William Owen Hines became the first suspect in the Preston Lord case to take a plea agreement, following a court hearing Tuesday.
In court Tuesday, Hines pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a charge related to the Lord case. He changed his plea in connection to multiple other charges that span other cases.
Hines was arrested along with six others in connection to Lord's death in January 2024.
Lord was beaten by a group of teens at a Halloween party in Queen Creek in October 2023 and died at a hospital several days later.
See previous ABC15 coverage related to Hines and the Preston Lord case in the player above.
BREAKING: William Owen Hines is changing his plea in his four cases here in Maricopa County Superior Court, INCLUDING Preston Lord's murder case. We are waiting to hear the terms. @abc15 https://t.co/cpzdOvbWhf
— Ashley Holden (@ashleyvholden) March 4, 2025
ABC15 is working to get a copy of the plea agreement. This development has played out over multiple hours in court, with much of it happening behind closed doors.
Preston Lord’s parents, Nick Lord and Autumn Curiel, and their attorneys were in the courtroom as they heard Hines say “guilty.”
WATCH: Preston Lord's parents sit down with ABC15 for their first formal interview:
The judge said in court that the presumptive sentence is 10.5 years.
Sentencing for Hines is scheduled for May 2.
This is a developing story. Stay with abc15.com for the latest updates.
ABC15 went in-depth on the death of Preston Lord in an episode of Arizona Crime Uncovered. Watch that episode in the player below:
