Juvenile Arrested as Suspect in Death of Chippewa Falls Girl
Chippewa Falls, WI (KROC-AM News) - Chippewa Falls Police are reporting an arrest in connection with the death of Lily Peters.
Matthew Kelm is the Police Chief for the Western Wisconsin community, and called a news conference this evening to announce a juvenile suspect has been taken into custody. He also indicated the suspect is not a stranger and was known to the 10-year-old victim. Kelm also stated that it does not appear there is any danger to the public in relation to the tragic case.
If the video of the press conference below isn't appearing on your device, you can watch it here as well.
The child was found dead along a walking trail near her family’s home Monday morning. Lily was reported missing Sunday evening after she failed to return home after visiting her aunt, who lives a few blocks away on the other side of the Chippewa River. A search Sunday night led to the discovery of her bike in the woods along the trail, which runs from an area near the aunt’s house to a pedestrian bridge across the river into the parking lot at the Leinenkugel's Brewery, located a couple of blocks north of the Peters family home.
Chief Kelm thanked the multiple law enforcement agencies that have assisted with the investigation, which he says has been running 24-hours a day since the child went missing. He also expressed thanks to the citizens who have provided more than 200 tips. Kelm described some of the tips as critical to solving the case. He urged anyone with information that might be useful to investigators to continue sending them in, saying “there is still much work to be done.”
The name of the juvenile suspect has not been released and officials have not released any information about the cause of the girl’s death.