'We want a conviction': Hundreds turn out to march in Queen Creek in memory of Preston Lord

Hundreds of community members, family and friends of Preston Lord marched down Queen Creek thoroughfares on Tuesday evening to mark the one-month anniversary of the attack that led to his death.

“We’re walking for Preston because he can’t,” said Katey McPherson, an organizer of the march.

People of all ages, many dressed in orange, carrying candles or glow sticks, walked roughly 2 miles to "Light the Night" for the "truth to be revealed," as social media posts described the event. Orange was Preston's favorite color, marchers said. The hue has become a key element of the #Justice4PrestonLord movement online and off.

Preston, 16, died two days after he was found in the street outside a Halloween party. A homicide investigation is underway, and the FBI is involved. Randy Brice, chief of the Queen Creek Police Department, has called what happened to Preston a "heinous crime."

As of Tuesday, no arrests had been made in connection with the attack on Preston or his death.

The procession started at about 6 p.m. at the American Leadership Academy Queen Creek and headed to the Queen Creek Police Department's headquarters.

Melissa Lord, Preston’s aunt, spoke in front of the department.

“We don’t just want an arrest, we want a conviction,” she said.

She expressed dismay that Preston's attackers have not spoken out.

"It's been a month," she said, and in those days, "we've been living a real-life nightmare."

Leah Gross of San Tan Valley and Christina Cruz of Queen Creek walked together in orange reflective vests.

Gross said she is not frustrated with the work of the police. Rather, she said, she is upset that the people who attacked Preston have not owned up to it.

Cruz said she was not surprised by the large number of people who turned out for the event.

“We have a beautiful community here, and we want to keep it that way," Cruz said.

What we know from police about the attack on Preston Lord

At about 9 p.m. on Oct. 28, police responded to the area of 194th Street and Via del Oro in Queen Creek for a "juvenile disturbance." When police arrived, they found multiple teenagers walking up and down the street, seemingly leaving a residence where they had gathered.

Brice, the Queen Creek police chief, said officers did not observe a party at the time and did not notice any illegal activity. Officers left after they were called to a "high-priority call" about a crime in progress elsewhere.

At 9:49 p.m., police received a 911 call about an assault near 194th Street and Via del Rancho, a few houses away from the location of the 9 p.m. call. When they arrived, they found a teenage boy, later identified as Preston, lying in the roadway.

Officers undertook lifesaving efforts and rushed Preston to the hospital with serious injuries. He died Oct. 30.

What has happened in the investigation, according to police

In their latest case update, on Nov. 22, Queen Creek police officials said "significant progress" had been made in their homicide investigation. Specific details could not be released, they said, to protect the integrity of the investigation.

"We understand the community is grieving the loss of a child and you want an arrest. We do too," Brice said. "We are committed to holding those involved accountable. Due to the nature of the incident, it is imperative that we conduct a thorough investigation that provides a foundation for a strong case in court, which is ultimately necessary for a conviction."

On Nov. 14, Queen Creek police announced that the department had partnered with the FBI to provide a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of people involved in the assault on Preston. Police said they had identified multiple "persons of interest" and that their investigation had included "extensive" interviews and searches.

"As the search warrants and court orders continue to be executed, substantial amounts of additional data must be reviewed to identify possible items of evidence that further corroborate the investigative leads," the department's Nov. 14 news release said.

The Queen Creek Police Department is accepting tips about Preston's death via phone at 480-358-3575 or email at [email protected]. Anonymous tips, images and video can be submitted online to Queen Creek police at https://p3tips.com/952.

The FBI is accepting information at www.fbi.gov/prestonlord and via 1-800-CALL-FBI.

More about the case: FBI offering $10,000 reward for information in Preston Lord case

Reach the reporters at [email protected] and [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'We want a conviction': Hundreds march for Preston Lord in Queen Creek