing after leaving her aunt's house in Chippewa Falls on April 24. Her body was found the next day in a wooded area near a walking trail.