Latest news with #PrestonLord
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jacob Meisner: No plea deal reached for Preston Lord murder suspect
The Brief There is a new twist in the Preston Lord murder case, as one of the suspects in the case has turned down a plea deal. Jacob Meisner faces a potential life sentence with parole after 25 years if convicted of first-degree murder. PHOENIX - New developments have emerged in the Preston Lord murder case. One of the seven suspects accused of killing the East Valley teen turned down a plea deal, leaving that case in legal limbo. In court on May 30, Judge Fish explained to defendant Jacob Meisner how high the stakes are. What we know He started with the prison time the 18-year-old could face if found guilty by a jury of the first-degree murder charge alone. "It is life with the possibility of release after 25 years," Judge Fish said. Meisner and several other teens are accused of kidnapping 16-year-old Preston Lord and causing his death. Because he's charged with felony murder, Judge Fish also explained what that would mean in a trial. "The state doesn't have to get up and prove that you laid a hand on Mr. Lord at all," the judge stated. "All they have to do is prove that you participated in the kidnapping of Mr. Lord." Still, his defense attorney argued the level of Meisner's culpability should be considered in a plea agreement. What they're saying "It doesn't matter in terms of whether or not he actually physically got hands on with Preston Lord whether the state can prove his liability under a Felony Murder Rule," the attorney said. "But that question is relevant in determining what a proper and just sentence is in terms of a plea deal." The backstory Lord was brutally beaten at a 2023 Queen Creek Halloween party and later died from his injuries. His death sparked outrage and a demand for local officials to address increased teen violence in the East Valley, including a group dubbed the "Gilbert Goons." Earlier this year, Owen Hines was the first of the seven defendants to accept a plea deal, agreeing to serve more than 12 years behind bars. While speaking to reporters, Meisner's attorney said negotiations with the state will continue but remained tight-lipped about anything else. "We are not making any statements about the facts at this time," the attorney said. What's next The Stillery in Chandler is hosting an event to celebrate the passing of Preston's Law, and his legacy. May 31, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. The Stillery (Downtown Chandler) 130 S Arizona Ave. Chandler, AZ 85225
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Annual sale: 5 reasons to subscribe to azcentral
[Subscribe now. Sign up here.] You can play a vital role in supporting local journalism that you and your community can trust. With an subscription, you can help our journalists hold those in power accountable. With a subscription, you can also be one of the first to learn about breaking news with news alerts, flip through a digital replica of the print paper, get exclusive newsletters and more. Already a subscriber? Whether you get home delivery of the print edition or have a digital-only subscription, these benefits are included. Check out our activation guide for help on getting started. Here are 5 digital benefits of a subscription to azcentral and The Arizona Republic: Brass knuckles, beatings, fear: Random attacks on teens loom over Preston Lord murder case. Gilbert police still face scrutiny over the teen attacks. Crime-free lease addendums: An Arizona woman's landlord accused her of a crime. It cost her family their home. Sexual assault, suicide attempts: Fourteen-year-old Emily Pike's painful past still lingers after her body was found dismembered off U.S. 60 north of Globe on Valentine's Day. 'Kind of like Uber': Arizona Christian football players were caught in a migrant smuggling scheme, yet those arrested were not prosecuted. Football fever: Arizona State star Cam Skattebo ran a 40-yard dash time in the 4.6-range. That doesn't mean he can't succeed in the NFL. Essential restaurants: Check out our guide to metro Phoenix restaurants, which includes 100 essential spots, new and iconic, for Mexican food, Italian, pho, pizza and burgers. Here's the full list. End of an era: After 75 years, Durant's, an iconic restaurant known for its celebrity clientele, red booths, martinis and steak, is closing a chapter on its storied past. Read about the passing of the torch. Mesa Gateway Airport: Passengers will have more flight options at Mesa Gateway Airport, including new routes from Allegiant Air, plus other improvements this year. To keep our subscribers informed, we email the most important articles to their inbox each day in the form of a daily AZ Briefing newsletter. Subscribers also get exclusive access to our Your Week newsletter. Each week, you'll get a note directly from our team with background on a big story from the week, a behind-the-scenes look at our reporting and links to some of our top subscriber-exclusive work. ► Sign up for newsletters: Browse our entire portfolio of newsletter offerings to pick more topics that interest you specifically. Great stories don't stop with great writing. With your subscription, you'll have unlimited access to bonus content not found in the paper, such as drone videos of dust storms. You will be able to stream our acclaimed documentaries and listen to our popular podcasts. You will see galleries filled with amazing pictures from award-winning photographers. You will be active participants in the news process. Miss out on recent news? Get the latest effortlessly with our Catch Up feature. The app also provides you with access to daily horoscopes and over 100 games. Want to follow the news from another city? You can add up to five of our sister publications across the country to get more news right in the app. ► Download the app: Get the latest news, sports and more Through the azcentral app, you can personalize notifications so you can know the news right when it happens. You can select alerts for breaking news, sports, entertainment, weather, traffic, and business. Quiet times for your alerts can be set within the app. Want alerts when we publish something new on a topic you're interested in? Sign up to follow specific topics of interest with the "Add Topic" button at the top of articles. Personalize your feed further in the For You front. Special offer: You can access the print edition daily on your computer, mobile device, or tablet by accessing the eNewspaper, a digital replica of the print edition of The Arizona Republic. The eNewspaper can be accessed through our app, available exclusively to subscribers. As an added benefit, subscribers can access the eNewspaper from any of our more than 200 sister papers across the United States, plus each edition of USA TODAY. ► Special offer: Save on a new subscription today. Right now, we have a special introductory offer. Visit our subscription page to take advantage of this limited-time offer. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why subscribe to azcentral: Unlimited access, personalized app
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
State recommends max sentence for William Owen Hines for manslaughter of Preston Lord
The Brief The first of seven suspects in the Preston Lord case will be sentenced on May 2. The state is recommending a max sentence of 21 years for William Owen Hines, who pleaded guilty of manslaughter in March. Court documents reveal more of Hines' criminal past, including a drunk driving incident that left another driver in the ICU. MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. - William Owen Hines pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2023 death of East Valley teen Preston Lord. He is the first of seven suspects to take a plea deal in the case and is scheduled to appear before the court for sentencing on May 2. What we know Hines has a lengthy criminal history the state is referring to as a path of destruction leading up to the death of Preston Lord. The 19-year-old is facing between 10.5 to 21 years in prison. In a March 4 hearing, Hines was seen in court apologizing. "I do pray for forgiveness and one day I can make things right, but until then I will continue to make the world a better place," he said. Dig deeper Hines has pleaded guilty in four separate cases, all of them taking place before he turned 18. According to court records, his criminal history starts in November of 2022 with shoplifting, escalating to aggravated assault and reckless drunk driving, all before the October 2023 deadly beating of Preston Lord, which gained national attention. We are now learning that Hines was involved in two brass knuckle beatings in November and December of 2022. Court paperwork obtained by FOX 10 says Hines punched a victim nine times, while the victim was pinned down to a car. In the summer of 2023, William Hines was drunk driving and made a left turn on a red arrow, right in front of another driver. The ensuing crash left the other driver in the ICU with a traumatic brain injury and onset seizures. The state brings it up in their recommendation: "After nearly ending another's life, one would have expected Hines to change the he was on. Unfortunately, he chose not to." Big picture view All of this led up to the mob-style attack on Preston Lord when a group of men beat a single victim at an East Valley Halloween party. Lord died at Phoenix Children's Hospital two days later. Hines is the first among the seven suspects in the Preston Lord case taking a plea deal at the reduced charge of manslaughter. What's next In Hines' guilty plea he stated he was cleaning up his life and had not consumed alcohol in a year. Hines jail phone calls state otherwise. Court documents state Hines has been making, selling and drinking "hooch" - or homemade jail alcohol - for the last year. Hours after the beating of Preston Lord, Hines is seen drinking a bottle of Tito's vodka in the driver seat. And a week later a bottle of Jose Quervo tequila, again in the driver's seat. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Hines will be sentenced to prison on the two most dangerous offenses: manslaughter and aggravated assault. The state wants these sentences to be served consecutively and is recommending the maximum of 21 years. They add that after 21 years Hines will have a second chance at life, something Preston will never have. A second suspect in the case may take a plea deal at the end of the month. The other side Supporters of Preston Lord will be in attendance at the sentence hearing and ask any supporters who go to wear orange in support.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Gilbert Goons' documentary by Arizona Republic named finalist for video storytelling
The Arizona Republic and coverage of the 'Gilbert Goons' has earned national recognition from two prestigious journalism organizations. The 'Goons' documentary has been named a finalist in the local video storytelling category in the Scripps Howard Journalism Awards. The documentary was compiled by videographer Michael Chow and reporters Robert Anglen and Elena Santa Cruz. The fatal beating of 16-year-old Preston Lord in the Phoenix suburbs drew widespread attention, and The Republic's reporters were the first to tie his beating to the "Goons," a gang of suburban teenagers whose attacks on other teens had gone unchecked by police for more than a year. The Scripps Howard competition focuses on high impact reporting, recognizing 'journalism that spurs action, news organizations that go the extra mile to expose previously undisclosed or misunderstood information and journalists who embrace new tools, channels, technologies and approaches to provide more immersive experiences for their audiences,' according to its website. Scripps Howard names three finalists in each category in its competition, with the category winner to be announced online at on June 10. In addition to "Preston Lord's Death Uncovers 'Gilbert Goons,'" other finalists in the local video storytelling category are ABC 15 Arizona for "Policing Phoenix: The DOJ Report" and Frontline (PBS) for "Maui's Deadly Firestorm." Anglen, Santa Cruz and Chow also were named finalists in the 2025 Investigative Reporters and Editors contest for their 'Goons' reporting and documentary. Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting. The judges said: 'In an exhaustive, winding investigation reported over months, The Arizona Republic tied the deadly beating of a 16-year-old to a string of assaults by a gang of elite teenagers. The reporting showed significant cover-up attempts, community outrage and inaction by local police who appeared to look the other way as teen assaults mounted up, months before one turned deadly. ' won the category with a story on Alabama's parole system, and a team from the Miami Herald was the other finalist, with coverage of a botched investigation into a deadly boating crash. Guilty plea: Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in Preston Lord death This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Gilbert Goons' documentary named finalist for video storytelling
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Preston Lord's murder suspects appear in court for the first time in months
The Brief The seven suspects accused in the death of 16-year-old Preston Lord appeared in court on Feb. 5. They're accused of beating Lord to death in October 2023 during a Halloween party. MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. - The suspects charged in the killing of 16-year-old Preston Lord appeared in court Wednesday morning for the first time in months. All seven of the suspects are pleading not guilty and are facing first degree murder charges. Some are also facing robbery charges. In court on Feb. 5, 2025, attorneys discussed the large amount of evidence and interviews they're going through. The court says the state is still narrowing down which electronic evidence will be used in the upcoming trial. Another hearing is set for May and the trial is scheduled to begin in July. The backstory Lord was found beaten in Queen Creek after attending a Halloween party on Oct. 28, 2023. He died two days later at a hospital. In February 2024, his death was officially ruled as a homicide by the medical examiner. Lord's case has raised attention to teen violence happening in the East Valley, including the group known as the "Gilbert Goons," who have been declared as an official criminal street gang.
