MESA, AZ — One of the suspects in the murder of Preston Lord was back in court on Friday. Jacob Meisner, 17, has his disposition hearing — which is what they call sentencing in juvenile court — for two separate teen violence cases. Typically, ABC15 does not name juvenile suspects, but Meisner is charged as an adult in the murder of 16-year-old Preston Lord.
November 2022 Assault
The first assault Meisner was sentenced for dates back to November 2022 outside a home on the edge of Gilbert and Queen Creek. The victim in that attack, Dale Jorgensen, didn't report the case until recently. Dale spoke with ABC15 exclusively about coming forward to police in February.
"Just weeks after Preston Lord’s murder is when I realized I probably need to report it something has to be done," said Dale.
Another suspect in Lord's murder, William Owen Hines, was also charged in Dale's assault. Two other arrests were made in the case, including 17-year-old Tyler Freeman, who has been charged as an adult in the November 2022 attack. Kyler Renner, the brother of another suspect in Lord's murder, was also arrested. On Friday, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office told ABC15 his recommended charges are still under review.
May 2023 Assault
The second assault Meisner was sentenced for Friday happened at a Mesa park in May of 2023. The mom of that teen, JoBeth Palmer, read a note from her son and described in court the impact of the attack.
"There's still the emotional and mental that our son deals with every day, it’s not wanting to do all the kid things that he used to be able to do," said Palmer.
Palmer will be back in court on Monday as Meisner's co-defendant, Christopher Fantastic, will appear for his sentencing. The 18-year-old has already pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for the attack against Palmer's son and also for another assault that happened last August at the Gilbert In-N-Out.
Inside Court
Meisner admitted to aggravated assault for both attacks. Cameras were not allowed inside court Friday, but the court commissioner said the 17-year-old will be on probation. Until he turns 18, he will be in custody at a juvenile facility. Once he's an adult, he will be transferred to the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
"It's a good start," said Dale's mom, Rachel Jorgensen. "Meisner is just one of many, so I’m glad that I’m able to see justice start to get served."
Both she and Palmer spoke with ABC15 as they left, and both said they have feared retaliation.
"The impact I feel mainly on the fear for my other children," said Rachel.
"We can’t really decide if we are happy with the results or not because we do know there is an adult case that is keeping him where he’s at," said Palmer. "So that is a little bit of relief."
Meisner's parents were also in court and said they weren't proud of their son's actions but proud of his progress while in custody. The teen's attorney said they were pleased 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 is still facing first-degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery in adult court all stemming from that October night. All seven suspects accused in Lord's murder have all pleaded not guilty.
ABC15 continues to follow multiple teen violence cases in the East Valley. Follow our latest coverage here.
