Three teens and a 20 year-old are facing charges in the killing of Preston Lord, an Arizona 16-year-old found brutally beaten outside a Halloween party last year, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced.
Dominic Turner, 20, was taken into custody on Wednesday alongside Talan Renner and Talyn Vigil, both 17, Arizona Central reported. The fourth suspect, 18-year-old William Owen Hines, had already been behind bars at the time. They were each indicted on counts including first-degree murder or, in the alternative, second-degree murder, as well as kidnapping, Mitchell confirmed during an evening press conference with law enforcement.
Turner was also hit with an additional count of robbery, she said.
While two of the suspects are underage, all four are charged as adults.
The charges follow what Mitchell described as an “extremely complex” investigation, involving thousands of pages of police reports and hundreds of videos.
“This investigation and review are not over,” she added.
A spokesperson for Mitchell’s office confirmed they anticipate additional arrests in the case moving forward.
The deadly violence unfolded on Oct. 28, after a Halloween party in Queens Creek. Police were initially called around 9 p.m. for a “juvenile disturbance” at 194th Street and Via del Oro, where they encountered a large group of teens walking up the street. They’d seemingly just left a party at home nearby, but officers did not witness any illegal activity.
Just under an hour later, authorities received another 911 call, this time about an alleged assault in the same area. When they arrived on the scene around 9:40 p.m., they found Preston lying in a roadway. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead days later.
Last month, the medical examiner’s final report ruled Preston’s death a homicide. Authorities have not released a cause of death.
“We extend heartfelt gratitude to the community members who stepped up to provide information to secure these arrests,” Preston’s family said in a statement obtained by ABC 15. “But for law enforcement’s collective efforts and community members’ invaluable cooperation, these arrests would not have happened. Each arrest represents a step towards accountability and justice for our son Preston.”
