Harrowing 911 calls from the night Preston Lord was beaten to death at a Halloween party have revealed the chaos unleashed by a group of teens linked to a gang that has been terrorizing Arizona suburbs for years.
Preston, 16, died a day after he was found on a road in the Phoenix suburb of Queen Creek. He had been brutally assaulted by at least 15 masked assailants at the October 28 party, according to police.
In one call, a sobbing boy told the dispatcher that one of his friends had a broken wrist and another was lying on the ground unconscious, adding that the there were at least 15 attackers wearing ski masks, according to a police report obtained by The Arizona Republic.
'I’m scared. I don’t know what to do,' the terrified boy said. 'Are people on the way? I need them to get here. I do not want my friend to die.'
In another call, a teen said trained lifeguards were administering CPR to Preston, who he said had vomited and had a faint pulse. The caller added Preston had not been breathing for up to two minutes.
Preston Lord, 16, was left to die on a Queen Creek road outside Phoenix after being attacked at the party on October 28 and suffering critical wounds
Taylor Sherman (left) Dominic Turner (center), William Owen Hines top (right) have been charged with murder and kidnapping
Treston Billey (left) and Talyn Vigil (right) have also been charged in Preston's murder
Police say suspect Talan Renner was taken out of town after the murder
Residents of the neighborhood where the party happened had been calling 911 in the hours before the tragedy took place, saying the gathering was getting out of control and even warning that 'people are going to get hurt,'
One desperate woman told the dispatcher: 'I've not yet seen one Queen Creek PD anywhere in our neighborhood. There's no cops here ... unless those cops are hidden in the bushes.'
Police responded to the scene about 9pm for a 'juvenile disturbance' but left shortly after, saying they did not see any illegal activity and were sent to another 'high-priority' call.
At 9.49pm, cops responded to a call about an assault a few houses from the party and found Preston unconscious on the road.
It took months for police to charge Preston's suspected killers: Talan Renner, 17, Dominic Turner, 20, Talyn Vigil, 19, Taylor Sherman, 19 and Jacob Meisner, 17, William Hines, 18, and Treston Billey, 18.
Accused killer Jacob Meisner was previously charged with other assaults linked to the Goons
Arizona businessman Travis Renner has been accused of helping his teen son cover up the murder. He has not been charged in connection to the teen's death
Two of them, Meisner and Hines, were already in custody when they were charged for Preston's murder over other attacks on teens lined to the Gilbert Goons, a group of wealthy white kids who have been terrorizing Phoenix suburbs since as far back as 2022.
Ashley Reynolds, who worked for Talan's father Travis Renner, has claimed she was an unwilling participant in a coverup that allegedly began as soon as Preston was critically injured.
The former employee at Relentless Media Agency told Arizona Republic that her bosses Renner and Adam Kifer, CEO of Relentless Media Agency, openly discussed their plans to hide evidence and shift blame on another boy with a 'similar name.'
Travis Renner and his business partner reportedly plotted to bring Talan to a cabin until the injuries he sustained while handing out the beating healed. Detectives recorded that Renner’s family had 'financial means to aid in fleeing to Mexico' and he was taken out of the Phoenix area after the attack on Preston.
Reynolds spoke with the local outlet before anyone had been charged with Preston's murder.
Queen Creek police Chief Randy Brice confirmed detectives spoke with Reynolds, who provided information that aligned with their findings.
Travis Renner has not been charged with the alleged coverup.
A Lord family attorney said, 'For months witnesses were threatened and terrified into silence in this case.
Gilbert police chief Michael Soelberg becomes emotional delivering update in Gilbert Goons case on Jan. 25, 2024. He acknowledged in January that initially, law enforcement did not link the assaults occurring in the same locations and involving the same individuals
'But for law enforcement’s collective efforts and community members’ invaluable cooperation, these arrests would not have happened,' Preston's family said in a statement. 'Each arrest represents a step towards accountability and justice for our son Preston.'
A lawsuit by the father of one of the Goon's alleged victims names 17 alleged members of the teen gang and 26 parents of their parents.
The suit claims the alleged gang members and their parents worked to intimidate victims of the brutal assaults.
'The conspiracy culminated in the murder of 16-year-old Preston Lord by certain members of the Goons,' the lawsuit states, as reported by the Arizona Republic.
'Preston's killers should have been in juvie,' said lawyer Richard Lyons. 'Why weren't they arresting and charging these kids?'
Gilbert police have said Preston's murder inspired them to take another look at the Gilbert Goons.
The lawsuit accuses the Goons of causing skull fractures, facial fractures, broken and missing teeth, concussions and other serious injuries.