US girl, 10 found dead from strangulation, blunt-force trauma

Preliminary autopsy results confirmed that a 10-year-old girl found dead in northwestern Wisconsin in the US this week died of strangulation and blunt force trauma.

Chippewa County Coroner Ronald Patten said yesterday the autopsy on Illiana "Lily" Peters showed the manner of death was homicide.

He declined to comment further but expects results from toxicology tests within four to six weeks.

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Lily disappeared Sunday night while walking home from her aunt's house in Chippewa Falls.

Her body was discovered Monday morning on a walking trail.

The 14-year-old suspect is facing three charges: first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child under age 13, resulting in great bodily harm, District Attorney Wade Newell said.

Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell said the boy punched the girl, knocked her to the ground, hit her with a stick and strangled her before sexually assaulting her.

Mr Newell said during a bond hearing that the boy intended to rape and kill Lily "from the get-go."

A judge has set a US$1 million cash bond for him.

People in the town of about 13,000 left drawings, flowers, candles and stuffed animals at Lily's elementary school and on a downtown bridge to remember the girl, with some residents dressing in purple to honour her.

Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm told reporters Tuesday evening that "the suspect was not a stranger, the suspect was known to the victim."

He did not say how the suspect and Lily knew one another.

Officers believe Lily was last seen by family members on Sunday, according to a news release from the police department.

She was supposed to be headed home from her aunt's house when she disappeared, police said.

Lily's father called the police later that night, and officers discovered her bicycle in a wooded area by a walking trail.