One of the alleged ‘Gilbert Goons’ accused of beating a 16-year-old boy to death at a party was allowed to continue playing football after becoming a suspect, it has emerged.
Talan Renner, 17, is seen as the running back for his high school on Nov. 17, where he was named player of the game – despite an investigation into the Oct. 28 murder of Preston Lord.
The school told me initially 12News they let him play the lead role because there was no evidence or arrests against any of their students at the time.
But it can be revealed that police served a search warrant for his phone and DNA while he was on the school campus in the week before the match.
Head football coach and athletic director Randy Ricedorff was fired in January after the scandal broke.
Preston died after he was brutally beaten outside a Halloween party and left on a road in Queen Creek, Arizona.
It took five months, but Renner, Dominic Turner, 20, Talyn Vigil, 17, Taylor Sherman, 19, Jacob Meisner, 17, William Hines, 18, and Treston Biley, 18, were arrested.
Talan Renner, one of seven teenagers and young men charged with Preston’s murder, was awarded Player of the Game honors on November 17 – two weeks after Preston was attacked
Aside from the police showing up at his school, there was more evidence pointing to Talan as a suspect in Preston’s murder, as evidenced by the police report in the case.
Preston was attacked by a group during a Halloween party on October 28
Andy Litten, the coach of opposing team Scottsdale Horizon, told local media during the Nov. 17 game that “the school knew for sure” about Talan’s alleged involvement in the murder.
Litten said, “I received emails from concerned parents about how he was allowed to play BEFORE the game happened.”
DailyMail.com has contacted the American Leadership Academy for comment on this story.
A police report shows that Talan’s parents, accused of trying to cover up his involvement in the murder, took him out of school early on October 31.
Talan’s parents told the school that he was being called a murderer on social media and that he did not return to school for the rest of the week.
On November 2, ALA Gilbert North Dean of Students contacted Queen Creek police to report that students were discussing Talan’s involvement in the murder.
But on November 6, Talan was back at school, where he was approached by detectives, who took his cell phone, photos and DNA. Court documents noted that Talan had “minor discoloration on his right and left hands at the knuckles and a small cut on his left hand near his wrist.”
Police were told at the time that Talan’s father, Travis Renner, had hired an attorney and would not allow the teenage suspect to speak to detectives.
The seven suspects in the murder of Preston Lord from top left to bottom right: Jacob Meisner, Talan Renner, Taylor Sherman, Treston Biley, Talyn Vigil, Dominic Turner, William Owe Hines
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
Aside from the police showing up at his school, there was more evidence pointing to Talan as a suspect in Preston’s murder, as evidenced by the police report on the case.
Talan reportedly bragged to Snapchat friends after giving Preston “hammer punches.”
He allegedly wrote: ‘I got into an argument, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a child. I think I’m just too strong.’
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 offer chilling insight into the aftermath of the fatal assault, 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.’
Arizona businessman Travis Renner is accused of helping his teenage son cover up the murder
Travis Renner’s other son, Kyler, has been charged in connection with two gang attacks at a parking garage and house party in 2022
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.
The former Relentless Media Agency employee told Arizona Republic that her bosses Renner and Relentless Media Agency CEO Adam Kifer 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.
Police are seen trying to raid Renner’s home earlier this month to execute an arrest warrant, but no one is found there
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.
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.
He has not been charged in the alleged cover-up attempt.
Talan and the other suspects were only charged with Preston’s murder earlier this month.
