Vigil planned to mark one year since the brutal beating of Queen Creek teenager Preston Lord

QUEEN CREEK, Arizona (AZFamily) — A vigil has been planned for Monday evening to mark one year since the brutal attack that left a Queen Creek teenager dead.

Preston Lord’s “Light the Night” memorial event is scheduled for 6 p.m Border Family Park in Queen Creek.

October 28 is a day that will remain in the memory of many people forever. The senseless attack on Preston Lord on October 28, 2023 changed his family, friends, teammates, classmates, our community and our region.

My heart continues to grieve – his family is still in my heart, especially today, and the trial continues to hold those responsible for his murder accountable.

As a community, we must continue to come together to address teen violence and stand up and say that violence will not be tolerated. The community’s support for Preston and his family gives me hope, as does the commitment to helping our youth feel heard and, most importantly, safe.

Make a positive impact on our youth. Stand up for what’s right.

This year I am asking the community to remember Preston – a young life taken too soon, be kind to each other and please come together to support our young people.

One year ago, on Saturday, October 28, 2023, the 16-year-old was left behind severely beaten before a Halloween party in the Queen Creek neighborhood. He died two days later at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

On November 1, 2023, Queen Creek police announced that Lord’s death was being investigated as a homicide and issued numerous search warrants in the following days. On November 14, the FBI joined the investigation, with police stating that “multiple people are suspects” has been identified.

At the end of December QCPD submitted Referring charges against seven juveniles and adults to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said nearly a month later that her office he was still browsing over 2,000 digital pieces of evidence, including over 600 videos.

February 15 Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office officially ruled The Lord’s death is a murder. The report shows that the teenager died from multiple blunt force injuries.

Nearly three weeks later, on March 6, Mitchell announced four was accused for murder. Three others they were indicted the following day, bringing the number of suspects to seven.

The suspects were identified as:

Treston Billey

First degree murder (and/or alternatively second degree murder)
Kidnapping
Heavy robbery

William Owen Hines

First degree murder (and/or alternatively second degree murder)
Kidnapping

Jakub Meisner

First degree murder (and/or alternatively second degree murder)
Heavy robbery
Kidnapping

Talan Renner

First degree murder (and/or alternatively second degree murder)
Kidnapping

Taylor Sherman

First degree murder (and/or alternatively second degree murder)
Kidnapping

Dominic Turner

First degree murder (and/or alternatively second degree murder)
Heavy robbery
Kidnapping

Talyn Vigil

First degree murder (and/or alternatively second degree murder)
Kidnapping

Investigators say some of the teens are also linked to other cases of teen violence in the East Valley.

Five of the seven suspects in Lord’s death have made contact. Their trial is tentatively scheduled for July 21, 2025.

Today, as we mark the anniversary of this tragic event, it is extremely important that we remember Preston. As a parent, a member of this community, and a police chief, this senseless loss continues to weigh heavily on my heart and mind.

With over 30 years in law enforcement, I understand the impact crime has on communities, families and individual victims, especially when it involves the loss of such a young life. Over the past year, we have worked vigorously to secure justice for Preston, his family and friends. However, this would not be possible without the support of the Lord’s family and community. Thank you!

We must also acknowledge the impact this heinous crime has had on our department and our entire community. Our work is not done. We must continue to have conversations about the importance of mental health supports for our youth and how to prevent crime, and we must work together to find and implement solutions. We must remember that it is our collective responsibility to protect and support our young people.

Our department continues to actively participate in conversations with local, state and federal agencies, building key community connections, expanding outreach programs and strengthening our partnerships with local organizations to address teen violence and ensure our youth feel safe and supported. This includes organizing extra patrols in common areas where teenagers congregate, enforcing curfew and underage drinking laws, using school resource officers at all high schools in the district, and encouraging parents to talk to teenagers.

Queen Creek is safe, but no community is immune to crime and violence. Community safety is a shared responsibility and requires the cooperation of all community members to find and implement solutions to ensure that our community remains a safe place to live.

We urge parents and guardians to promote the safety of their teens by setting clear expectations of acceptable behavior, holding them accountable and providing common-sense safety tips. Parents, it is extremely important that you do not facilitate or participate in any events that involve illegal activities, including underage drinking, excessive noise, or other violations related to unruly gatherings.

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