Lily Peters murder: Internet sleuths find CHILLING Reddit post that may have led to suspect’s arrest
This article contains information about sexual assault that could be traumatic for some readers. Discretion is advised.
CHIPPEWA FALLS, WISCONSIN: Iliana "Lily" Peters’ murder case has not only shocked but shook the United States, especially the people of the quiet town of Chippewa Falls in Wisconsin. The graphic details of the crime are enough to give anyone nightmares and now, another disturbing piece of information related to the case has been reported.
The ten-year-old's remains were discovered by police Monday morning, April 25, after a 12-hour search in woodland near Chippewa Falls, northeast of Eau Claire. It has been said that the little girl was hit in the stomach and struck with a stick before being strangled to death and then raped by her cousin, identified as 14-year-old boy Carson Peters-Berger, who is currently facing a possible life sentence after being charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child.
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Earlier, it was speculated that Peters’ murder was carried out by a felon. But then an anonymous Reddit user’s post changed everything and now internet sleuths believe that it helped police get Peters-Berger. The social media post read, “What's scary is I was playing Pokemon Go in the park that day walking along that very same trial (sic). My stomach turns when I think that I saw that girl in a pink/purple hoodie on her bike with another kid on my way out. I have a suspicion that it could be another kid that did it.”
The post was reportedly written almost 24 hours before police caught the juvenile. Angela Osment, one of the first sleuths to read the social media share and also call the police to inform them about it, told The Sun, “When I saw the post and saw that the original poster wasn't responding, I just thought it was something that should be called in. This person places themselves at the scene and could possibly have been the last person to see Lily alive or he could possibly be the one that did something to her.”
Osment noted, “We had so many questions. We wanted to know who was the person you saw her with? What was he wearing? How tall? How old? But then he wasn't answering. So I took it upon myself to call the police. What shocked me was, 19 minutes later, I got a call from a restricted number and I picked it up. It was the detective and he just thanked me for calling the tip in and sending over the screenshots and said he just wanted to let me know that they were working on it.”
She also added, “I would love to know if the tip led to the arrest. We probably won't ever know, but it's amazing to think that someone like me in Virginia can help a tragic case in Wisconsin.”
Meanwhile, the person called HomesliceNation4, a local high school student, who shared the chilling post did not make any comment on The Sun’s questions but did speak with an independent reporter Katie Smith. They told her, “Ever since that day I can’t stop thinking ‘was that girl I saw Iliana’ and I’ll never really know. But it breaks my heart something like this would happen.”