It's been 3 months since Preston Lord died. Why have there been no arrests?

Three months have passed since 16-year-old Preston Lord died.

On Oct. 28, Lord was left lying in the street, beaten, outside a Halloween party in Queen Creek. He died two days later.

Since then, people and businesses in the southeast Valley — on social media, during marches, at city council meetings — have called for #Justice4PrestonLord as they await more information from law enforcement officials.

No one has been arrested or named as a suspect by Queen Creek police in the homicide investigation, the department's first. But in late December, police referred charges for seven people — a mix of adults and juveniles — to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review, which is expected to take time.

Lord's death exposed a string of attacks by teens in the southeast Valley. In December, an investigation by The Arizona Republic found the "Gilbert Goons," a gang of mostly affluent teenagers, had engaged in group attacks for more than a year.

Most attacks occurred in Gilbert. Parents, students, and community activists say members of the Goons were involved in Lord's beating.

Since The Republic's report was published, Gilbert police have opened multiple investigations and have made over a dozen arrests related to what the department describes as "teen violence cases." Some of the teens who have been arrested have been linked to Lord's homicide investigation.

Why have there been no arrests in Preston Lord's homicide case?

The Queen Creek Police Department submitted a 2,000-page police report on the Lord homicide investigation to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell at a news briefing on Jan. 10.

There are more than 2,000 pieces of evidence, and 600 of them are videos prosecutors must watch and vet, Mitchell said.

Queen Creek police submitted a "basket case" to the prosecutor's office, which gives attorneys time to review everything sent to them and decide on appropriate charges, Mitchell said. In addition to looking at what evidence supports the case, prosecutors must also consider and be prepared to present evidence that contradicts the case in court, she said.

Two senior homicide prosecutors have been assigned to the Lord's investigation, Mitchell said. She said it would take time because her office would not prioritize speed over "doing things right." Lord's attackers should not feel relieved that it will take the office time to get through the file, she said.

"Let me say this to the people out there who are the perpetrators of this crime," Mitchell said. "You should take no comfort whatsoever in the time that this is taking to put the case together. We are just lining the ducks up."

At a Jan. 17 Queen Creek Town Council meeting, police Chief Randy Brice said the basket case route is "most likely" to get justice. He said arrests were coming, and the department continues investigating tips that could help support the charges filed with the county attorney's office.

Are the 'Gilbert Goons' linked to the Preston Lord case?

Students, parents and community activists in the southeast Valley say members of the Goons are responsible for Lord's death.

Queen Creek police have not said whether the Goons are connected to the killing. However, some people who have recently been arrested in connection with other teen attacks have been linked to Lord's homicide case.

One 17-year-old is tied to multiple attacks and appears in three separate videos of gang assaults recorded and shared on social media. He has been arrested in connection with a May 29 group assault on another minor in a Mesa park.

The juvenile's house was among those that were searched on Nov. 6 in the gated Gilbert community Whitewing as part of the investigation into Lord's death.

Kyler Renner, 18, has been arrested in connection with two attacks. One took place outside a Gilbert home on Nov. 22, 2022. The other occurred in a downtown Gilbert parking garage on Dec. 3, 2022. A video of the December assault reviewed by The Arizona Republic showed the 17-year-old arrested in connection with the Mesa park attack was also present, but he has not been arrested or charged.

Kyler Renner is the son of Becky Renner, the owner of a Gilbert OHM Fitness gym. She was recently stripped of her franchise rights over her family's alleged involvement in the death of Lord.

People have publicly accused another son of Renner's, a juvenile, of being involved in the attack on Lord. Becky Renner's home in Whitewing was also searched in November.

Multiple agencies are investigating whether the Goons are a criminal street gang under Arizona law.

How has the southeast Valley community responded since Lord's death?

Community members, parents, and students have organized marches, showed up to council meetings, and have spoken out on social media about finding justice for Lord's family and the victims of Goon attacks.

Community activists have held evening walks to "Light up the Night" in honor of Lord and other victims of violent attacks in Queen Creek and Gilbert. Businesses in the southeast Valley have been hosting fundraisers for Lord's family.

Parents and other southeast Valley residents have spoken up at council meetings about community and children's safety. Some have expressed disappointment in government leadership, particularly Gilbert's Town Council.

Last week, Gilbert Mayor Brigette Peterson announced she would not be seeking reelection.

Elena Santa Cruz is a criminal justice reporter for The Republic. Reach her at elena.santacruz@gannett.com or 480-466-2265. Follow her on X @ecsantacruz3.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Three months since Preston Lord was killed. Here's what we know