More than 24 hours after the body of 10-year-old Liliana “Lily” Peters was found in the woods, Police in Chippewa Falls said Tuesday that her suspected killer remains at large.
As the hunt for a suspect continues for the second day, police patrols were assigned to local schools’ surroundings and especially around drop-off and pick-up times.
The increased police presence comes after Lily’s body was discovered Monday morning at around 9:15 a.m. close to a walking trail in the wooded Duncan Creek area in Chippewa County.
Lily was reported missing Sunday night when she did not return home from her aunt’s house, police said.
Authorities launched a homicide investigation into the fourth grader’s death but remained silent when questioned over her cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it.
“At this point, we are considering this a homicide investigation,” Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm said. “We do not have anyone in custody and are continuing to follow up on multiple leads.”
Resident Jeremy Machnik said that the woods where Lily’s body was found was popular among kids including his.
He recalled seeing Lily “and her cousins all the time, either biking, rollerblading on a hoverboard, going up and down the street.”
“They sled in the back hill of our yard, and she’s always happy, always happy, even if it’s 15 degrees and snowing out, I see them bundled up with their sleds coming down the street when it’s snowing out. They were always outside, always playing, always happy.”
