Maricopa County, Arizona – The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday that none of the seven individuals accused in the murder of Preston Lord will be facing the death penalty. Among the defendants, four were underage at the time of the crime, making them ineligible for capital punishment.
Lord was fatally assaulted at a Halloween party in Queen Creek, leading to his death two days later. The medical examiner ruled his death as a homicide. The defendants in the case, Talan Renner, Talyn Vigil, William Owen Hines, Dominic Turner, Taylor Sherman, Billey, and Jacob Meisner, have all pleaded not guilty.
During the investigation into Lord’s death, authorities conducted numerous interviews, analyzed multiple videos, and examined messages from cell phones. Text messages exchanged following Lord’s death helped law enforcement piece together evidence against the individuals accused in the murder.
Released by the Queen Creek Police Department in March, a 1,100-page police report shed light on the details of the case. One message allegedly showed a suspect confessing to their involvement in the assault, stating, “Got in a fight… killed a kid.. guess I don’t know my own strength.”
Despite three of the defendants being eligible for the death penalty, all seven individuals accused in Lord’s murder will not face that punishment. Prosecutors anticipate the trial to take place in 2025, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding this tragic event.