6 Arrested in Connection with Death of Ariz. Teen Beaten Outside Halloween Party
Preston Lord died last October after being beaten outside a Halloween party in Arizona
Six people have been arrested months after the death of a 16-year-old who was beaten outside a Halloween party in Arizona on October 28, 2023.
Preston Lord died in the hospital two days after the attack in Queen Creek.
Dominic Turner, 20, William Owen Hines, 18, and Talan Renner and Talyn Vigil, both 17, were indicted on first- and second-degree murder charges, as well as kidnapping, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Renner and Vigil are both being charged as adults, said Mitchell. Additionally, Turner is charged with aggravated robbery.
The Arizona Republic, AZ Family and Fox 10 reported that Taylor Sherman, 19, was booked Wednesday on one count of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping, and a 17-year-old was arrested Thursday on suspicion of first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated robbery. (PEOPLE is not naming the teen because it's unclear if he will be charged as an adult.)
It's not immediately clear if any of the suspects have entered pleas or retained attorneys.
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At Wednesday's news conference, Mitchell assailed critics who said the investigation was taking too long, saying that "the Queen Creek Police Department has spent hundreds of hours piecing together an extremely complex case that involves dozens of potential players, either suspects, witnesses, or other individuals with knowledge.”
She added that there the police reports consisted of “thousands of pages” and over “600 pieces of video evidence” that were examined multiple times, as well as a medical examiner report.
In a statement obtained by NBC News, Lord’s parents thanked community members “who stepped up to provide information to secure these arrests.”
"But for law enforcement’s collective efforts and community members’ invaluable cooperation, these arrests would not have happened," Lord’s parents, Nick Lord and Autumn Curiel, said through their lawyer.
"Each arrest represents a step towards accountability and justice for our son Preston."
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