Queen Creek, AZ
Home MenuOct. 28, 2023 - Homicide Case of Preston Lord
Timeline
During the investigation, calls for service on the night of Oct. 28 related to parties in the area were reviewed. Through the investigation, it was confirmed that not all calls were related to the party near the homicide investigation site. Seven of the 14 calls were related to the homicide investigation site, one non-emergency call was dispatched prior to the fatal assault (a second non-emergency call was received by communications but not dispatched due officers being en route). Beginning 43 minutes later, five additional calls were received in the area of the homicide, including the call for service reporting the assault.
Detailed timeline below the graphic.
9:06 p.m. non-emergency call was received in reference to a juvenile disturbance in the area of 19400 east Via del Oro. The caller reported there was a party somewhere in the area and a group of juveniles were banging on her car as she left the neighborhood. 9:09 p.m. Officers were dispatched to this call.
9:12 p.m. non-emergency call regarding juvenile disturbance, also in the area of Via del Oro and 194th St. This second call was not dispatched due to officers already en route.
9:15 p.m. QCPD received a call of a family fight / domestic violence in the area of Power Rd and Jacaranda Blvd. No units were immediately available to divert to that call.
9:20 p.m. Officers arrived in the area of Via del Oro and 194th St. As they were driving the neighborhood looking for juveniles disturbing, the family fight / domestic violence call was still holding.
9:25 p.m. Officers observed a large number of juveniles in the area. Many appeared to be leaving toward cars parked along the roadway. Although they saw a large group of juveniles and cars in the area, officers did not see any juveniles possessing or consuming alcohol. They did not see any criminal conduct or any indication that there was an emergency at the location that would take precedence over the pending family fight / domestic violence emergency call for service (all police departments prioritize calls based on the information received at dispatch). Both officers diverted to respond to that domestic violence call (two officers are required for this type of call).
9:30 p.m. 9-1-1 call received for a different location (area of Via de Arboles and 197th, more than a mile from the location provided in the 9:06 p.m. non-emergency call). Officers were already on scene in the area since 8:34 p.m. Six additional calls were received at this location (one 9-1-1 and five non-emergency) while officers were in the area investigating a large party and related traffic issues. Officers remained on scene until they were diverted to the assault call (homicide).
9:49 p.m. 9-1-1 call received to the area of Via del Oro and 194th St. for an assault (Preston Lord). As officers were en route, three additional calls were received and one additional call as officers were on scene.
Records Release & Redaction
Federal and state law requires the release of information from public entities. The law allows for limited information to be redacted, including:
- Victim information (ARS 13-4434)
- Personal identifying information (PPI) for witnesses (dates of birth, phone number, etc.) this does NOT include witness names unless they are a victim in the case (ARS 39-123.01)
State law does not require the redaction of juvenile names (unless a victim), however, to protect juveniles, the police department’s procedure is to redact juvenile names. With the recent report released related to the Preston Lord homicide, there were several individuals whose dates of birth were not known to investigators or not documented, which did not trigger the allowable redactions.
Arizona Case law also provides for three common law exceptions that allow/require redaction:
- Information that is confidential by law shall be redacted.
- Information that is private, where disclosure would invade privacy, and that invasion would outweigh the public’s right to know, may be redacted.
- The "best interest of the government" allows the redaction of information that the government has a valid basis for withholding, such as likely harm to the investigation of involved persons.
Beginning Nov. 1, 2023, records requests were submitted to QCPD pursuant to the records law found in ARS Title 39.
A delayed release of records was approved during the investigation as the release of information could impact the integrity of the case. Once charges were issued, QCPD was legally obligated to release public records after redacting the limited information that is allowable under ARS 39-121.03.
In addition to state and federal laws that require the release of public records, as part of the judicial process, information contained in the report will be released to the defense by the courts through the Discovery Process.
Redaction of Witness Information / Anonymous Tips
If a name is provided to the police department during an investigation and it does not meet one of the exceptions noted (juvenile, victim, legally defined personal identifying information, or court order), it will be released through the public records process.
The tip portals (including the one from the FBI) do not require a name or contact information. QCPD’s tip site currently notes that contact info should be left blank if the tipster would like to remain anonymous.
Of the 500+ tips received, 254 were anonymous. These anonymous tips included the following in the "name" sections/fields:
- The word "Anonymous"
- The word "Refused"
- First names only
- Pseudonyms, gibberish, or other non-identifier
- The field was left blank