CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI (WSAU) — The defense team for the boy accused of killing Lilly Peters as he was accompanying her home from her aunt’s house has been granted a request for a new judge to oversee the proceedings.
Court records show Judge Steven Gibbs has taken over the case, which until now has been handled by Benjamin Lane.
This comes just three days before a hearing is scheduled to update a request to have the case moved out of the adult court system and into juvenile court. That’s scheduled for Thursday, September 29th.
If the court denies that request and the case stays in adult court, it’s likely the identity of the accused will be made public.
The suspect is facing charges of first-degree intentional homicide, sexual assault of a child, and first-degree sexual assault resulting in great bodily harm. He faces a mandatory life sentence for the homicide charge alone.
