Preston Lord murder case: Judge lowers bond for some of the suspects

PHOENIX - A Maricopa County judge has lowered the bond for some of the suspects charged in connection with the murder of Preston Lord.

On Sept. 3, Judge Bruce Cohen lowered Dominic Turner's bond to $250,000. Meanwhile, Jacob Meisner's bond was reduced to $350,000, while Talan Renner's bond was lowered to $500,000. Renner reportedly comes from a family with considerable means.

Attorneys for Meisner, Renner and Turner argued the three are not flight risks, nor do they present a danger to the community. Members of Lord's family, donned in orange, also spoke in court. They gave emotional testimonies, and begged the judge to not lower the bonds.

"It's obviously not the result we wanted, as far as they should all still be in jail, and even the ones that are out should all be in jail. It’s a little disheartening, to say the least," said Lord's grandfather, Tony Reich. "Everybody is allowed their due process, and there’s nothing as a family we can do to change that, and we’ll just press forward. And when the trial starts, that’s a whole different ball game."

Meisner, Renner, Turner, and four other suspects were arrested in March and charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in Lord's death. Some of the suspects also face aggravated robbery charges. 

Lord, 16, was severely beaten at a Halloween party in Queen Creek last year. Lord later died at the hospital from his injuries.

Lord's murder trial is scheduled to start next summer. However, some of the defendants' attorneys have expressed that it would be hard to be ready by that date, citing a large amount of evidence that prosecutors have presented in the case.

The defendants have also expressed concerns that they cannot get a fair trial in Maricopa County.