Talan Renner, a 17-year-old high school football player from Arizona, is facing charges for allegedly beating a fellow teenager to death at a Halloween party last year. Renner, along with six other accused assailants, are currently held on a $1 million bond and have pleaded not guilty in the death of 16-year-old Preston Lord.
New information has surfaced suggesting that Renner’s father, Travis Renner, relocated his son to their family’s $850,000 cabin in Show Low, three hours away from their home, following Lord’s death. This information was reportedly revealed by Travis Renner’s ex-girlfriend, who remained close to the family and had access to Travis Renner’s credit card history.
The ex-girlfriend also claimed to have communicated with Talan Renner via Snapchat while he was allegedly hiding at the cabin. She reported that Renner, who she described as a “fighter” and an “angry kid,” shared a photo of himself walking the family dog, Gucci. She noted that in the photo, Renner’s jaw appeared swollen.
The ex-girlfriend further revealed that the Renner family attorney had allegedly advised them to allow Renner’s “hands to heal” before returning to his hometown of Gilbert. She described Renner as someone who “holds in a lot of aggression,” and warned that “when he snaps, he snaps.”
She decided to report these details to the police after observing Renner’s apparent lack of remorse following the release of video surveillance allegedly showing him bragging about Lord’s murder. She claimed that Renner boasted about how Lord’s funeral was a “closed casket” service due to the severity of his injuries.
Ashley Reynolds, a former employee of Travis Renner at Relentless Media Agency, also shared her experiences with the Arizona Republic. She claimed that Renner’s father and CEO, Adam Kifer, discussed moving Renner to the cabin and shifting the blame onto another boy involved in the assault. Reynolds was asked to assist with the “crisis” and was regularly updated about the case. After two months of refusing to participate in their scheme, she was fired.
Renner and six other teenagers, who referred to themselves as the “Gilbert Goons,” were arrested for their alleged involvement in Lord’s death, which occurred during a Halloween party in Queen Creek, about 40 minutes east of Phoenix. Witnesses reported that as many as 15 suspects wearing ski masks attacked Lord, who later died from his injuries at a hospital.
According to police documents, Renner allegedly admitted to killing Lord in a Snapchat message, writing, “I got in a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a kid. I guess I’m just too strong.” Another suspect, 17-year-old Talyn Vigil, also reportedly confessed to attacking Lord on Snapchat.High School Football Player Accused of Fatal Halloween Party Assault