Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Preston Lord's attackers not only took her life, but also took the medallion she wore on a chain around her neck.
In the seconds it took to beat the 16-year-old, three of the attackers stole the medal and left it on the side of the road in the suburbs.
But robbery was not a key element in the murder case, which could send three juveniles to life in prison and three adults to death.
Mitchell said the motive for the attack was “unknown.” Her office is instead focusing on how the assault occurred, filing a lawsuit charging Lord's assailants with first- and second-degree murder and kidnapping, respectively.
“Obviously, as a prosecutor, I'm more focused on proving the act and who was involved,” she told The Arizona Republic on Thursday. “What I'm saying is, nothing is unplanned. Nothing is unplanned.”
On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted seven people for Lord's murder. They are Treston Billy (18 years old), William “Owen” Hines (18 years old), Jacob Meisner (17 years old), Taran Renner (17 years old), Taylor Sherman (19 years old) and Dominic Turner. (20 years old) and Taryn Vigil (17 years old).
“I don't want to know too much about who actually did the work,” she said, declining to discuss the order of the attacks on Lord or who delivered what blows.
County Attorney: Connection between “Gilbert Goons” and Lord Murder Case
Mitchell acknowledged a “crossover” between Lord's death and a series of attacks by a gang of wealthy teenagers known as the “Gilbert Goons”. Hines and Meisner, two of the seven people charged so far in his death, are facing separate charges related to multiple goon assaults dating back to 2022.
A Dec. 14 investigation by the Arizona Republic detailed the connection between Lorde's death and the Goons, who attacked teenagers in parks, parking lots, outside fast food restaurants and at house parties. He was recording the electric shock attack on them.
Most of the attacks occurred in Gilbert, where they went unchecked by police for more than a year. Other goon attacks were recorded in Mesa, Chandler and Pinal counties. There is still no evidence that an attack occurred at Queen Creek prior to the attack on Lord.
Mitchell did not say how Lord became a target during a Halloween party Oct. 28 at Queen Creek.
“We had a really big party with a lot of kids,” Mitchell said. “And then there was the group that was with Preston, and of course there were other groups, and for whatever reason the decision was made.”
Mitchell detailed the circumstances that led to the first-degree murder charge, which is often associated with premeditation. She said Lord's attackers met the criteria for first-degree murder because they killed her while committing other felonies, particularly kidnapping.
That doesn't mean Lord's alleged attackers took him anywhere against his will. Under Arizona law, if you restrain someone or prevent their movement, you can be charged with kidnapping.
In addition to kidnapping, Billy, Meisner and Turner are also charged with aggravated robbery for snatching Lord's medallion, Mitchell said.
The seven people charged in the murder could also face second-degree murder charges, Mitchell said, an “and/or” charge that the jury would consider if the case went to trial. did.
The jury could convict the defendants of second-degree murder instead of first-degree murder, or they could convict both defendants.
“This involves an extreme disregard for human life,” Mitchell said. “This gives jurors the option to consider whether they want to convict on both counts or just one as the case progresses before the jury at trial. .”
The defendant faces the death penalty or possible life imprisonment.
Meisner, Renner and Vigil are all being tried as adults. Juveniles in Arizona cannot be sentenced to death, so they could face up to life in prison.
Prosecutors may seek the death penalty against Billy, Hines, Sherman and Turner.
Mitchell said the decision will ultimately be his. However, it will be decided after a rigorous and years-long review and recommendation process by her firm's team of senior lawyers.
“The final decision on whether to pursue the death penalty is solely mine,” Mitchell said. “And when I do that, I'm looking for a few things. Number one is that there will be evidence for decades, literally decades, because by the time a case gets to an execution, it's only that long. Because it takes time.”
Adults turn themselves in.Seventh person arrested in connection with Preston Road murder
On December 28, two months after Lord's fatal assault, Queen Creek police referred seven people to the county attorney's office on suspicion of Lord's murder.
An indictment is only a formal accusation. These are the first steps in a prosecution and signal the beginning of a potentially lengthy court process. Mitchell said he expected the cases related to Sir's murder to take more than a year to be decided.
Further charges and arrests are possible as the investigation progresses.
Mitchell also revealed that more charges, and more arrests, could come as the investigation progresses.
Mitchell said additional issues are also being considered. These include whether to designate the Gilbert Goons as a criminal street gang, which could lead to enhanced charges against Lorde's attacker and some of its members involved in other assaults. be. Since January, she said, her office has begun prosecuting 20 people in miscreant-related attacks.
Mitchell also left open the possibility of “tampering'' charges against anyone who helped destroy evidence in Lord's violent death.
A former employee of Renner's father's Chandler media agency accused Renner of trying to cover up his son's involvement in Lord's death.
Ashley Reynolds said Travis Renner and business partner Adam Keefer plotted to protect Taran Renner by moving him out of town and hiding injuries to his hand from the assault. .
Reynolds said the two also concocted a plan to frame Taryn Vigil as the killer because her name was so similar to Taran Renner.
Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Blythe confirmed that detectives investigating Lord's murder interviewed Reynolds in February. She told The Republic that her testimony corroborates what investigators have received from various sources.
Mitchell acknowledged that prosecutors were aware of Reynolds' allegations, but said the county attorney's office does not independently investigate the charges brought in the criminal case.
“So anyone who has information, whether it's Ms. Reynolds or anyone else, what they should do is contact the appropriate police department,” she said. “If it is related to the Preston Road incident, you should contact the Queen Creek Police Department and hand over that information.”
Mitchell highlighted concerns about rumors and speculation spread on social media about the Lord case, which he said could prevent additional witnesses from coming forward. Online comments raised concerns that police were not investigating or that the case must be in jeopardy because arrests were not made quickly enough.
“There are witnesses who may have some information, and they're also monitoring for that information,” she said. “They're saying, 'Well, I don't want to give my name. I don't want to put myself out there because I'm not doing anything.'”
Mitchell praised local activists who helped bring information and testimony forward, saying they were courageous. She said the prosecutor's job is to represent the victim and the victim's family. Prosecutors have a duty to make sure every case is done, she said.
“I can't imagine what it's like to send your child off to a Halloween party and never come back,” Mitchell said. “That’s why it’s so important to me that they understand how hard we are fighting for them.”
A vigil was held after the arrest.“Preston's life will continue to shine.”
Robert Anlen is an investigative reporter at The Republic.please contact him robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X: @robertanglen.
Contact reporter Elena Santa Cruz. elena.santacruz@gannett.com or 480-466-2265. Follow her on X: @ecsantacruz3.
