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Preston Lord case: 2 ask for trial separation
Attorneys for two people charged in connection with the death of Preston Lord in 2023 are asking a judge to separate the trial. Two of their co-defendants have already had their cases separated.
PHOENIX - Two of the teens accused in the beating death of 16-year-old Preston Lord were back in court on the morning of Jan. 30, as attorneys for Talyn Vigil and Taylor Sherman asked a judge to separate their trials.
The backstory:
Preston was found beaten in a residential neighborhood near the intersection of Via Del Verde and Sossaman Road on Oct. 28, 2023. He died at the hospital two days later, and the death sparked outrage, as well as demands to address teen violence in the East Valley.
The victim was 16 at the time of his death.
Seven defendants have been identified: Treston Billey, William Hines, Jacob Meisner, Talan Renner, Taylor Sherman, Dominic Turner, and Talyn Vigil.
In May 2025, we reported that Hines was sentenced to 12 years in prison, after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges. He was the first among the suspects to take a deal.
What we know:
Attorneys for Vigil and Sherman are asking the judge to separate their trials. Two of their co-defendants, Renner and Meisner, have already had their cases separated.
Vigil's attorneys argue he was not there when Lord was attacked, and they plan to point fingers at the co-defendants. However, the prosecution says they have proof both Vigil and Sherman were there the night Lord was killed and, therefore, they should be tried together.
Attorneys for Vigil and Sherman argue their clients were involved in altercations with different people and were not involved in the beating of Lord.
What's next:
Vigil and Sherman are expected back in court in a week.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered by FOX 10 staff members.