Talan Renner, in yellow, is charged with murdering Preston Lord, 16. (Screenshot: KTVK/KPHO)
A high school football player, who is a main suspect in a 16-year-old boy’s fatal beating, bragged that he was simply “too strong” as he talked about the deadly consequences of a chaotic Halloween party.
Talan Renner, 17, was one of seven young men charged with first-degree murder and other offenses earlier this month, according to KTVK/KPHO. The others are Treston Billey, 18, William Owen Hines, 18, Jacob Meisner, 17, Taylor Sherman, 19, Dominic Turner, 20, and Talyn Vigil, 17. The underage defendants are facing charges as adults.
According to police, the 16-year-old victim, Preston Lord, was severely beaten at a Halloween-themed party on Saturday, October 28, 2023, and passed away two days later in a hospital.
Even before the assault, locals had complained about the large event. The various 911 calls lasted over 40 minutes in total, according to a newly released police report of over 1,100 pages in Queen Creek, Arizona, according to KTVK/KPHO.
One person estimated “at least 250 kids here,” and another mentioned 30 cars.
Another claimed “the kids were armed.”
A woman said, “We’ve got kids running with beer bottles. They’re hitting each other. We just saw two car accidents. I think they’re two drunks.”
Eventually, neighbors called 911 because a teen had been attacked and was undergoing CPR.
A caller alleged the attackers were wearing ski masks.
“I got in a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a kid,” Renner allegedly messaged another person on Snapchat.
“I guess I’m just too strong,” Renner allegedly messaged.
The assault allegedly began after co-defendant Turner allegedly snatched a gold chain from someone.
Messages suggest that more than one person attacked Lord.
“Honestly bro, I was drunk, caught in the heat of the moment,” Hines allegedly said. “I kicked him once and I kicked his leg,” then he added, “More like one, two, or three kicks and then started to back off.”
“I hit a kid and this kid hit his head … and then they kicked his head in the ground and then I got word he died so idk,” Vigil allegedly said.
“I hit, but so did other people,” Renner allegedly told Sherman while leaving the scene.
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