In text messages revealed in a police report this week, several suspects charged in connection with the October 2023 beating death of 16-year-oldPreston Lordat a Halloween party appeared to have discussed the deadly attack after it occurred.
Since then, a homicide investigation has resulted in the arrests of seven suspects: Talan Renner, 17, Talyn Vigil, 17, William Owen Hines, 18, Dominic Turner, 20, Taylor Sherman, 19, Treston Billey, 18, and Jacob Meisner, 17, authorities said, according toKPNX,AZfamily.com, andFox 10 Phoenix.
The suspects, all of whom face first-degree murder and kidnapping charges, have pleaded not guilty, AZfamily.com reported. Turner and Meisner are additionally charged with aggravated robbery.
The police report further alleges that Vigil wrote in a private Snapchat message, “I hit a kid and this kid feel hit his head and then they kicked his head in the ground then I got word died so idk,” according to KPNX. In a separate text exchange allegedly involving Sherman and an unidentified person, a message allegedly reads, “Talan killed someone with his hands,” and a later response reading, “Bro that kid died,” the outlet reported.
Preston Lord.Queen Creek Police Department
Queen Creek Police Department
According to Fox 10, police said in the report that the attack that resulted in Preston’s death allegedly took place after the theft of a necklace from one of Lord’s friends. The outlet reported that someone told police on Nov. 4 that Renner allegedly told a friend that he threw the initial punch.
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“Each arrest represents a step towards accountability and justice for our son Preston.”
source: people.com
