Preston Lord’s parents file wrongful death lawsuit: What you should know

PHOENIX – Preston Lord’s parents filed a lawsuit against the Teenagers charged with murderas well as some of her parents and the owners of the house where the party took place.

Lord, 16, died last year after an attack before a Halloween party on October 28 in Queen Creek. He died two days later.

His death sparked outrage and raised awareness of widespread youth violence in the East Valley.

Seven people, including teenagers and young adults, are charged with murderNow Lord’s parents are seeking civil prosecution.

A complaint filed by Lord’s parents on July 10 brings new details to light about his murder.

The wrongful death lawsuit accuses several defendants of multiple violent crimes, including assault and negligence.

The complaint describes the Queen Creek house party Lord attended that night, which was widely advertised on social media as a “Halloween Ranger” serving alcohol and attended by over 200 teenagers from more than 15 East Valley high schools.

The complaint states that homeowners Roberto and Emily Correa were drinking inside the house and failed to supervise the teens while they were drinking and partying outside.

According to the complaint, after a scuffle, Roberto ordered everyone to leave the building.

FOX 10 attempted to reach the Correa family for comment at the address listed in the complaint, but received no response.

The document also accuses Travis and Rebecca Renner, the parents of Talan Renner, who is charged in Lord’s death, of failing to supervise their son.

The lawsuit states that his parents knew or should have known about his violent tendencies. Examples given include incidents such as when he threatened to “shoot himself up” in his school in fifth grade, or how he seriously injured a classmate in a boarding school and therapy center in Utah.

“Many of the people named in this lawsuit were not named in the criminal case, so they are named in the civil case. You want to make sure that all aspects are covered so that justice is done,” said attorney Ben Taylor, who is not representing the defendants in the Lord case.

It is a long process to solve the problem, he says.

“Many people see on television that a court case lasts 30 minutes or an hour, but in real life court cases take two to three years or even longer before something like this is resolved,” he explained.

FOX 10 has contacted all individuals listed in the complaint.

Treston Billey’s attorney said he maintains his client’s innocence and questions the motivation for the lawsuit. He stated, “This is obviously a civil case where the burden of proof is lower. My client has maintained his innocence in the criminal case and we are vigorously pursuing his defense in the criminal case. As an aside, I question the motivation for such a lawsuit, as most civil attorneys would recognize that any significant judgment for these young men would likely result in bankruptcy. Nevertheless, we will be closely monitoring the civil case as it could prove invaluable to our investigative efforts.”

The suspects charged in connection with Lord’s death are Talyn Vigil, Taylor Sherman, Treston Billey, William Hines, Jacob Meisner, Talan Renner and Dominic Turner.