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William 'Owen' Hines, who was sentenced to 12 years in Preston Lord Death

William 'Owen' Hines, who was sentenced to 12 years in Preston Lord Death

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  • William “Owen” Hines owed himself guilty in Preston Lord.
  • Hines' plea agreement does not require that, according to lawyers from the Lord family, he has to testify against the other defendants.

William “Owen” Hines was sentenced to 12 years in prison to his part of the fatal beating of Preston Lord (16), at a Halloween party 2023 in Queen Creek Plus for other crimes.

The prison sentence will be consecutive and contain 456 days for time.

The 19-year-old Hines was the first of seven members of the “Gilbert Goons”, who were charged with the first degree in Lord's death to transform his unpaid plea into a recording.

The judgment was enacted by the judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court, Scott McCoy, to a full courtroom in which dozens of people were dressed in orange, Lord's favorite color. Other victims of clubs were there, as were Lord's parents and grandfather who all asked the court and asked for the maximum sentence. A video montage from Lord followed her statements.

“I don't know that I saw someone who is more striving to commit himself guilty,” said McCoy. He noted that Hines had many chances to correct his behavior under the law with the law, but was still involved in Lord's death. He said he hoped that the conviction was the first step on the way to healing.

“Mr. Lord used the words” tragically “and” senseless “,” said McCoy. “If there was ever a case that was tragic and senseless, it is.”

After the conviction, Preston Lord's father said Nick Lord that he was not disappointed with the judgment, but no number of years would satisfy him.

“I will not say that I'm satisfied,” said Nick Lord. “We have accepted the conditions” of the plea deal.

He said he was “ready to do everything to look through this thing”.

The grandfather of Preston Lord, Tony Reich, said the verdict was “okay” and he would “accept” it. He said there are now more important things to do, including the adoption of Prestone's law. This legislation would take criminal punishments for the people who found themselves guilty of participating in group attacks.

Reich said Gilbert officers had to be held accountable.

“Gilbert Police, Gilbert Council, Gilbert's city manager … because of a lack of measures,” said Reich. “I still think that if you had done your work, he would still be there.”

Hines: Preston Lord 'did not deserve this kick and blows'

Before he was convicted, read Hines, dressed in an orange overall, a explanation.

Preston Lord “did not deserve this kick and blows,” he said. “There is no day when I don't think of that night.”

He also said that he had not expected the Lord of Lord's parents to expect forgiveness.

“They don't owe anything to me,” he said. “I owe you everything.”

Hines' parents spoke in his name and named him repentant and compassionate. His lawyer argued that his youthful brain was not yet fully developed.

In March, when he entered his guilty plea, Hines said McCoy that he was haunted by his role in the murders and would pray for forgiveness. He said he was in several dependencies – drugs, alcohol and hallucinogenic – when he and other rackets hit the Lord, stepped and stamped and let him lie on the street.

Hines also found himself guilty in connection with two other non -fatal rackets in 2022 and because of another car and for injury to someone while driving under the influence of 2023.

The public prosecutor's public prosecutor of the Maricopa district dropped a kidnapping against Hines at Lord's death. They also recommended the probation in the two thugs that were supervised in Gilbert, one in an in-n-out burger and the other at one house party.

The plea does not require Hine to testify against other people who are accused of attacking Lord. The Lord family's lawyers confirmed after Hines had made his guilty lawsuit that there was no agreement in which he had to work with the public prosecutor.

Preston Lord attacked 2023 at Queen Creek Halloween Party

Lord and his friends crossed on October 28, 2023 with rackets with rackets that moved hundreds of teenagers from the Metro Phoenix to an upscale suburban district.

The two teenagers were unknown to each other. According to witnesses and police reports, the rackets were aimed at the friends of the Lord when they went. Words were exchanged and there was a chase.

Lord was thrown into the ground with one slap – then his attackers climbed towards him, hammered his face, kicked and stamped him. He died two days later from traumatic brain injuries without ever gaining consciousness.

According to a police report by Queen Creek, Hines told a friend on the night of the attack that he stepped in Lord. He told the friend that he felt bad and asked why the others accused Lord of having kicked him in his head, the report says.

Lord's killing triggered the outrage in the community that made marches, vigils and protests, and demanded the accountability of the police, school officials and politicians that they did not act earlier.

An investigation by the Republic of Arizona 2023 in December 2023 offered Lords killing to the rackets, a group of teenagers who recorded their lightning attacks on young people in parks and parking garages, outside the fast food restaurant and at house celebrations. The attacks, mainly in Gilbert, were deactivated by authorities for more than a year.

The Republic has documented 18 attacks with 95 people in blows about attacks since November 2022. The authorities in Gilbert, Mesa and Pinal County began to be connected to the strokes in January 2024.

A Grand Jury of Maricopa County in 2024, together with Treston Billy, 18, Jacob Meisner, 17, Talan Renner, 17, Taylor Sherman, 19, Dominic Turner (20) and Talyn Vigil (17), charged with Lord's death.

The others who are charged with murder to Mr. have not guilty.

Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for the Republic. Reach him Robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X @Robertanglen.

Elena Santa Cruz is a criminal law reporter of the Republic. Reach it at Elena.santantacruz@gannett.com. Follow her on x @Ecsantacruz3.

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