Seven charged over horrifying murder of Arizona teenager Preston Lord who was beaten to death outside Halloween party

Six teens and one 20-year-old have been charged over the brutal murder of an Arizona 18-year-old boy who was beaten to death after a Halloween party.

Preston Lord, 16, was found on a Queen Creek road outside Phoenix after being attacked at the party on October 28 and suffering critical wounds. He died two days later from a brain injury after being taken to the hospital.

On Wednesday Maricopa County prosecutors announced the indictments of four suspects - William Owen Hines, 18, Talan Renner, 17, Talyn Vigil, 17, and Dominic Turner, 20. 

Taylor Sherman, 19, Jacob Meisner, 17, and Treston Billey, 17, were indicted the following day. They are charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping as adults.

'But for law enforcement’s collective efforts and community members’ invaluable cooperation, these arrests would not have happened,' Preston's family said in a statement. 'Each arrest represents a step towards accountability and justice for our son Preston.'

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

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. The other two suspects have not been pictured 

A GoFundMe for Preston's family says the teen was assaulted at the party and that some kids had tried to step in to perform CPR after his heart stopped until paramedics arrived.

'They were able to restart Preston’s heart and he was taken to Chandler Regional hospital. He was then transferred to Phoenix Children’s in extremely critical condition with a severe brain injury,' Preston's aunt Melissa wrote.

Police said the theft of a $10 gold necklace that Preston was wearing could have been the motive for the attack.

Detectives said the attackers snatched his chain before Preston and his friends tried to get it back, and a confrontation erupted. Preson and his friends then fled the scene, but the attackers chased him before beating him and leaving him on the street.

Preston's murder highlighted a growing cases of group violence by teenagers in the Phoenix area and other towns in Maricopa County. 

The quiet communities in southeast Valley have been shaken by a string of teen violence since last year, resulting in multiple injuries and three deaths. 

In January, Arizona police said they arrested members of a street gang dubbed the 'Gilbert Goons' who were attacking teenagers and robbing stores.

Activists have previously said the same gang was involved in Preston's death. 

After the fatal beating of Lord was detailed by the Arizona Republic last December, authorities reopened multiple cases believed to have been conducted by a larger group of assailants.

Victims and residents in the area described the group, dubbed the 'Gilbert Goons', as '20 or more, mostly white, upper-middle-class teenagers from multiple East Valley high schools,' according to the outlet.

Hundreds of community activists took to the streets in late December to demand justice and raise awareness for Lord, two months after his tragic death.

Preston's murder highlighted a growing cases of group violence by teenagers in Phoenix and other cities

After the fatal beating of Lord was detailed by the Arizona Republic last December, authorities reopened multiple cases believed to have been conducted by a larger group of assailants

Five arrests were made after a street gang dubbed the 'Gilbert Goons' plagued a sleepy Arizona town by attacking teenagers and robbing stores

Authorities have since spoken out, as a page named 'Teen Violence Investigations' was established by the Gilbert Police Department in December.

However police have said the January arrests relate to a separate August 16 incident and is 'independent and separate from Queen Creek’s investigation into the death of Preston Lord.' 

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said on Wednesday: 'I don’t know where the name of "Gilbert Goons" came from it. It doesn’t seem to capture the seriousness of this. These are criminal acts.

'And we, of course, if they are doing this through an organized street gang-type situation, we will look at the enhancement of gang charges or whether it was in furtherance of a street gang.'

Chief Michael Soelberg said there are nine active investigations related to teen violence, including five incidents that were previously not reported to police.

'While it is frustrating that this incident was not reported to the police prior, this is an example of what we need from our community, and we are thankful for the victim who had the courage to report this delayed assault,' he said in a statement.