6 defendants charged in Preston Lord homicide enter not guilty pleas

Six people charged in connection to the fatal beating of Preston Lord entered pleas of not guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping.

William Owen Hines, 18; Jacob Meisner, 17; Talan Renner, 17; Taylor Sherman, 19; Dominic Turner, 20; and Talyn Vigil, 17, were arraigned Wednesday in Maricopa County Superior Court on charges related to the Oct. 28 attack on Lord, 16, in Queen Creek. Meisner and Turner also pleaded not guilty to aggravated robbery charges.

The arraignment for the seventh defendant, Treston Billey, 18, was scheduled for March 14.

Hines was the only defendant who did not appear in court Wednesday. The judge said he refused transportation to the hearing.

The small courtroom in downtown Phoenix was packed. Lord's father and stepmother, Nick Lord and Melissa Ciconte, were present and wearing orange, Lord's favorite color.

"I'm excited to get it started," Nick Lord said outside the courthouse.

Friends and supporters of the family sat near them in the courtroom, also donning orange.

"A lot of lives were affected by this," said Kristine Brennan, one of two Gilbert residents behind the Lily Waterfield Facebook page, which has for months been a hub of information about Lord's death and other group attacks in the southeast Valley. "All of us didn't know Preston. We came to support his family and to help hold them up and help with their strength."

Some family members of the defendants were also present, including Travis Renner, father of Talan Renner.

Following Talan Renner's last court appearance, sheriff deputies performed "valet" car service for his parents, Becky Renner, raising the ire of Brennan and other leaders of the #JusticeforPrestonLord movement.

The presiding judge of the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County later condemned the deputies' behavior. They were not acting at the direction of court officials when they escorted Renner's parents through a secured area and retrieved their car. The deputies have been reassigned, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

It has been one week since a Maricopa County grand jury indicted people on charges stemming from the gang-style attack on Lord that occurred during a Halloween party. Lord died two days later in the hospital.

All seven suspects have been ordered held on $1 million bonds. Renner, Vigil and Meisner were to be charged as adults.

All were charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and kidnapping. Billey, Meisner and Turner also were charged with aggravated robbery.

The charges kickstarted a long process. An initial trial date is scheduled for November, according to court records, but is likely to be pushed out given the complexity of the case and the potential for the death penalty for the adult defendants.

"We're nervous, sad," said Brennan. "It's nice to see that the wheels of justice definitely start to turn. It became very real I think for all of us when the arrests happened and so it's another chapter of grief for all of us."

Elena Santa Cruz is a criminal justice reporter for The Republic. Reach her at [email protected] or 480-466-2265. Follow her on X at @ecsantacruz3.

Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Reach him at [email protected] or 602-444-8694. Follow him on X @robertanglen.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 6 defendants in Preston Lord homicide enter not guilty pleas