53: 14-Year-Old Kills 10-Year-Old Cousin In The Most Gruesome Way | The Disturbing Case of Lily Peters
61m 1s
Ten-year-old Lily Peters was killed and sexually assaulted by her 14-year-old cousin, Carson Peters Berger, in a meticulously planned attack near Chippewa, Wisconsin. The incident occurred when Carson lured Lily off a wooded trail using a hoverboard, struck her with a stick, strangled her, and then sexually assaulted her. He later moved her body and left her without pants, demonstrating a complete lack of remorse. The case shocked the community, with law enforcement and officials initially struggling to believe such a crime could happen in a tight-knit town. Carson, who had a history of family trauma and prior exposure to criminal behavior through his father’s incarceration, was defended by family members who portrayed him as a good, innocent boy. However, the prosecution faced delays, including a change of venue request and eventual plea deal. In 2026, Carson pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide but received dismissal of the more severe sexual assault charges. Critics argue that this outcome is unjust, as it overlooks the profound sexual violence and fails to ensure long-term public safety. Questions remain about whether the case was properly handled, whether Carson will be properly registered as a sex offender, and whether the plea deal truly serves justice for Lily or only satisfies procedural demands. The case remains a disturbing example of how deeply entrenched harm can exist within families and how systemic failures may allow such crimes to go unaddressed.
Ten-year-old Liliana "Lily" Peters was killed and sexually assaulted.
Planned, planned, premeditated, knew what he was doing.
For me, the deaths of children are the worst kinds of cases.
And even though it hurts to have those happy memories, at least I had them.
But to hear this happening to a 10-year-old, again, it's unthinkable.
Today, we are going to be taking a second look at a case that I covered multiple times back in 2022.
However, I do want to warn you, it is a very difficult case.
I could barely stomach it back then.
I'm sure that I will have trouble with it today as well,
because it is a case surrounding a 10-year-old little girl named Lily Peters.
Now, when I first looked at this case years ago,
there really wasn't a whole lot of information out there.
However, new information slowly was coming out month by month.
And now, fast forward to today, it's been years.
And there have been some really significant updates.
Not only significant updates, but very disturbing revelations
and things that make you take a closer look at who you live with,
who your family is, and just the true evil that people are capable of.
So that being said,
we are going to revisit some of my old coverage on this case.
You know how it goes with reopens.
We pull all of the coverage together with updates that I'm going to be recording today as well,
just so that you have the full, comprehensive overview of the case.
You may notice some minor differences in audio, video,
as present Annie comes on versus past tense Annie.
But the goal, again, is just to give you as much information as possible.
So that being said, my name is Annie Elise.
And today, we are reopening the case of Lily Peters.
Let's jump right in.
Lily Peters is a 10-year-old girl and fourth grade student at Parkview Elementary School in Chippewa, Wisconsin.
And Chippewa has a population of just 14,000 people.
It is a very small town and a very tight-knit community.
On Sunday, April 24th, 2021, she was born and raised in Chippewa, Wisconsin.
Lily was born and raised in Chippewa, Wisconsin.
Lily rode her bike over to her aunt's house.
Her aunt, who lived approximately four blocks away from Lily.
And later that evening, Lily was reportedly seen leaving her aunt's house on her bike,
but never returned home that evening.
So family checked the area and contacted friends and family members,
but couldn't find Lily anywhere.
So around 9:00 p.m. that evening, Lily's father notified the police that she was missing.
Now, as I mentioned, her house was only four blocks away from her house.
Now, as I mentioned, her house was only four blocks away from her aunt's house.
So what could have happened to Lily in less than the five minutes it would take
to ride her bike from her aunt's house back home?
Police began searching for this little 10-year-old girl on Sunday night.
Eventually, they found her bicycle near a wooded area by a walking trail near her aunt's house.
But Lily was nowhere to be found.
So when their initial searches failed to actually turn up Lily, additional resources were brought in.
They had additional police units, they had canine teams, drones,
all these different people and, you know, avenues of searching were asked to come in and assist.
Search teams also went door-to-door throughout the night in an effort to determine where Lily was.
But unfortunately, just 12 hours later, on Monday, April 25th,
the body of Lily Peters was located in the woods at 9:15 a.m.
She was located near her aunt's house, close to a
walking trail at the end of Grove Street and lining Kugel's brewery parking lot.
And it was that same location where her bike had been found just the night before.
And this is just a two-minute ride from her aunt's house, guys.
Now when you look at Google Maps, the walking trail that she was found on
and that her bike was found on is hard to see through satellite images.
However, here you can see the entrance to the walking trail.
It appears to have lots of terrain, woods on both sides, lots of tall greenery,
making it extremely easy for someone to hide and potentially attack someone.
And if you look at this image here, it's Prairie Street, which actually runs parallel to the trail.
So essentially, Lily was riding on this desolate path alone with the woods on either sides of her.
And although it may seem risky and potentially dangerous in hindsight, remember,
this trail is only a two-minute bike ride.
And after those two minutes, you're back on public streets.
So who was this monster that was lurking in the shadows that night who chose to blitz-attack this sweet, innocent little girl, Lily?
Attacking her in less than the two minutes it took for her to enter and exit that trail.
Police said that they suspect that Lily is a victim of homicide.
Good afternoon and thank you for coming.
My name is Matthew Kelman.
I'm the chief of police for the Chippewa Falls Police Department.
This is an update on the missing person case that was first reported last night.
At about nine o'clock last night, the Chippewa Falls Police Department received information that Ileana Lily M.
Peters, age 10, was missing from the city of Chippewa Falls.
Lily's father reported that she had not returned home from a visit from her aunt's house in the 400 block of North Grove Street.
Officers later located a bicycle in the woods near the walking trail between the end of North Grove Street.
At the line at Google's Brewery parking lot, numerous agencies and resources were called to assist with the search for Lily.
At about 9:15 this morning, a body was located in the wooded area near the walking trail.
The Chippewa County Coroner's Office has now confirmed that this is the body of Lily Peters.
At this point, we are considering this a homicide investigation.
We do not have anyone in custody at this time, and we are continuing to follow up on multiple leads.
The Chippewa Falls Police Department has numerous assisting agencies.
We will be working diligently and tirelessly on this case.
We encourage anyone with information to please contact the Chippewa Falls Police Department and to maintain a state of vigilance, as there may be a danger to the public.
To maintain the integrity of this very active and ongoing investigation, I am unable to provide any further details at this time.
I do anticipate an additional press conference around 5:00 tonight.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Lily Peters during this tragic time.
Thank you.
Chief, I can hear your heart, I can hear your voice.
This is not the ending you had hoped and prayed for.
What has this been like for you and the department after making the discovery?
Well, as you can imagine, us first responders are tremendously impacted by anything that impacts one of our children.
So, it is very difficult for them and the investigators.
So, I wish -- thank you for your patience, and we will provide more information as soon as we are able to.
So, thank you.
And in a letter actually sent home to parents on Monday afternoon, the school district gave recommendations to parents and encouraged them to pick up and drop off students who usually walk to and from school.
District officials also said that their buildings are on high alert, adding that law enforcement has not indicated a need to go into lockdown, but that they have requested an increase in law enforcement presence at school facilities.
So, thank you.
facilities and in the neighborhoods, and that they're expecting that to happen.
Good evening, everyone. I am Chief Matt Kelm with the Chippewa Falls Police Department,
and I'm providing an update on the homicide investigation. I first want to express my
deepest consolations to the family and friends of Lily Peters. I will be able to answer a few
questions at the end of this briefing, but please bear in mind that we are very early in this
investigation, and I am limited in what information I can provide so as not to compromise the
investigation. At this point, we do not have anyone in custody, and I want to reiterate
that people remain vigilant as there could be a danger to the public. We have established a
tip line, and we encourage anyone with information to call the tip line at 1-800-263-5906.
And again, that number is 1-800-263-5906.
Our investigators are following up with leads and tips actively.
The people of our community are honest, hardworking, and kind-hearted. It is almost
impossible to believe that something this horrific could happen in our city,
and an event like this threatens our sense of security. However, I believe we will come together
as a community to solve this problem. Thank you.
A number of resources are being utilized in the search for answers in this tragic case.
We currently have representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations,
the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, as well as many local law enforcement agencies assisting in this
investigation who are working tirelessly to uncover the truth. We also have victim advocates
who are working with the family.
I would ask in closing that if anyone has any information about this case,
that they please reach out to that tip line. And again, that's at 1-800-263-5906.
6. There's a few questions. I will try to answer some of them. Chief Kell, I'm reporting back for
you with Fox 9. You said you want people to remain vigilant. The school district even came out and
said parents, if you can pick up your kids, don't let them walk or bike. It sounds to me like you
think this person could still be around, that people may be in danger. Can you just expand on
that? Well, the simple fact is that we have not made an arrest in this case. So the suspect
is still at large. So in that case, we just want to be extra vigilant and make sure that if there
are any tips, anyone has any information to go ahead and follow and call that tip line. We have
a lot of investigators that are working on those all the time. Chief, could you talk about a timeline
possibly? We saw on the release that nine o'clock is when a family member called, but could you
please just describe when she was last seen, when she left her aunt's home, help folks know what
they should be looking for, you know, is there a certain time for me?
Sir, sure. I can appreciate asking that question. And those are things that everyone wants to know
about. But timelines and things like that are really things that are speaking about this active
investigation. And I can't really go into those right now. How quickly were you able to determine
that this was a homicide investigation? Once we located the deceased, at that point,
he transitioned from a missing person into what we believe to be a homicide investigation.
Evidence at the scene.
At that, that was at the point that we made the decision to transition that. So I can't speak as
to what the evidence is or, you know, specifics as to that decision making, but why we went to
that decision. But that was at that time. Is that a route that she would have taken holding it from
her aunt's house to her home? And again, those are things that our investigators are still looking
into, conducting interviews and things of that nature. So I don't have any more information on
that, unfortunately, right now. We're not saying cause of death. We're not saying how or were there
obvious signs?
At this point, no, we're not. We're not saying that. We're only a day into the investigation.
This is a major incident. And we want to make sure we do it correctly, properly. And at this
point, we don't have that information to give out. Is there any indication as to whether the suspect
knew clearly if there was any prior knowledge of who she was? Right. At this point, we really can't
say because again, we're developing that information right now. Our investigators are following up on
leads.
And I don't really have anything to give out on that particular case.
This is a serious community for parents, especially. What can you say to parents in Chippewa Falls tonight?
What I would say to parents in Chippewa Falls is that Chippewa Falls is a safe community. This is a very rare
occurrence. However, we have to be cognizant to the fact that it will require some additional
vigilance here today. So I guess that's what I would say at this point.
Well, Chief, you told the community that there could be an incident. Is there any evidence that there could be an incident?
out there and be vigilant right what do they need to be vigilant for what should
they be looking for what are the things that should concern them that's a good
question anything that's suspicious things that are suspicious based on some
of the information maybe we've already given out if they think something might
be relevant to this case they should really call that tip number so I'll take
one more question
our investigators are following up on all leads and lining kugel's has been a
helpful in providing us a location to stage and we're looking into those areas
as well so okay thank you very much now as I said this case moved incredibly
quickly almost literally overnight when I posted my first episode on this case
it was like major breaking news came out the very following day to just so much
outpouring of news and questions about the case and I think that's a good
reason to keep an eye out for the next episode because we're going to be
talking about what happened to this little girl and we're going to be talking
about what happened to this girl and we're going to be talking about what
happened to this little girl and we're going to be talking about what happened
to this little girl and we're going to be talking about what happened to this
little girl and we're going to be talking about what happened to this girl.
but you have I-N-C-E-S-T. You also have NECRA, you know where I'm going. I mean, it is just
packed with so much. And we're going to get into possibly the why here in just a second.
So in court on Wednesday, on April 27th, DA Wade Newell argued that the defendant was actually a
flight risk due to the severity of the charges and also that he was a danger to society. However,
an attorney for the suspect countered that the defendant wasn't a flight risk as he's a minor
himself and claimed he has no reasonable reason.
way to raise money and flee that he also lives with his mother and can't drive. However, the
judge agreed that he was a flight risk, and due to the severity of these crimes, he agreed to have
the bond set at $1 million, which was the amount that the state had requested. And the bond was
also coupled with the conditions that the suspect have absolutely no contact with juveniles and no
access to dangerous weapons. So this young 14-year-old boy is facing three charges in the
death of Lily Peters, including first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree SA, and
first-degree SA on a minor under 13. And as of Thursday, the 28th of April, another revelation
about this case surfaced. This 14-year-old boy has officially been named as Carson Peters Berger,
and again, the cousin of Lily Peters. And unfortunately, as it often is revealed,
many times crimes that are committed by children are because they too may have been
victims themselves. And Carson's father is a convicted ped. Adam Berger is 37 years old,
and he has served three years in prison for possession of explicit content involving
young underaged girls. And an eerie letter surfaced from his incarceration back in 2020,
begging the judge to allow him unsupervised visits with his son, calling his boy the best
of him in this letter. Other members of the family cited how Carson has not been
happy since his father was arrested back in 2018, and that he was unhappy with his mother about this
and never smiling when he was in her company. His paternal grandmother called his mother,
the sister of Lily's father, a bad mother who limited the boy's interactions with his father's
family, so much so that his grandmother was granted grandparents' rights while his father
was incarcerated. So the judge had denied the motion to allow Adam to see his son unsupervised,
and it's unclear if he has seen his son,
since his release, because all of the photos that I was able to obtain of the two together
appear to be from five years or earlier. He's currently living in a halfway house on supervised
probation after his release from prison back in 2021. So my question here is, could Carson have
blamed his mother for his father's incarceration, because we know he was apparently angry in her
presence, would never smile, and did that result in Carson carrying a hatred for females in general?
Obviously, photos don't always attest to somebody's true character, but in these older photos I was
able to find of Carson, he looks like a normal, happy, young boy. Nothing like the current photo
we have of him, and nothing like the person who would commit such a vicious act on anybody,
let alone their cousin. And again, pictures don't always tell the whole story, but to me, when I
look at the two of these side by side, they don't even look like the same person. There's a new kind
of evil behind the eyes.
The news of Lily's final moments and her death was heartbreaking enough, and that was even before
the details of what happened to her became public. Now, I know that I warned you in the beginning of
this episode, but I'm going to say it again. The details that emerged from Lily's autopsy
were incredibly disturbing, and quite honestly, what nightmares are made out of.
New details in the death of a 10-year-old Chippewa Falls girl. According to a criminal
complaint released today, the 14-year-old boy,
charged in Lily Peters' death, told a detective that he intended to
and kill her. The complaint says he did that after luring her off of a trail by suggesting
they explore surrounding woods. He then left her body in the woods, but did return later to try and
cover up her body with leaves. The boy remains in custody on a million dollars bond. The new
complaint that has been unsealed has given us some truly awful details. The first thing that we
learned was that
Lily was actually tricked by her 14-year-old cousin, Carson. And Carson specifically had
this entire thing planned out in his very own disgusting way. He knew what he was going to do
to Lily before they even left the house. So, Carson helped Lily walk with her bike as she
left her aunt's house to return home, which was literally under a five-minute commute. As they
left her aunt's house, Lily walked with her bike alongside of her, and Carson took his hoverboard.
Carson asked Lily to then explore off the trail with him. Once they were off the trail,
Carson hit Lily with a large stick in the head three times. Once Lily was then on the ground
laying on her back, he then straddled her and strangled her. After Carson believed that Lily
was deceased, he removed her pants and he went on to SA her. He also told investigators that at some
point he bit her. And we're going to get back to that in just a moment. But first, let's talk about
detail in a little bit here as we go through more of these updates, because I want to just make
mention of that. Carson then stated that he got scared. So, he ran home, he showered, and put all
of his dirty clothes in the laundry. When he heard that people were out looking for 10-year-old Lily,
he went back to where her body was, moved it, and covered it with leaves. When Lily was found
just 12 hours after her father had called the police to report her as missing,
she was found without her pants on. So, let's pause really quickly at this first
update, because there are just many thoughts behind this. First off, did nobody in the family
notice that Carson was gone or was acting strangely at home? Because when Lily's dad
was questioning where everybody was, what happened to Lily, did Carson's mom or mom's boyfriend not
question where the last time Carson saw Lily was, especially if they knew that he left the house
with her that night? Wouldn't they have asked, okay, well, where did you leave her off at the
way home? Why wasn't there any piece of information there connecting? So, the way that Carson just
casually went home and showered and then laundered his clothes is just beyond creepy. Shows that
maybe, yeah, he was scared, but clearly there wasn't any remorse. He was going on as business
as usual, especially because then when he heard that people were looking for Lily, he went back
to the scene of the crime, dragged her lifeless body a few more feet, and covered her with leaves.
And at that point,
he didn't attempt to put her pants back on, meaning that he didn't care if she was found
in that way, which again leads me to believe that there was just no remorse here. Not to mention,
of course, that it was planned out before this even happened. It wasn't something that he just
did in the heat of the moment. He had planned this before they even left the home that evening.
But what I also wonder about that is when he went back to her body the next morning to move her,
was nobody keeping tabs on this kid? Because if somebody's niece was missing,
or a family member, first of all, you wouldn't allow them out of the house. Because at that
point too, all of the school district was like, not on lockdown, but they were on high alert.
The police were advising parents not to allow their children to walk to school or walk home
from school because they said that there was a predator on the loose. So they were allowing
their son to go out without supervision. But also, if you knew that he was the last one to
see her alive, why wouldn't you be keeping tabs on him to see where he's going? There's just a lot
of disconnect here.
So it seems like these parents were possibly just absent entirely or not paying attention.
And according to people in the community, Carson was also at Lily's vigil the very next day.
That night that she was found, he was there. And we've heard of suspects and perpetrators
often inserting themselves into the investigation or showing up at the vigil to gauge what the
response is and what people are saying. But people in the community mentioned seeing him comforting
his family.
And hugging them. And the fact that he was there doing that, knowing he's the one that not only
took Lily's life, but the one who brutally essayed her body is just beyond evil and personally,
in my opinion, demonic.
Now, the second update in this case is the attorney that's on this case. So the attorney on this case
is Michael Cohen. And Michael Cohen was actually Carson's father, Adam's attorney, when Adam,
Carson's father, was serving.
For his case related to child PORN. Again, I can't say it here on YouTube. And Mike is highly
known and well-respected in the Chippewa area. From what we've been able to gather, Michael is
also not a cheap attorney. He requires a hefty retainer. So the question is, is this pro bono
or did a family member help foot the bill for this expensive attorney? Considering this
lawyer also represented Adam, would it likely be that Carson's paternal family is paying for this
attorney? Or did Michael agree to do this pro bono? But records show that he hasn't done any pro bono
work for at least the past five years. However, in a strange twist here, a GoFundMe was set up
for Lily's family and $41,000 was raised. Now, the GoFundMe was suddenly shut down abruptly without
thanking anybody, without any sort of explanation. Just boom, shut down at $41,000. And Michael Cohen,
the attorney, was hired shortly after that. So is there a chance that the GoFundMe money could
have been used for Carson's defense fees? The autopsy showed that Lily had bite marks on her
left buttock. She also had SA trauma to her backside and blunt force trauma to the left side
of her head. Now, we know that Carson admittedly had a lot of trauma to the left side of her head,
hit her with a stick three times in the head to subdue her and get her to the ground. He also
admitted to investigators to biting her, but she had tearing on her backside. So there is SA that
took place, you know, in Lily's rear. It's unknown if it also took place in the front area, but it is
confirmed that she had tearing. Rehashing all of these details from years ago, it honestly makes
my stomach turn. You don't have to know Lily personally to hear what happened to her and to
feel absolutely horrified by it. And you would think that with that, everyone around Carson would
also feel the same way. I mean, if strangers are feeling that way, obviously his family must be
feeling that way, right? But shockingly, after his arrest, members of his own family came to his
defense, asking the judge for leniency, even speaking out on his behalf.
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you. Carson's grandmother sent a letter to judge Ben Lane pleading with him to send Carson to
juvenile court. In her letter, she said that Carson is and always has been a kind, caring,
giving, and loving person. Also saying, I don't have the words to explain the pain that our family
is going through. And I'm sure that's true considering all of the different facets of this
family that have been going through this. And I'm sure that's true considering all of the different
facets of this family that have been accumulating through generations to create this horrible
murder. And I can only guess that this grandmother is also the grandmother of Lily Peters because her
saying that her family has already lost too much and went through so much pain leads me to speculate
as much, which would make her the mother of Carson's mother and Lily's father. She goes on
to write about Carson's accomplishments in school, that his peers view him as a great role model and
how he has never been in trouble, as if that somehow lessens the things that he's done.
And the fact that he took the life of his 10-year-old cousin and brutally essayed her after
she was dead. Saying things like he has excellent character and positive behavior seems in very poor
taste and almost like enabling behavior, to me at least. Going on to excuse his behavior as just a
young boy who got mixed up and lost control just seems like a poor excuse for the actions that he
police, that he had planned from the get-go. His exact quote, I can't imagine trying to justify
this kind of behavior from my child or my future grandchildren or anybody, especially considering
that they had just stolen the life of my other grandchild. How do you justify this?
The highlighting of his goodness ironically reminds me of pieces of the letter that his
father had penned to his own judge for his case, in which he had said that Carson was the best
of me. She underwhelmingly acknowledged that he does need to be punished, but doesn't think that
prison is a suitable punishment. She begged the judge to send him to juvenile court to
quote-unquote get the help he needs. Even mentioning that this is the opportunity to
help a young boy figure out what happened and why. As though he is the victim here and needs help.
No, no, no, no, no. Her plea to the judge is clearly out of love and pain. I get that,
because I can't imagine all of the pain that their entire family must be
feeling. She was even mentioning a threat to her daughter's life and that of her family in this
letter too. So I get it. They're stressed and they're heartbroken. And Lily's mother also
condemned these online trolls for harassing her family. So it's hard to understand all of these
like inner workings within a family, let alone one with so much trauma that has happened generation
over generation. Because we have no idea what truly did happen to these kids, Carson included,
behind closed doors.
Or what continues to happen behind them. But this letter just brushed me all sorts of wrong.
The attorney for Carson also submitted a letter to the judge to ask that law enforcement and the DA
be barred from making comments about the case to news outlets as it proceeds, saying that this
case should be tried in the courtroom and not in the media. But Carson appeared back in court and
I have to say, I was a little surprised at the direction it took. Carson appeared by video with
his attorney, Michael Cohen. He said,
for a brief hearing during which Carson's attorney, the DA, and the judge discussed what
arrangements might need to be made for witnesses that are testifying at the preliminary hearing
on September 1st. See, in Wisconsin, anyone charged with a felony has the right to a
preliminary hearing at which a judge must decide if there is probable cause to believe a felony
has been committed by the defendant. Carson's lawyer also brought up concerns about a video
that was posted to YouTube. Not this video, not any on this channel, but probably will after this.
And the video airs what sounds like audio from a police officer, something that had apparently not
yet been made public. So Carson's lawyer told the judge that the video includes information that he
believes also is false. And he said it also includes information that he has not seen himself
and is concerned that the video could create inappropriate bias or taint a jury pool. And he
gets pretty heated as he delivers this argument and information to the judge. Take a listen.
Here's one issue. As the court knows, I wrote a correspondence and I did discuss the idea of some
type of, certainly within the court's authority, some type of what I would call colloquially a gag
order to try to limit certain pieces of information being disseminated to the public. Since the time
that I wrote that correspondence, I have not received any additional correspondence from
the court. I have been made aware, from what I can tell, at least a million people have been made
aware that someone somehow provided information about this case in terms of specific pieces of
evidence, video footage, phone calls, 911 calls, documents, and other things,
to someone who has now put a 30-minute video on YouTube where they have made my client into a
cartoon figure. They have provided false information, or at least from what I can tell,
false information. They have referenced information that, from what I know, I don't have. And from
what I know from Mr. Newell's office, apparently they say they don't have. I have contacted YouTube
I have, on behalf of my client, attempted to begin a privacy confidential strike against that to have
it removed. I have not heard back from YouTube Corporation yet on this. But from what I can tell,
at least as of two days ago, three days ago now, this video has been observed just by the time that
it was released on June 3rd by over 800,000 to a million people.
And frankly, Judge, when you. It's still available. I will send the court and Mr. Newell
a link if they want to see it. But this is the type of concern
that I have about this case. The amount of information that is direct law enforcement
information tells me that somehow information has been leaked out that is of a significant
And I don't have it, but now I have it.
almost a million people have seen it and it has made my client into a cartoon figure and it says
things that are completely inappropriate so to the extent that i now have evidence that something has
occurred i'm asking the court to within its authorities instruct anyone that it can and i
understand your limitations that there will be significant consequences for leaking of evidence
about this case to the general public in such a fashion that appears to me for the purpose of
doing everything possible to potentially taint a potential jury pool or cause some type of
inappropriate bias towards my client i'm not going to put up with it judge all right attorney noel is
that accurate that the state has no notice or information as far as where this information
is coming from i until he mentioned it right
now i had no idea and i i guess i would ask for that that link so that the state can can review
that um to determine if it is in fact law enforcement video or some other video or or what
it is i can't comment upon it now because i have no idea what if what is is in that youtube that
youtube video um as a obviously the leaking of confidential information um is already prohibited
so i don't know that the
court has to take any additional action now um if the court wants to make a statement that that
sort of information that that it's troubling if any sort of information confidential information
is leaked i don't have a problem with that and i talked to attorney cohen a little bit about this
a while back when he filed the letter but um because there's no notice to anyone but the parties
i think the court could only put a gag order on the parties
that are part of this action i don't think and there's no law enforcement has notice of any
hearing today regarding what they're allowed to say or not say um about that obviously as
as um an individual i have certain constitutional rights as well under the first amendment i think
i've done um fine in not disclosing anything that is factually um involved in this case other than
is a public record in
out to the public as of now i don't have a problem with there being a gag order um in this matter to
not talk about the the facts of the case at all while the matter is pending either by the defense
um or or the state for that matter i mean as the court knows we've also received favorable
correspondence to the defendant which is now part of the the media having that which is the um the
letter that was
was that was provided the court i've seen in that in the media as well so there's it's it if it is in
fact unfavorable video for the defendant there is also favorable information that is being provided
and making and made available to the media as well i don't know how we stop people from filing things
and and i don't know that there's a mechanism by which to to seal it um as it comes in necessarily
because as the court knows
the the rules from the wisconsin supreme court um err on the side of transparency that everything
that is filed is seen by the general public that it's open and available um obviously we don't
control the media neither the parties control the media in that regard i like attorney cohen want the
defendant's rights to be protected the job the district journey is not just to convict people
it's to make sure justice is done in the matter and i want the defendant's rights to be protected as well
um i think i don't know exactly what the defense is asking for it's just that the parties not talk
about the case factually i don't have a problem with that attorney cohen are you aware of whether
the posting party on this link is um an entity that put this together or is this an individual
posting party uh do you have any information about that
a few things for judge first from what we can tell it was put out by a man it's called the law and crime
network i will forward to your assistant your honor as well as to mr newell a copy of the link
so that it can be viewed um i do not and the next point judge is that i agree with mr newell
anything that is filed in this case with the court is a public record that can be disseminated
i understand that the concern that i have judge is that when you see this video you will realize
relatively instantaneously that the information contained in it almost all of it has not been
disseminated to the public it is not a public record it is not a public record it is not a public
record it is not in the court file it is not something that's been filed for your review to
determine whether it will be filed under steel or not it is information that is drone coverage
drone video footage 9-1-1 calls police communication phone calls um between law
enforcement officers um it is documents it is photographs it is a it is a 30-minute video this
is a 30-minute video it is a 30-minute video it is a 30-minute video it is a 30-minute video it is a 30-minute
video it is a 30-minute video it is a 30-minute video it is a 30-minute video it is a 30-minute video
making all sorts of completely inappropriate commentary who the person is i don't know
my concern is not that i'm not asking that publicly appropriately filed documents
somehow be shut down that's not what we're talking about what i'm talking about is my
concern that somehow somewhere somebody gave out someplace
significant information about this case actual evidence which would potentially be introduced at
a jury trial that is not public and that is my concern
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all right i need to review this video um because if that is the case
there are some concerns i took an oath to uphold all the rights for our constitution for
the public in the first amendment rights of our media and the public in general for information
in this case the defendant's rights and all the rights associated with him the victim's rights
that are in place for our wisconsin constitution and statute so i need to make sure that everyone's
rights are being met uh and upheld as part of this matter and so i am concerned i don't know
if this is legitimate as attorney cohen discussed a cartoon image is is made of the defendant and
so i'm not sure if any of the any of this may be audio generated generated uh or illegitimate um
or not it's hard to tell sometimes with digital production but um i need to make sure that
all rights are being upheld in this matter um attorney kone i as far as an order on
other participants in this case including public officials
the court does have some authority to address these issues and
and to restrict release of certain information by certain individuals.
The court does note, though, that when there is a public official or an elected official involved
with release of information or records, that under Chapter 19 of our statutes,
that a separate civil action may be required to restrain that individual from releasing certain records.
And if that is the case, this court may be limited in jurisdiction while acting in the criminal jurisdiction
to issue an order against something that would be required in a civil jurisdiction matter.
And so if that is the case, that would prohibit me from making any orders.
But under other considerations, I may be able to do that. Do you understand?
Judge, and you've already read my mind, and maybe by your questions, you have done that earlier.
We are attempting, through appropriate investigation if we can,
to try to figure out how this information was released.
I am fully aware of Chapter 19 and the FOIA and the mechanisms that certain persons have to perhaps get some information.
However, as you know, Judge, the information that can be released
pursuant to a Chapter 19 release or a Federal Freedom of Information Act,
is limited and strictly protected, especially in pending investigations or ongoing criminal cases.
And so if, for example, something was released,
I'll just say it perhaps mistakenly,
by what somebody would have thought would be an otherwise proper request,
that does not mean that there are not actions or sanctions or remedies still nonetheless available.
So we're investigating that, Judge. I don't have the answers for that today.
But in follow, I was making the comments about the video because I became aware of that this week.
And I didn't have a chance to get any additional information to the court prior to this hearing.
But I had raised the issue tangentially, at least in my correspondence of a couple of weeks ago.
The purpose of bringing the video to the court's attention today was to say,
I wrote to you. Now I have.
I have documented evidence that there's a potential issue.
We're working to gather more information.
And to the extent that you can, at least today, order some type of restrictions
or perhaps admonish all those that would otherwise be listening to this
about making sure that they follow the law moving forward,
that may be all you can do today. I recognize that.
But it is a serious situation, and I have to protect my clients' rights to the best of my ability.
Well, I think it's fair that I direct not only the state, but the defense, law enforcement,
and any other parties who may have obtained information regarding this matter that remains confidential,
that has not been released as a public record as part of this matter,
or by any other public official, according to Chapter 19, that it should not be released to anyone
because it affects the rights and due process rights of the defendant.
It affects the ability of the court to do so.
It affects the ability of the state to prosecute its case.
There are a variety of issues that have consequences by releasing information that is still confidential in this matter.
And so I would direct anyone who does have any of that information to not release it.
And it goes for both sides. It's not just for the state and police.
It also goes for the defense.
So that is something that I will enter here today.
And again, I expect that that goes along with the officials and the authority that has the custodial rights to those records.
But also that means the individuals that are under their control.
And everyone who is under the control of those individuals should maintain that confidentiality as well.
Now, the last time that I covered this case,
there was a lot of back and forth on whether or not Carson was going to be tried as an adult.
Many people felt that given the sheer violence of the crime, it made sense, right?
Carson's defense team and even some of his family members, though,
they argued otherwise, wanting him to be tried as a juvenile.
However, in January of 2024, there was an announcement
on this very long overdue decision.
The teenage boy accused of killing 10-year-old Lily Peters will be tried as an adult.
That ruling was handed down this morning by an appeals court.
The now 16-year-old boy, known only as C.P.B.,
is accused of killing and sexually assaulting Peters in April of 2022.
In January of this year, a Chippewa County judge ruled the case would stay in adult court.
This one decision alone, it had caused many delays.
But eventually, it was finally decided.
Carson's defense team, however, they weren't done.
They then requested a change of venue, arguing that people in the community,
they already knew too much about this case to give Carson a fair trial.
And honestly, look, it's easy to see why they felt that way.
This wasn't something that happened every single day.
This wasn't something that people were familiar with and had heard before.
I mean, Lily was a beautiful, young and innocent child.
And what happened to her and this case, it had shaken the entire community.
Now,
there wasn't another update until late August of 2025.
And when it finally came, Judge Stephen Gibbs granted the defense's request.
I believe the Constitution gives every defendant the right to a fair trial.
I believe the Constitution is a document that needs to be followed by everybody.
The case law state said if there's any doubt,
it should be resolved in the favor of the defendant in his request for a change of venue.
So,
I am going to grant the motion.
The judge made it clear that he was going to have to discuss budgets with different county departments
and instead of physically moving the trial to a different location,
ultimately decided on bringing in an outside jury to this county.
Back in August of 2025, we were also told that the trial could last up to two to three weeks,
but there still was no official date set.
Eventually, though, that changed.
It changed to November of 2026.
However, just months before the scheduled trial was set to go,
some major breaking news came out.
The Chippewa County District Attorney's Office says the trial for the 18-year-old man
accused of killing Lily Peters has been canceled.
Officials scheduled a resolution in the homicide case for August 26th,
meaning there will not be a trial and the case will be over.
On Wednesday, August 26th, 2026, Carson pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide.
As part of the plea deal,
the judge ended up dismissing the two other charges,
first-degree sexual assault causing bodily harm
and first-degree child sexual assault involving a child under 13.
Carson was ultimately sentenced to life in prison
with the possibility of extended supervision after 25 years.
But look, I'd be lying if I said that I think Lily's family
will ever feel a true sense of resolution from all of this.
They spent years waiting for a trial that they thought was finally coming,
only to have to wait until the trial was over.
at the last minute, which I can only imagine how painful that must have been for them.
I mean, at least they know that Lily's killer is behind bars and,
yes, will remain there for a very long time.
But no amount of justice can bring Lily back or undo what she endured
and what she was fearful of in those final moments.
And also, 25 years and then possible supervision?
I don't know.
I understand that he was young when this happened.
But like I said before, I do think that sometimes people,
are just born bad.
And sexual offenders, that is something that is like embedded in their brain chemistry
to where I don't think those urges ever go away, even with time.
This wasn't just him hating his cousin and wanting to kill her and murder her,
which not saying like only, because obviously that's bad enough.
But there was the added sexual element on top of all of this,
which it kind of pisses me off that those charges were worked out through the plea deal,
because those are some of the most heinous charges someone can have.
And I think that's a good thing.
And to inflict that on your own family member, that is diabolical.
So again, to suggest that maybe after 25 years, he will be reformed, rehabilitated,
he can have supervision.
No, sometimes people are just wired that way.
And especially in my opinion, I think a lot of this was done,
and I think I mentioned this, as a way to impress his father who was incarcerated.
And it feels like it's something that is just embedded within him.
I don't know.
I don't see this as justice for Lily.
And it really pisses me off.
I'm glad that there's some accountability and that he's locked up.
But also, what about the other parts of this?
The sexual assault, the stick, everything that goes into it.
You get to just cop to a guilty plea and work out a deal and be absolved of those.
Will he even be on the registry if and when he gets out?
Probably not, right?
Because all he pled guilty to was first degree intentional homicide.
So where's the offender charges?
And how does that work?
Protect future potential victims and people on the street who don't know that history.
And because he was a minor at the time, will that have been expunged?
Will that ever be on his record at all that those were the ones charges?
I don't know.
I don't know how it works.
I'm going off on a tangent, but it pisses me the hell off, truly.
So before I continue to get even more heated, I'm going to wrap up now.
And I want to know your thoughts on this case.
First of all, what do you think the motivation here was?
Was it some sick, young, pervy kid looking,
to explore and do some sick-ass shit to his cousin?
And then he was too scared that she was going to narc on him?
so he had to kill her? Was this something else? Is he going to re-offend in the future potentially?
Was this verdict and this deal justice in your eyes? Let me know all of your feelings and all
of your thoughts either in the comment section on YouTube or in the Q&A section on Spotify. I'm
sorry all my Apple listeners. For some reason, Apple doesn't have that option yet and doesn't
provide the ability to comment. You can, however, leave your thoughts in the review section on Apple.
So curious to know what you guys all think. Thank you for sticking with me today on it. I know that
it is a very difficult case. It is one that has haunted me for over four years. So let's all just
pray that Lily's family has some sort of peace in all of this and that this monster is kept
locked away for a long time so that there's no other future victims. All right, guys,
thank you so much. And until the next case, stay safe. Bye.
you
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Ten-year-old Lily Peters was sexually assaulted and murdered by her 14-year-old cousin, Carson Peters Berger, who had planned the attack in advance.
Carson lured Lily off a wooded trail, struck her with a stick three times, strangled her, and sexually assaulted her after she was unconscious.
He later covered up the crime by moving her body and leaving her without pants, showing no remorse and acting as if the act was routine.
Carson’s family, including his father and grandmother, provided a defense that portrayed him as a caring, innocent boy, despite evidence of deep psychological harm and prior family trauma.
A GoFundMe for Lily’s family was abruptly shut down, and Carson’s defense attorney, Michael Cohen, was hired shortly afterward, raising questions about financial ties.
A 30-minute video containing alleged leaked law enforcement information was posted online, prompting legal concerns about public disclosure and jury bias.
The case was delayed and ultimately resolved with Carson pleading guilty to first-degree intentional homicide but receiving dismissal of sexual assault charges.
Critics argue that the plea deal fails to address the heinous sexual violence committed and may allow future reoffending due to lack of public registry or long-term accountability.
Summary:
Ten-year-old Lily Peters was killed and sexually assaulted by her 14-year-old cousin, Carson Peters Berger, in a meticulously planned attack near Chippewa, Wisconsin. The incident occurred when Carson lured Lily off a wooded trail using a hoverboard, struck her with a stick, strangled her, and then sexually assaulted her. He later moved her body and left her without pants, demonstrating a complete lack of remorse.
The case shocked the community, with law enforcement and officials initially struggling to believe such a crime could happen in a tight-knit town. Carson, who had a history of family trauma and prior exposure to criminal behavior through his father’s incarceration, was defended by family members who portrayed him as a good, innocent boy. However, the prosecution faced delays, including a change of venue request and eventual plea deal.
In 2026, Carson pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide but received dismissal of the more severe sexual assault charges. Critics argue that this outcome is unjust, as it overlooks the profound sexual violence and fails to ensure long-term public safety. Questions remain about whether the case was properly handled, whether Carson will be properly registered as a sex offender, and whether the plea deal truly serves justice for Lily or only satisfies procedural demands.
The case remains a disturbing example of how deeply entrenched harm can exist within families and how systemic failures may allow such crimes to go unaddressed.
FAQs
Lily Peters was sexually assaulted and murdered by her 14-year-old cousin, Carson Peters Berger, who lured her off a trail, hit her with a stick, strangled her, and sexually assaulted her after she was unconscious. Her body was found the next morning in the woods near her aunt's house.
Carson Peters Berger, a 14-year-old cousin of Lily Peters, was charged and later pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide. He admitted to luring her, attacking her with a stick, strangling her, and sexually assaulting her.
Yes, the attack was premeditated. Carson had planned the assault in advance, including luring Lily off the trail and covering up her body with leaves after the crime.
The investigation faced delays due to the complexity of the case, including a request for a change of venue, concerns about community knowledge, and the eventual cancellation of the trial. Multiple layers of legal decisions and family dynamics also contributed to the delays.
The community was deeply shaken and traumatized by the case, with parents urged to avoid sending children to or from school on foot. Many expressed outrage over the lack of accountability and the family's defense of the accused.
The trial was canceled in August 2026, and Carson pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide. The two sexual assault charges were dropped as part of a plea deal, and he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of extended supervision after 25 years.
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