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7 indicted in the beating death of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced the indictment of seven people in the October 2023 death of 16-year-old Preston Lord.

William Owen Hine, 18; Talan Renner, 17; Dominic Turner, 20; Jacob Meisner; 17; Taylor Sherman, 19; Treston Billey, 18; and Talyn Vigil, 17; all face first-degree murder and kidnapping charges. Each is being held on $1 million bond, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

Mitchell and the Queen Creek Police Department held a press conference Wednesday to discuss the arrests.

Authorities say Lord was assaulted Oct. 28 on the street near 194th Street and Via Del Rancho in Queen Creek. He died from his injuries two days later.

Renner, Turner, Sherman and Vigil were arrested by the Queen Creek Police Department. Hines and Meisner were already in custody.

“We must always remember that at the center of this case is a teenaged boy who died far before his time,” Mitchell said in a press release. “His parents are in agony and there is little anyone can do to change that. That said, today we have taken a massive step forward in the quest for justice for Preston.”

The Queen Creek Police Department submitted charges against seven individuals in the death of the East Valley teen to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in December 2023. The county Medical Examiner's Office ruled Lord's death a homicide last month, and Mitchell said her office took the case before a grand jury in February as well.

Mitchell said her office reviewed 600 videos and a 2,000-page police report, among other evidence, to develop the case against the suspects.

"We are going to be relentless about this and we aren't going to stop until we have everybody in custody," said Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice at the press conference.

Lord's family released a statement through their lawyers thanking the community and police for their efforts.

The Arizona Republic reported in December that Lord's death was likely tied to the "Gilbert Goons."

Lord attended high school in San Tan Valley, where he served on the student council and played basketball, football and golf, according to the Arizona Republic.

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Senior digital editor Sky Schaudt joined KJZZ in 2015. Prior to working at KJZZ, Schaudt was a digital news editor at azcentral.com for nearly a decade.