Arizona school at center of 'Gilbert Goons gang murder' scandal DENIES claims it got $10,000 donation from family of 'jock Talan Renner accused in killing - despite dad's ex's allegations

The Arizona high school of one of the teenagers accused of beating Preston Lord to death has denied it received a huge donation from the suspect's parents.

American Leadership Academy (ALA) student Talan Renner, 17, is one of seven young men accused of beating Lord, 16, to death outside a Halloween party last year in Queen Creek, a suburb of Phoenix. 

He and the other suspects are believed to have ties to the so-called Gilbert Goons - a group of mostly wealthy white kids who have been terrorizing the area for years.

The charter school has been slammed for allowing Talan to play a football game after he became a suspect, even naming him 'player of the game.'

ALA was further criticized after Talan's former stepmom Lauri Spiker told police his dad, millionaire businessman Travis Renner, often stepped in to save his problematic sons from trouble.

Spiker told police Travis 'once made a $10,000 to ALA and sponsored sports programs through his business, One Stop Nutrition, to prevent them expelling Talan.'

The Arizona high school of Talan Renner, one of the teens accused of beating Preston Lord to death, has denied that it received a hefty donation from the suspect's parents before they allowed him to continue playing in the football team after the killing.

American Leadership Academy (ALA) was further criticized after Talan's former stepmom Lauri Spiker told police that his dad, millionaire businessman Travis Renner, once donated $10,000 to the school to keep him from being expelled

Preston was assaulted by a group at a Halloween party on October 28

She also said 'Travis talks down on police and brags about how he can 'buy' their kids out of trouble.' 

On Thursday, the school denied the claims in a statement to DailyMail.com, saying 'there have been a number of unfounded and irrational allegations associating ALA with the tragic death of Preston Lord.'

'We can say unequivocally that ALA has never received or accepted a $10,000 donation, or any donation, from the Renner family or anyone indicted in Preston lord's death, nor from any of their family businesses.'

The school also defended its choice to allow Talan to play a football game on November 17, just weeks after Preston's murder, saying police had not named any persons of interests or suspects.

The school added: Throughout the investigation, ALA proactively engaged law enforcement, fully cooperated with their efforts, and diligently adhered to the direction they provided. ALA has no connection with the actions or choices of the individuals who were involved in the death of Preston Lord.

'ALA is thoroughly sickened by the deplorable violence that resulted in Preston Lord's death.' 

American Leadership Academy in Gilbert is pictured above

Talan Renner was awarded the honor of Player of the Game on November 17 - two weeks after Preston was assaulted

The school initially told 12News they allowed Talan him to star in the football game because at the time there was no evidence or arrests against any of their students. 

But it has since emerged that in the week before the game police served a search warrant for his phone and DNA while he was on the school campus.

Head football coach and athletic director Randy Ricedorff was fired in January after the scandal broke.

Preston died after being 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 Billey, 18, were arrested.

Andy Litten, the coach of the opposing school, Scottsdale Horizon, in the November 17 game, told the local outlet 'the school for sure knew' about Talan's alleged involvement in the murder.

Litten said: 'I was sent emails from concerned parents about how he was being allowed to play PRIOR to the game happening.' 

DailyMail.com has reached out to American Leadership Academy for comment on this story.

A police report reveals that Talan's parents, who have been accused of trying to help cover up his involvement in the murder, pulled him out of school early on October 31.

Talan's parents told the school he was being called a murderer on social media and he did not return to school for the rest of the week.

On November 2, the dean of students at ALA Gilbert North contacted the Queen Creek police department to share that students were talking about Talan's involvement in the murder. 

But by November 6, Talan was back in school, where he was approached by detectives, who took his cellphone, photographs and DNA. Court documents noted Talan had 'minor discoloration to his right and left hands on the knuckles and a small cut on his left hand near his wrist area.'

Police were informed at the time that Talan's father Travis Renner had obtained a lawyer and was not allowing the teen suspect to speak with detectives. 

The seven suspects in Preston Lord's murder from top left to bottom right: Jacob Meisner, Talan Renner, Taylor Sherman, Treston Billey, Talyn Vigil, Dominic Turner, William Owe Hines

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

Aside from police showing up at his school, there was more evidence pointing to Talan as a suspect in Preston's murder, as revealed by the police report into the case.

Talan reportedly boasted to Snapchat friends after throwing 'hammer punches' on Preston.

He allegedly wrote: 'I got in a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a kid. I guess I'm just too strong.'

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 Talan and friends offer a chilling insight into the aftermath of the deadly beating, AZFamily reported.

Talan 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.'

Arizona businessman Travis Renner has been accused of trying to help his teen 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 a house party in 2022

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.

Police are seen trying to raid Renner's family home to execute an arrest warrant earlier this month, only to find no one there 

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.

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.

He has not been charged with the alleged cover up attempt.