This information was taken from AZ Central.com but is now behind a paywall. I normally support local journalism, but this murder investigation is too important not to share.
Preston Lord cover-up began soon after beating, woman says'I was just expected to be involved' in Preston Lord attack cover-up, former employee says
Ashley Reynolds said she was an unwilling participant in a cover-up related to Preston Lord, a 16-year-old who died after being beaten in Queen Creek. Robert Anglen and Diana Payan/The Republic
Minutes after throwing punches in the fatal beating of Preston Lord, one of the teenage attackers called his father for help — and the clock on a cover-up began ticking, according to a woman who was directly involved.
A former employee at a Chandler media company said for the next two months she was an unwilling participant in a scheme to protect the 17-year-old attacker. She said her bosses made her privy to plans to conceal information, hide evidence and shift blame to another boy.
Travis Renner connected with his son after the beating on the night of Oct. 28 and quickly began working with his business partner to protect the boy and their business interests, the employee said.
Renner and Adam Kifer, CEO of Relentless Media Agency, openly discussed bringing the boy to a Show Low cabin long enough for hand injuries he sustained in the beating to heal and to keep authorities from interviewing him, the employee said.
Ashley Reynolds, as an executive assistant at Relentless, was tapped to help manage the "crisis," she said. Renner and Kifer talked about the circumstances surrounding Lord's death in front of her, and Kifer frequently provided updates directly to her, she said.
Reynolds, in an interview with The Arizona Republic, said electronic calendar entries were backdated to make it appear Renner was already out of town on Oct. 28. She said Renner and Kifer met for legal strategy sessions, and they came up with a way for Renner to divest himself from the company to minimize his exposure to lawsuits.
Kifer then required Reynolds to sign a nondisclosure agreement so none of what she knew would be made public, she said.
"I was torn up inside. ... I didn't get an opportunity to choose whether I wanted to be involved in this," she said. "I was just expected to be involved in this, and it hurt me a lot."
Reynolds said she was traumatized at being told to keep secrets about the fatal beating, knowing Renner's son was involved and watching her bosses take steps to keep him out of sight.
"I have boys of my own, they're younger," Reynolds said in a Feb. 19 interview. "But I can't imagine being a mom and losing a son and having people out there knowing what happened and not coming forward."
Renner did not respond to multiple interview requests. Lawyers for Renner's son also did not respond.
No one has been arrested or charged in Lord's death.
When she couldn't keep quiet anymore, Reynolds said she was fired and became the target of a retaliation campaign by Kifer.
He sought to muzzle her from social media. Relentless Media hit her with a cease-and-desist letter alleging financial fraud. Kifer then emailed a reporter accusing her of being a "professional con artist." He then filed a civil fraud lawsuit against her.
Kifer declined to answer specific questions about his discussions with Renner. He would not address the killing of Lord or other inquiries about his business based on texts, emails and screenshots Reynolds provided.
In a Feb. 23 email to The Republic, Kifer said he has "no connection to the allegations involving the Renner family," but "the ongoing legal situation" prevented him from providing details.
"The loss of Preston Lord has been a devastating blow to our entire community, making it incredibly challenging to articulate his death and the surrounding circumstances," Kifer said in the statement.
Queen Creek police Chief Randy Brice confirmed Reynolds interviewed in February with detectives investigating Lord's homicide. Some details she provided aligned with information investigators already had developed, he said.
"The statements that were made that related to our case corroborated what we already knew. ... It was corroboration rather than a contradiction," Brice said. "It's information that we already knew through a different set of interviews."
Reynolds' version of events is the first account of how Lord's attack unfolded that authorities have publicly acknowledged. Employee: Lord attack discussed as a type of 'initiation' Lord was a popular student at Combs High School in San Tan Valley, where he served on the student council and played basketball, football and golf.
Lord was at a Halloween party in Queen Creek with friends who say he was jumped by multiple teenagers. Several kids tried to administer CPR to keep Lord breathing as his body lay motionless in the street. He died two days later, on Oct. 30, of traumatic brain injuries.
The beating death touched off outrage in the southeast Valley suburbs, with parents, students and community activists holding vigils, marches and protests calling for justice in Lord's name.
A Dec. 14 investigation by The Republic detailed how Lord's death was likely tied to a string of vicious attacks by the "Gilbert Goons." The gang of teenagers recorded the blitz-style attacks on other teens in parks, parking garages, outside fast-food restaurants and at house parties.
Most of the attacks occurred in Gilbert and went unchecked by police there for more than a year. Other Goon attacks were recorded in Mesa, Chandler and Pinal County. There's no evidence yet that any attack occurred in Queen Creek before the one on Lord.
Reynolds said everything she knows about Lord's beating came from Renner or Kifer. Based on what they told her, Renner's son instigated the attack and threw punches, she said.
The Republic does not normally name juveniles accused of crimes unless they are charged as adults.
There is a lot Reynolds said she does not know about the attack; for example, the names of other kids involved or how many blows were thrown. She does not know why Lord was targeted.
She also could not say if Lord was stomped on after he fell to the street, which happened in many Goon attacks.
"They didn't talk about that," Reynolds said.
Former employee says bosses plotted cover-up related to Preston Lord attack
"They said they had plenty of money; they would be able to get away with this," said Ashley Reynolds, a former employee of Relentless Media Agency. Robert Anglen and Diana Payan/The Republic
She said Renner and Kifer discussed the attack as a kind of initiation — that Renner's son wanted to participate in beatings similar to those carried out by the Goons. She said the name of the group was not mentioned.
"They said it was an initiation. ... Kifer and Renner were the ones talking. I would just stand there and listen. I was never allowed to ask questions," Reynolds said. "I never heard the term ‘Gilbert Goons.’"
Brice said he could not comment on Reynolds' specific claims, citing the ongoing investigation. He told The Republic the frenzied and brutal attack took only seconds as it moved through throngs of teenage partygoers.
On Dec. 28, the two-month anniversary of Lord's beating, Queen Creek police referred charges against seven people — a mix of adults and juveniles — to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
Brice would not disclose what those people are accused of but said they could face a variety of charges.
He said there could be additional criminal referrals.
Queen Creek police Chief Randy Brice addresses Preston Lord case
Queen Creek police Chief Randy Brice on Feb. 20, 2024, addresses the case of slain teen Preston Lord. Elena Santa Cruz and Diana Payan/The Republic Employee: Plan devised to pin killing on another teen
Reynolds had no inkling she would be dragged into a cover-up when she arrived at work on Monday, Oct. 30, the day Lord died.
But plans to conceal Renner's son's involvement in the beating already were underway, she said.
When Kifer pulled her aside and told her Renner's son had been involved in "a very bad incident" over the weekend, Reynolds didn't connect it to Lord, she said. But it didn't take long for Kifer to divulge what he had heard, she said.
Going to the police or turning in Renner's son was not an option, Reynolds said.
"Never. Adamantly, no," she said. "They refused. They talked about how they would never do such a thing. ... They said they had plenty of money; they would be able to get away with this."
Kifer told her Renner had left with his son to Show Low, she said.
"I was first told that he was taking his son to the cabin for his hand to heal," Reynolds said. "That was on the 30th. He (Renner) was not in the office that day. I didn't see him until he returned from Show Low."
Reynolds said Kifer's digital office calendar was changed to make it appear Renner was out of town during the weekend of the Halloween party.
A screenshot she provided shows "Travis gone" from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6. Other screenshots show Renner listed as "gone" on Oct. 27 and 28.
Reynolds said when Renner returned to the office, discussions turned to pinning the killing on another teen: a boy with the same first name as Renner's son, although it is spelled differently.
"The plan they came up with was to blame it on (him)," Reynolds said.
Renner and Kifer said the teen was with Renner's son during the attack and might have recorded it, according to Reynolds. She said Renner wanted to use the names to confuse authorities about who did what and shift suspicion away from his son.
That teen has made incriminating statements about Lord's death, according to an interview and a social post.
His former girlfriend told police that just minutes after the fatal beating, he climbed into a car and bragged: "I knocked that kid out." The girl's mother recounted the moment to The Republic in a December interview. Karli Heinmiller said her daughter was interviewed by detectives who later had her walk them through the crime scene.
Just days after the attack, the same teen appeared to make a confession on Snapchat. A screenshot of the post has circulated widely on social media.
"I hit a kid and this kid feel hit his head and then they kicked his head in the ground then i got word he died so idk," the post read. The Republic could not verify the authenticity of the post. The teenager and his parents have not responded to multiple interview requests about it.
Reynolds said they just expected her to go along with the plan. As a single mother of five, Reynolds said, she needed the income and couldn't afford to be without a job.
She also said she felt valued and was well-treated. Kifer and Renner had no reason to doubt her commitment, she said.
"I never told them 'no,'" she said. "My job was to tell them 'yes.' That is what I was paid to do, and they knew that."
Residents speak to Queen Creek mayor, police chief about Preston Lord's death, teen violence
Residents address the Queen Creek mayor and police chief about Preston Lord's death and teen violence during a Town Council meeting on Jan. 17, 2024. Employee: Bosses worked to protect business assets
Renner anticipated he would be sued, and much of the planning in the wake of Lord's death was about protecting his assets, Reynolds said.
Relentless is one of four companies controlled by Renner and run by Kifer, she said. The others are a consulting business called Relentless CEO Inc. and two martial arts companies, MUV Martial Arts and MX Martial Arts.
Kifer is the face of the companies, but Renner's money and business smarts drive their success, Reynolds said. Kifer depends financially on Renner to stay in business, she said. Property records show Kifer lives in a house owned by Renner.
"Adam was told that Travis was more than likely going to have to file bankruptcy because of this case; it's going to break him," Reynolds said. "Because those two are so tightly wound financially ... that Adam was going to need to seek an attorney to buy Travis' shares, to separate ties between them."
But Reynolds said it was more of a legal maneuver, a ruse.
"Adam told me he never had any intention of completely losing Travis as a business partner," she said. "He can't financially afford to lose Travis, and he was going 'to let the dust settle' ... and let Travis back in."
Reynolds said she was enlisted to hire attorneys, sign company legal documents and contact valuation experts. Kifer authorized her to sign documents on his behalf, including a retainer agreement with a law firm. Reynolds provided a copy of a Dec. 5 legal agreement and payment form she said she signed at Kifer's direction.
Renner was much more confident about minimizing the time his son would be behind bars than he was about saving his businesses and properties and avoiding bankruptcy, Reynolds said.
Renner relayed information from his son's attorneys, who told him they would do whatever it took to defend the teen, even if there were legal consequences for Renner, she said.
Southeast Valley residents have made the Renners a focal point of conversations about Lord's death and attacks by the Goons. The family also is on law enforcement's radar. In the months after the beating, Renner family members were arrested, their residences were searched and their businesses imploded.
Social media posters singled out the Renners on Facebook and other sites in late October, and they have been pursued relentlessly since. Rampant speculation fed conspiracy theories. The Renners' addresses were posted online. Their businesses were targeted in boycott campaigns.
Their home in the tony Gilbert neighborhood of Whitewing was targeted in a dramatic Nov. 6 police raid. Officers descended on the gated enclave to execute multiple search warrants, preventing residents from returning to their homes for hours.
Officers positioned themselves around homes with automatic weapons and blocked streets with an armored vehicle and evidence vans. One of Renner's neighbors snapped pictures of Renner's wife, Becky, sitting on the curb as technicians entered and exited her home.
Becky Renner has repeatedly declined comment. She was recently stripped of her rights to a business franchise over her family's alleged involvement in the death of Lord.
The Renner's adult son, Kyler, was arrested in January on suspicion of being involved with two gang attacks tied to the Gilbert Goons that occurred in 2022. A Maricopa County grand jury on Feb. 15 indicted him on felony drug charges, including drugs for sale.
Travis Renner also was arrested on the same day as his son, on suspicion of drug possession and paraphernalia charges. Court records indicate officers found psychedelic mushrooms during a search at a separate house he owns near Whitewing.
Reynolds said she told police drugs were a frequent topic of discussion at Relentless. She said Kifer joked with staff about it, often referring to Travis Renner's drug use. She provided screenshots of text messages that included references to MDMA, also known as ecstasy.
Employee: Email, lawsuit part of campaign to discredit her
Reynolds said she had no intention of going public with her story. The Republic contacted her after Kifer sent an unsolicited email asking a reporter to examine her activities.
Kifer's Feb. 6 email said he had filed a police report and invited The Republic to investigate Reynolds' alleged misconduct. Kifer identified himself as owning "a few different businesses in Chandler" but did not mention his ties to Renner.
"Let me know if this is something you or a colleague would like to talk about more," Kifer wrote in the email. "I have plenty of evidence and things that I can share. At the end of the day, we just want to stop her from hurting more people."
Kifer has since declined to discuss his allegations.
Reynolds denied any wrongdoing. She said Kifer's email was part of an orchestrated campaign to undermine her credibility. Kifer and Renner are desperate to stop her from talking, she said.
"None of it's true. None of it," she said of Kifer’s allegations. "They are making this up to make me look bad, to stop from telling what I know."
Reynolds said their efforts to silence her began on Nov. 22, when Kifer asked her to sign a "case-specific" nondisclosure agreement covering information about Lord. She said Kifer promised to provide her with a copy but never did.
Reynolds said she was fired on Jan. 19 after Kifer found private messages she had sent to other employees related to the homicide. She said there was no mention of theft or fraud claims when she was fired, and less than a month earlier, Kifer had given her a $1,100 bonus so she could buy toys for her kids at Christmas.
"These were employees who were coming to me," she said. "Adam never addressed the case with the staff, not once. He never brought it up, so they were reading it in the news, they were seeing it online, they were seeing Travis' and Adam's name involved, and they would come to me, and I would try to talk to them."
She said she recommended to some that they find other work because she wasn't sure the business could survive.
"None of us felt good about this. We did want to go to police," she said. "We felt like we were doing something illegal knowing they were involved, and we weren't able to do anything about it."
Reynolds said she grappled with coming forward after losing her job. She worried about the legal consequences of breaking the nondisclosure agreement. She said she consulted with lawyers who led her to believe the nondisclosure agreement couldn't be used to prevent her from talking about a crime.
On Jan. 28, Reynolds posted videos on TikTok about working for Kifer and Renner and acknowledged she had information about Lord's case; she said she would come forward soon with more.
The next day, on Jan. 29, Kifer sent her a cease-and-desist letter threatening her with legal action, she said. She immediately took down the posts, she said, and arranged to speak with authorities. She said she met with a detective on Feb. 2.
A week later, on Feb. 9, Kifer and Relentless Media sued Reynolds, reiterating many of the claims made in Kifer's email to The Republic. Reynolds responded with a lengthy rebuttal to the allegations.
"I've never done anything wrong in my life. I have no criminal record. And now I'm being accused of stealing," she said. "That is absolutely absurd and asinine to me. Never, ever, ever did this even come up until he had knowledge of me speaking out for justice."
Kifer reached out to The Republic again on Feb. 15, this time through a representative, about the pending closure of MX Martial Arts — and an announcement on his decision to "part ways" with Travis Renner.
Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Reach him at robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8694. Follow him on X: @robertanglen.
Reach reporter Elena Santa Cruz at elena.santacruz@gannett.com or 480-466-2265. Follow her on X: @ecsantacruz3.