An alleged killer jock bragged about beating a 16 year-old boy to death at an Arizona house party, saying ‘I guess I’m just too strong.’
Talan Renner, 17, reportedly boasted to Snapchat friends after throwing ‘hammer punches’ on Preston Lord at the bash in Gilbert, Arizona, in October 2023. He wrote: I got in a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a kid. I guess I’m just too strong.’
Renner and six other alleged bullies have been arrested over the death of Lord, who died of a brain injury two days after the beating. Police records allege one unnamed boy danced on the dying teen’s body shortly after the beating, while others performed ‘humping’ – simulated rape acts – to further degrade their victim.
Newly-released communications said to be between Renner and friends offer a chilling insight into the aftermath of the deadly beating, AZFamily reported.
Renner allegedly couldn’t help but brag after Lord was killed, texting fellow suspect Taylor Sherman to say: ‘I might have hospitalized that kid. I hit him pretty hard.’
The millionaire gym owners’ son is also said to have shown a video of the fatal beating he’d recorded on his phone to friends while declaring: ‘Oh, I put this kid on life support.’
17-year-old jock Talan Renner, who is accused of beating Preston Lord to death at a wild Arizona house party, 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 wounds
After the deadly brawl Talan wrote, ‘I got in a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a kid.’ He goes on to write, ‘I guess I’m just too strong,’ a witness claimed
More messages were sent two days after the attack. ‘Bro, that kid died,’ one said. ‘Tresty or Talan might be getting charged with murder,’ said another – referencing Treston Billey, who had allegedly stomped on Preston’s head.
All seven suspects have pleaded not guilty, but not before Talan Renner’s parents allegedly tried to plot an escape from justice for their son.
Talan’s father Travis Renner allegedly tried hide evidence from the night of the beating and shift blame to another boy with a similar name.
Ashley Reynolds, who worked for Talan’s father Travis Renner, has claimed she was an unwilling participant in a coverup that allegedly began as soon as Preston was critically injured.
The former employee at Relentless Media Agency told Arizona Republic that her bosses Renner and Adam Kifer, CEO of Relentless Media Agency, openly discussed their plans to hide evidence and shift blame on another boy with a ‘similar name.’
Travis Renner and his business partner reportedly plotted to bring Talan to a cabin until the injuries he sustained while handing out the beating healed. Detectives recorded that Renner’s family had ‘financial means to aid in fleeing to Mexico’ and he was taken out of the Phoenix area after the attack on Preston.
Phoenix police had to apologize earlier this month after Talan’s parents Becky and Travis Renner received special valet parking services from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office cops.
A deputy was seen pulling the millionaire gym owners’ white Tesla Model X into a private car park so they could avoid running a gauntlet of journalists.
Authorities took months to name the suspects, with enraged locals who demanded justice and claimed the young boys’ powerful families were preventing justice from being served.
Renner’s other son Kyler is said to be a violent bully too. 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 over the gang violence claims.
Police are seen trying to raid Renner’s family home to execute an arrest warrant earlier this month, only to find no one there
Arizona businessman Travis Renner has been accused of helping his teen 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 the Durango Juvenile Court in Phoenix as they attended their son’s first appearance in court
Phoenix police had to apologize earlier this month after Talan’s parents Becky and Travis Renner received special valet parking services from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office cops
Travis Renner’s other son Kyler has been charged in connection with two gang attacks at a parking garage and a house party in 2022
Aside from Talan, there has been damning evidence presented against all seven of the accused.
In the 1,100 page police report that was released on Wednesday, March 28, a digital trail of evidence was presented. The snapchats, videos, pictures, phone calls and texts from October 28 allowed investigators to piece together the night.
Over 40 minutes of 911 calls were made – the first ones were to report the out-of-control house party that hosted ‘at least 250 kids.’
Another person who called 911 claimed the party-goers were armed, ‘Someone’s going to get hurt. Someone’s going to get killed,’ the caller said. ‘These kids have weapons on them.’
After the deadly fight, a fleet of 911 calls came through saying that a teen was attacked and that people were doing CPR.
Callers told 911 dispatchers that the group of attackers had ski masks on and estimated there was ‘like 15’ of them.
Investigators believe that the fight broke out over a gold chain 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 Billey (left) and Talyn Vigil (right) have also been charged in Preston’s murder
Dominic Turner, 20, and Taylor Sherman, 19, are seen in court earlier this month
Along with Talan’s vile 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 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.’
Taylor Sherman told officers that he, Renner, Meisner and Turner got in his car and took off after the fight.
When the group were in the car, Talan allegedly said ‘I might have hospitalized that kid,’ and ‘I hit him pretty hard.’
Each of the seven suspects are now facing a first-degree murder charge and a kidnapping charge.
Treston Billey, Jacob Meisner and Dominic Turner are also facing charges of aggravated robbery.