‘Gilbert Goon’ jock Talan Renner is seen starring in school football game DURING probe for murder of 16-year-old boy Preston Lord who was beaten to death outside party

One of the alleged ‘Gilbert Goons’ accused of beating a 16-year-old boy to death at a party was allowed to keep playing football after becoming a suspect, it has emerged.

Talan Renner, 17, is seen as the running back for his high school on November 17 where he was awarded ‘player of the game’ – despite being probed over the killing of Preston Lord on October 28.

The school initially told 12News they allowed him to star because at the time there was no evidence or arrests against any of their students.

But it can be revealed that in the week before the game police served a search warrant for his phone and DNA while he was on the school campus.

Head football coach and athletic director Randy Ricedorff was fired in January after the scandal broke.

Preston died after being brutally beaten outside a Halloween party and left on a road in Queen Creek, Arizona.

It took five months, but Renner, Dominic Turner, 20, Talyn Vigil, 17, Taylor Sherman, 19, Jacob Meisner, 17, William Hines, 18, and Treston Billey, 18, were arrested.

Andy Litten, the coach of the opposing school, Scottsdale Horizon, in the November 17 game, told the local outlet ‘the school for sure knew’ about Talan’s alleged involvement in the murder.

Litten said: ‘I was sent emails from concerned parents about how he was being allowed to play PRIOR to the game happening.’ 

DailyMail.com has reached out to American Leadership Academy for comment on this story.

A police report reveals that Talan’s parents, who have been accused of trying to help cover up his involvement in the murder, pulled him out of school early on October 31.

Talan’s parents told the school he was being called a murderer on social media and he did not return to school for the rest of the week.

On November 2, the dean of students at ALA Gilbert North contacted the Queen Creek police department to share that students were talking about Talan’s involvement in the murder. 

But by November 6, Talan was back in school, where he was approached by detectives, who took his cellphone, photographs and DNA. Court documents noted Talan had ‘minor discoloration to his right and left hands on the knuckles and a small cut on his left hand near his wrist area.’

Police were informed at the time that Talan’s father Travis Renner had obtained a lawyer and was not allowing the teen suspect to speak with detectives. 

Aside from police showing up at his school, there was more evidence pointing to Talan as a suspect in Preston’s murder, as revealed by the police report into the case.

Talan reportedly boasted to Snapchat friends after throwing ‘hammer punches’ on Preston.

He allegedly wrote: ‘I got in a fight, a big group fight and I accidentally killed a kid. I guess I’m just too strong.’

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. 

Newly-released communications said to be between Renner and friends offer a chilling insight into the aftermath of the deadly beating, AZFamily reported.

Renner allegedly couldn’t help but brag after Lord was killed, texting fellow suspect Taylor Sherman to say: ‘I might have hospitalized that kid. I hit him pretty hard.’

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.’

More messages were sent two days after the attack. ‘Bro, that kid died,’ one said. ‘Tresty or Talan might be getting charged with murder,’ said another – referencing Treston Billey, who had allegedly stomped on Preston’s head.

All seven suspects have pleaded not guilty, but not before Talan Renner’s parents allegedly tried to plot an escape from justice for their son.

Talan’s father Travis Renner allegedly tried hide evidence from the night of the beating and shift blame to another boy with a similar name.

Ashley Reynolds, who worked for Talan’s father Travis Renner, has claimed she was an unwilling participant in a coverup that allegedly began as soon as Preston was critically injured.

The former employee at Relentless Media Agency told Arizona Republic that her bosses Renner and Adam Kifer, CEO of Relentless Media Agency, openly discussed their plans to hide evidence and shift blame on another boy with a ‘similar name.’

Travis Renner and his business partner reportedly plotted to bring Talan to a cabin until the injuries he sustained while handing out the beating healed. Detectives recorded that Renner’s family had ‘financial means to aid in fleeing to Mexico’ and he was taken out of the Phoenix area after the attack on Preston.

Phoenix police had to apologize earlier this month after Talan’s parents Becky and Travis Renner received special valet parking services from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office cops.

A deputy was seen pulling the millionaire gym owners’ white Tesla Model X into a private car park so they could avoid running a gauntlet of journalists.

Authorities took months to name the suspects, with enraged locals who demanded justice and claimed the young boys’ powerful families were preventing justice from being served.

Renner’s other son Kyler is said to be a violent bully too. He has been charged in connection with two separate gang attacks at a parking garage and a house party in 2022.

Travis Renner was also arrested in January on suspicion of drug possession and paraphernalia charges while his son Kyler was taken into custody over the gang violence claims.

He has not been charged with the alleged cover up attempt. 

Talan and the other sis suspects were not charged with Preston’s murder until earlier this month.