Boston man sentenced to 25 years for murder of nine-year-old girl
Devidas Skebas killed Lilia Valutyte in Boston in 2022, and was found guilty of her murder in February
Last updated 25th Feb 2026
A judge has delivered his sentence over the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Boston, Lincolnshire.
Deividas Skebas, 26, has been jailed at Lincoln Crown Court for life with a minimum term of 25 years.
He previously admitted killing Lilia Valutyte on 28 July 2022 but denied murder, arguing his responsibility was diminished by his mental state.
He was found guilty of murder, by a jury majority of 11 to 1, on 5 February 2026.
The court heard that Lilia was playing outside a shop where her mother was working in Boston when she was stabbed.
She was taken to hospital but later died. Skebas did not know Lilia and was arrested two days after the killing.
He will now serve at least 25 years in jail.
Skebas had been seen on CCTV in the area shortly before the attack and had bought a knife two days earlier.
Skebas, a Lithuanian national, was previously found unfit to stand trial, leading to a trial of the facts in 2023 in which a jury concluded he carried out the stabbing. Criminal proceedings resumed after he was later deemed fit to enter a plea.