Talan Renner, in yellow, is charged with murdering Preston Lord, 16. (Screenshot: KTVK/KPHO)
A high school football player, who is a primary suspect in a 16-year-old boy’s beating death, bragged he was just “too strong” as he discussed the fatal ramifications of a chaotic Halloween party.
Talan Renner, 17, was among seven young men indicated for first-degree murder and other charges 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 minor defendants are being charged as adults.
Police said that the victim, 16-year-old Preston Lord, was beaten to badly beaten at a Halloween-season party on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, and he died two days later at a hospital.
Even before the attack, locals complained about the massive event. The various 911 calls lasted a total of more than 40 minutes, according to a newly released police report of more than 1,100 pages in Queen Creek, Arizona, according to KTVK/KPHO.
One person estimated “at least 250 kids here,” and another described 30 cars.
Another alleged “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 claimed the attackers had ski masks.
“I got in a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a kid,” Renner allegedly wrote another person on Snapchat.
“I guess I’m just too strong,” Renner allegedly wrote.
The attack allegedly started after co-defendant Turner allegedly ripped a gold chain off someone.
Messages indicate that apparently, more than one person struck Lord.
“Straight up bro, I was drunk, heat of the moment,” Hines allegedly said. “I kicked him one time and I kicked his leg,” then he added, “More like one, two, or three kicks and then started to back off.”
“I hit, but so did other people,” Renner allegedly told Sherman while leaving the scene.
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