An investigation has claimed that the 17-year-old 'killer jock' from Arizona who allegedly beat a classmate to death bragged about the act afterward on Snapchat.
Talan Renner, 17, and his friends were arrested and charged with first-degree murder over the death of classmate Preston Lord, who died two days after a brutal beating at a Halloween party. Renner and his friends reportedly 'threw hammer punches' at the teenager.
Afterwards, it was revealed that Renner allegedly bragged about the act on Snapchat, telling friends, "I got in a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a kid. I guess I'm just too strong."
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He then texted fellow suspect Taylor Sherman, saying: "I might have hospitalized that kid. I hit him pretty hard." Police also say they have evidence of Renner showing the video of the fight to friends afterwards and bragging, "Oh, I put this kid on life support."
Six other people were arrested along with Preston. He and his friends allegedly made up something called 'Gilbert Goons' - described by town residents as a modern-day gang.
They've allegedly been terrorizing the Phoenix suburb of Queen Creek for years, say police. They were allegedly known for recording blitz-style attacks on other teens in public places like house parties and outside fast-food restaurants.
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On October 28, 2023, the teens attacked Lord, and upon realizing that he required urgent medical care, Renner's father, a wealthy gym owner, came home and helped his son allegedly cover up the beating.
Recorded 911 calls from that night were released days ago show the level of chaos the jocks unleashed that night. In one call, a boy cries as he tells a dispatcher that one friend had a broken wrist and another was lying on the ground unconscious, describing his attackers as masked strangers, according to AZCentral.
“I’m scared. I don’t know what to do,” he said in the call, which was placed at 9:49 p.m. “Are people on the way? I need them to get here. I do not want my friend to die.” In another call, a different teen said that a group of trained lifeguards was trying to administer CPR. He told the dispatcher that Lord stopped breathing two minutes before.
Police apparently responded to 911 calls around 9pm that night, after residents placed several phone calls, but said they didn't see anything suspicious and left to answer another call. They were called back about 45 minutes later to check in on Lord's condition.
Residents of the neighborhood had raised enraged concerns that the teens weren't named for months, despite their lengthy records. They allege that Renner's parents have gotten special treatment and even parking spaces at the police station because of their prominence within the town.
After the allegations, Renner's father was caught in an alleged coverup scheme, trying to shift the blame to another teenager with a similar name. Ashley Reynolds, who worked for Talan's father Travis Renner, told police she was unwillingly part of an attempted coverup over that night.
Travis Renner and his business partner are accused of plotting to move Lord's body to a cabin to wait out the fallout from his injuries. Prosecutors have presented over 1,000 pages of reports, witness statements, and other documents detailing the events of that night. Other teens in addition to Renner bragged to their friends over text messages and social media about Lord's death.
Talyn Vigil said in a Snapchat conversation that: "I hit a kid and this kid hit his head... and then they kicked his head in the ground and then I got word he died so idk." William Hines told police officers: "Straight up bro, I was drunk, heat of the moment, I kicked him one time and I kicked his leg."
Each of the seven suspects are now facing a first-degree murder charge and a kidnapping charge.