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Judge Sentences Carson Peters-Berger to Life in Prison

8/27/2026

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Summary

Judge Sentences

Chippewa County Judge Steven Gibbs sentenced Carson Peters-Berger to life in prison.
Peters-Berger pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide for killing his 10-year-old cousin Lily Peters.
The murder occurred on April 24, 2022, in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
Peters-Berger was 14 at the time and was arrested the following day.
Judges denied his request to transfer the case to juvenile court, a decision later upheld on appeal.

Summary

Lawmakers Create Alert

The case prompted a 2024 bipartisan Wisconsin law creating a Missing Child Alert system.
State lawmakers expanded the alert to children up to age 12 after additional budget funding.
Peters-Berger was ordered to pay more than $33,000 in restitution as part of his plea.
Community members erected a fence tribute at Parkview Elementary to honor Lily Peters.
Residents tied purple ribbons to trees throughout Chippewa Falls in Lily Peters’ memory.

History

Historical Context

After Amber Hagerman’s 1996 abduction and murder spurred Congress to pass the Amber Alert Act, the system expanded nationwide, with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reporting 656 child recoveries. By 2005 all 50 states operated alerts, and Wisconsin’s 2024 Missing Child Alert law now extends notifications to children up to age 12 following Lily Peters’ 2022 murder.

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Judge Sentences

Chippewa County Judge Steven Gibbs sentenced Carson Peters-Berger to life in prison.
Peters-Berger pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide for killing his 10-year-old cousin Lily Peters.
The murder occurred on April 24, 2022, in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
Peters-Berger was 14 at the time and was arrested the following day.
Judges denied his request to transfer the case to juvenile court, a decision later upheld on appeal.

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