7th defendant charged in Preston Lord homicide pleads not guilty in court
A seventh person charged in connection with the fatal beating of Preston Lord pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated robbery.
Treston Billey, 18, was arraigned Thursday in Maricopa County Superior Court on charges related to the Oct. 28 attack on Lord, 16, in Queen Creek.
Billey turned himself in to police on March 7. He was the last of the defendants charged so far in the case to be arraigned.
Previously: 6 defendants charged in Preston Lord homicide enter not guilty pleas
William Owen Hines, 18; Jacob Meisner, 17; Talan Renner, 17; Taylor Sherman, 19; Dominic Turner, 20; and Talyn Vigil, 17, were arraigned Wednesday and entered pleas of not guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping. Meisner and Turner also pleaded not guilty to aggravated robbery charges.
Hines was the only defendant who did not appear in court Wednesday. The judge said he refused transportation to the hearing. Hines' lawyer had previously indicated in a court filing that Hines intended to waive his right to attend the arraignment.
It has been over 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. Renner and Meisner were being held in juvenile detention.
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.
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: Treston Billey enters not guilty plea in Preston Lord homicide case