'Gilbert Goon' Talyn Vigil, charged with murder of Preston Lord, 16, is ... trends now
One of the seven 'Gilbert Goon' teens accused of bashing Preston Lord to death at a Halloween party has been released on bail.
Talyn Vigil, 17, appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court on Wednesday where he was given a $1 million bail, and left custody on Friday.
This was despite him allegedly admitting to Preston's murder at the party in Queen Creek, Arizona in a Snapchat message posted on social media.
'I hit a kid and this kid feel hit his head and then they kicked his head in the ground then I got word he died so idk,' it read.
Vigil is the only one of the seven teens, all charged with first-degree murder, to have been released from jail - though all were offered the same $1 million bail.
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
Talyn Vigil, 17, is the first of seven teens accused of bashing Preston to death to be released on bail
Vigil appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court on Wednesday where he was given a $1 million bail, and left custody on Friday
He was charged as an adult, and must wear an ankle monitor after his release. All seven accused killers will face court again on May 9.
Talan Renner, 17, Dominic Turner, 20, Taylor Sherman, 19, Jacob Meisner, 17, William Hines, 18, and Treston Billey, 18, are the other 'goons' charged.
Billey, Meisner and Turner were also charged with aggravated robbery for allegedly steaming a necklace from Preston's friend during the chaos.
Prosecutors are grappling with a massive amount of data sent to them for the case that totaled more than three terabytes - bigger than most computer hard drives.
The information included photos, surveillance police bodycam footage, audio recordings, social media posts, and date pulled from phones.
Vigil's then-girlfriend told the Arizona Republic he bragged 'I knocked that kid out' as he clambered into her car minutes after Preston was killed.
He later tried to distance himself from the killing by pointing the finger at another teen now also accused in the boy's murder, with a similar first name, Talan Renner.
Vigil is the only one of the seven teens, all charged with first-degree murder, to have been released from jail - though all were offered the same $1 million bail
He was charged as an adult, and must wear an ankle monitor after his release. All seven accused killers will face court again on May 9
" class="c7" scrolling="no"
Vigil was not charged for months after the horrific attack as the parents of several suspects were accused of trying to cover up the crime.
Preston died after being brutally beaten outside a Halloween party last October and left on a road in Queen Creek, Arizona.
It took five months, for the suspects to be arrested.
Just days after the murder, a screengrab of a Snapchat chat was circulated that appeared to be written by Vigil.
After the post caught the community's attention, Talyn posted a public message on his Snapchat account.
'Yo I understand everyone is hurting right now and wants to find the kids that did this but you got the wrong talyn... the real kids name is talan renner. Please stop accusing me I was there I tried to help the kid off the street thank you,' it read.
At least one other alleged attacker, Talan Renner, also admitted - and even bragged about - beating Preston in the days after the party, writing on Snapchat: 'I got in a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a kid. I guess I'm just too.'
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.
The Snapchat post read: 'I hit a kid and this kid feel hit his head and then they kicked his head in the ground then I got word he died so idk'
After the post caught the community's attention, Talyn posted the above public message on his Snapchat account
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.'
The 'Gilbert Goons' were allowed to run amok Phoenix suburbs before Preston's murder, and after they were charged, authorities reopened numerous cases believed to have been conducted by a larger group of assailants.
Victims and residents in the area described the group as mostly white, upper-middle-class teenagers from multiple East Valley high schools.
A lawsuit filed by the father of one of the Goons' alleged victims accuses the Goons of causing skull fractures, facial fractures, broken and missing teeth, concussions and other serious injuries.
'The conspiracy culminated in the murder of 16-year-old Preston Lord by certain members of the Goons,' the lawsuit states, as reported by the Arizona Republic. 'Preston's killers should have been in juvie,' said lawyer Richard Lyons. 'Why weren't they arresting and charging these kids?'
Several lawsuits have been filed claiming that law enforcement and school officials allowed the Goons to continue unleashing their violence since as least 2022.
High school football star Talan Renner, 17, is also charged in the killing. His father has been accused by a former employee of trying to hide his involvement in Preston's murder
Three lawsuits connected to Goon's activities name Riggs Elementary school principal Jamie Lander, her husband and stepson.
The attackers allegedly include the sons of a mayoral candidate and an elementary school principal. Their assaults appeared unmotivated and were often recorded and shared by the attackers themselves.
Despite the suspects' name being an open secret in the community, as well as dozens of young witnesses of the attack at the party, police did not make any announcements on Preston's case for months.
Frustrated by what they saw as negligence by authorities, the Gilbert community began speaking up online and sharing details of what happened the night of the murder, demanding the killers were held accountable.
They began holding vigils and protests calling for justice, with Kristine Brennan and Angela Rogers creating a forum they named 'Lily Waterfield' where they would post updates and go after the now-official suspects and their parents.
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
Through the process, they connected violent incidents tied to the Goons and narrowed in on what they say is the their modus operandi.
Brennan said the teen assailants seem to follow the same pattern, meeting up at gas stations or fast food restaurants before targeting a young man and filming the assault.
Suspects Jacob Meisner and William Hines were already in custody when they were charged for Preston's murder over other attacks on teens.
Hines is also accused three aggravated assault cases - an attack
