The final moments of nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte’s life were captured on CCTV, showing her joyfully with her sister just minutes before a devastating attack unfolded on a quiet street.
Footage revealed the frantic response as police and paramedics raced to the scene, a scene now etched in the memories of a community shattered by loss. A man, Deividas Skebas, was swiftly arrested and charged with her murder.
Lilia’s mother, Lina Savickiene, held her daughter close in the aftermath, a mother’s desperate embrace amidst unimaginable grief. Her pain would later be shared in a heartbreaking statement, read by her husband, Aurelijus Savickas.
“During these nine years we lived life fully,” Savickiene’s statement conveyed, “we visited many places, we didn’t stand still.” But that vibrant life was brutally cut short, leaving a void that she believes will never heal.
The question of “why?” echoed through the courtroom, a tormenting refrain for a family grappling with senseless tragedy. “Why her? Why us?” Savickiene’s words laid bare the raw, unanswered questions that haunted her every thought.
Aurelijus Savickas, Lilia’s stepfather since she was three, spoke of a journey walked together, a bond forged through love and devotion. He cherished the role, striving to be a constant presence in her young life.
“Lilia, you will always live in our hearts,” he declared, his voice filled with sorrow, “you are forever loved, forever missed.” His words were a testament to the enduring power of a father’s love, even in the face of unimaginable loss.
The trial revealed a disturbing picture of the killer, described by his defence barrister as “quite obviously deluded.” Clinicians doubted Skebas would ever recover, painting a grim portrait of a fractured mind.
After the horrific act, Skebas claimed he possessed “the power to resurrect” Lilia, a chilling delusion contingent on contacting “his controller in Nasa.” This bizarre claim led to his transfer to Rampton Hospital in December 2022.
Skebas’s past revealed a life spanning Lithuania, Norway, and finally the UK, where he found work in a factory. But his journey culminated in an act of unspeakable violence, forever altering the lives of those connected to Lilia Valutyte.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 25, a day that will bring a measure of closure, but will never diminish the profound sorrow felt by a family and a community.
