An alleged killer bragged about beating a 16-year-old boy to death at a house party in Arizona, saying, “I guess I’m just too strong.”
Talan Renner, 17, reportedly bragged to Snapchat friends after giving Preston Lord ‘hammer punches’ at the bash in Gilbert, Arizona, in October 2023. He wrote: I got into a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a child . I think I’m just too strong.’
Renner and six other alleged bullies have been arrested in connection with the death of Lord, who died of brain injuries two days after the assault. Police records show that an unnamed boy danced on the dying man’s body shortly after the assault, while others performed ‘humping’ (simulated rape acts) to further humiliate their victim.
Newly released communications between Renner and friends provide chilling insight into the aftermath of the fatal beating. AZFamily reported.
Renner reportedly couldn’t help but brag after Lord was killed, texting co-defendant Taylor Sherman to say, “Maybe I hospitalized that kid.” I hit him pretty hard.”
The son of the millionaire gym owner is also said to have shown friends a video of the fatal beating he recorded on his phone, declaring: ‘Oh, I put this boy on life support.’
17-year-old jock Talan Renner, accused of beating Preston Lord to death at a wild house party in Arizona, bragged to friends that he was ‘just too strong’
Preston Lord, 16, was left to die on a Queen Creek road outside Phoenix after being attacked at the party on October 28 and suffering critical injuries
After the deadly brawl, Talan wrote: “I got into a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a child.” He goes on to write, “I think I’m just too strong,” one witness claimed
More messages were sent two days after the attack. “Bro, that kid died,” someone said. “Tresty or Talan may be charged with murder,” said another – referring to Treston Biley, who allegedly stomped on Preston’s head.
All seven suspects have pleaded not guilty, but not before Talan Renner’s parents allegedly attempted to engineer an escape from justice for their son.
Talan’s father Travis Renner allegedly tried to hide evidence from the night of the assault and shift the blame to another boy with a similar name.
Ashley Reynolds, who worked for Talan’s father Travis Renner, has alleged that she was an unwilling participant in a cover-up that allegedly began as soon as Preston was seriously injured.
This is what the former employee of Relentless Media Agency says Republic of Arizona that her bosses Renner and Adam Kifer, CEO of Relentless Media Agency, openly discussed their plans to hide evidence and shift the blame to another boy with a “similar name.”
Travis Renner and his business partner reportedly made plans to take Talan to a cabin until the injuries he suffered during the beatings healed. Detectives determined that Renner’s family had “financial resources to assist in the flight to Mexico” and he was taken from the Phoenix area after the attack on Preston.
Phoenix police were forced to apologize earlier this month after Talan’s parents Becky and Travis Renner received special parking services from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
A deputy was seen pulling the millionaire gym owners’ white Tesla Model X into a private parking lot so they could avoid a gauntlet of reporters.
It took authorities months to name the suspects, with angry locals demanding justice and claiming the young boys’ powerful families were obstructing justice.
Renner’s other son Kyler is also said to be a violent bully. He has been charged in connection with two separate gang attacks at a parking garage and a house party in 2022.
Travis Renner was also arrested in January on suspicion of drug possession and paraphernalia charges, while his son Kyler was taken into custody on gang violence charges.
Police are seen trying to raid Renner’s home earlier this month to execute an arrest warrant, but no one is found there
Arizona businessman Travis Renner is accused of helping his teenage son cover up the murder of a 16-year-old boy who was beaten to death after a house party.
On March 7, Talan Renner’s parents, Becky and Travis Renner, were escorted through a back exit of Durango Juvenile Court in Phoenix as they attended their son’s first court appearance.
Phoenix police were forced to apologize earlier this month after Talan’s parents Becky and Travis Renner received special parking services from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
Travis Renner’s other son, Kyler, has been charged in connection with two gang attacks at a parking garage and house party in 2022
Except for Talan, damning evidence has been presented against all seven suspects.
The 1,100-page police report released on Wednesday, March 28, presented a digital trail of evidence. Snapchats, videos, photos, phone calls and texts from Oct. 28 allowed investigators to piece together the night.
More than 40 minutes of 911 calls were made – the first to report the house party that had gone out of control where “at least 250 children” were present.
Another person who called 911 claimed the partygoers were armed: “Someone’s going to get hurt. Someone’s going to get killed,” the caller said. “These kids are carrying guns.”
After the deadly fight, a fleet of 911 calls came in saying a teenager had been attacked and people were performing CPR.
Callers told 911 dispatchers that the group of attackers were wearing ski masks and estimated there were “about 15 of them.”
Investigators believe the fight over a gold chain broke out after ‘D Money’, later identified as Dominic Turner, ripped the chain off.
Taylor Sherman (left) Dominic Turner (center), William Owen Hines top (right) have been charged with murder and kidnapping
Treston Biley (left) and Talyn Vigil (right) have also been charged in Preston’s murder
Dominic Turner, 20, and Taylor Sherman, 19, were seen in court earlier this month
In addition to Talan’s vicious confession that he killed Preston because he was “just too strong,” other members of the gang also fired off incriminating messages, according to the police report.
Talyn Vigil said in a Snapchat conversation, “I hit a kid and this kid hit his head… and then they kicked his head into the ground and then I was told he died, so I don’t know.”
William Hines told the police officers, “Straight up, man, I was drunk, in the heat of the moment, I kicked him once and I kicked his leg too.”
Taylor Sherman told officers that he, Renner, Meisner and Turner got into his car and left after the fight.
As the group sat in the car, Talan reportedly said, “I may have hospitalized that kid,” and “I hit him pretty hard.”
Each of the seven suspects now faces one count of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping.
Treston Biley, Jacob Meisner and Dominic Turner are also charged with aggravated robbery.