The only "Gilbert Goons" member who remains in jail while the criminal case of Preston Lord's killing moves through the judicial process will be back in court on Oct. 2 after he filed a motion that sought to reduce his bond.
Jacob Meisner, 19, filed a motion on Sept. 24 asking the court to reduce his bond from $350,000 to $200,000 after none of the 16 witnesses his defense attorney interviewed since his previous bond reduction identified Meisner as one of Lord's attackers and one witness said he "technically lied" to police when he initially implicated Meisner, the motion said.
That witness said he initially told police that Meisner, who wore a multicolored robe and large purple hat with a feather on the night of Lord's fatal beating, was involved
in Lord's killing because he saw him involved in a different confrontation, the motion stated.
Prosecutors used the since-recanted statement in its presentation to the grand jury that ultimately indicted Meisner, it added.
"If there is one group of people we should consider reliable in describing Preston's assailants that night, it is Preston's friends," the motion said. "To date, undersigned counsel has interviewed several of Preston's friends, none of whom described Jacob as someone involved."
Meisner has remained in jail since his initial arrest on March 7, 2024, when he was 16 years old and would live with his parents if released.
"Jacob is not a morally depraved individual seeking to cause harm," the motion argued. "Instead, he is a young man who became involved with the wrong crowd."
Police say Lord's attackers were the "Gilbert Goons," a group of teenagers who had carried out assaults throughout the region.
A December 2023 investigation by The Arizona Republic tied Lord's death to the Goons, prompting police to reopen beating cases and start new ones.
Treston Billey, William "Owen" Hines, Jacob Meisner, Talan Renner, Taylor Sherman, Dominic Turner and Talyn Vigil were arrested in March 2024 and charged in connection with Lord's murder.
Hines, who was a minor when the attack happened, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison in May 2025. The others have pleaded not guilty, and their trials remain pending.
This is a developing story. Check back with azcentral.com for updates.
Republic reporters Robert Anglen, Elena Santa Cruz and Jose. R. Gonzalez contributed to this article.
Have a news tip? Contact The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com at newstips@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jailed 'Gilbert Goons' member Jacob Meisner ask court to reduce bond
