Preston Lord suspect convicted in two teenage abuse cases

MESA, AZ — One of the suspects in Preston Lord's murder was back in court Friday. Jacob Meisner, 17, has his disposition hearing — what they call sentencing in juvenile court — for two separate cases of teen violence. ABC15 generally does not name juvenile suspects, but Meisner is charged as an adult with the murder of 16-year-old Preston Lord.

November 2022 assault

The first assault Meisner was convicted of occurred in November 2022 outside a home on the edge of Gilbert and Queen Creek. The victim of that attack, Dale Jorgensen, only recently reported the incident. Dale spoke exclusively with ABC15 about his statement to police in February.

“It was only a few weeks after Preston Lord's murder that I realized I probably should report it, that something should be done,” Dale said.

Another suspect in Lord's murder, William Owen Hines, was also charged with Dale's assault. Two other arrests were made in the case, including Tyler Freeman, 17, charged as an adult in the November 2022 attack. Kyler Renner, the brother of another suspect in Lord's murder, was also stopped. The Maricopa County Prosecutor's Office told ABC15 on Friday that the recommended charges are still under consideration.

Aggression of May 2023

The second assault Meisner was convicted of Friday occurred in a Mesa park in May 2023. That teen's mother, JoBeth Palmer, read a note from her son and described in court the impact of the assault. attack.

“There are still the emotional and mental issues that our son deals with on a daily basis, he doesn't want to do all the kid things that he was capable of doing,” Palmer said.

Palmer will be back in court Monday as Meisner's co-defendant, Christopher Fantastic, appears for sentencing. The 18-year-old has already pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for the attack on Palmer's son as well as another assault that occurred last August at the Gilbert In-N-Out.

Inside the courtyard

Meisner admitted to both assaults. Cameras were not allowed inside the courthouse Friday, but the court commissioner said the 17-year-old will be on probation. Until he turns 18, he will be held in a juvenile facility. Once he becomes an adult, he will be transferred to the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

“It’s a good start,” said Dale’s mother, Rachel Jorgensen. “Meisner is just one of many cases, so I am happy to see that justice is starting to be served. »

She and Palmer spoke to ABC15 before leaving and both said they feared retaliation.

“The impact I feel is mainly fear for my other children,” Rachel said.

“We can't really decide if we're happy with the results or not because we know there's an adult case that's keeping him where he is,” Palmer said. “So that’s a bit of a relief.” »

Meisner's parents were also in court and said they were not proud of their son's actions but proud of his progress while in custody. The teen's lawyer said they were happy with the outcome.

Preston Lord Murder Case

As Meisner's attorney left court Friday, he would not comment on the discovery process in the Preston Lord murder case.

Meisner still faces first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated robbery charges in adult court, all stemming from that October night. All seven suspects charged in Lord's murder have pleaded not guilty.

ABC15 continues to track several cases of teen violence in the East Valley. Follow our Latest news here.