PHOENIX — Preston Lord's death has officially been ruled a homicide.
A recent update to the medical examiner's report on the teen's death shows the Maricopa County ME's office now believes Lord's manner of death was a "homicide."
Queen Creek police have been investigating the 16-year-old's death as a homicide for months, though the official medical examiner report had long been "pending."
Officials have confirmed the report is complete and has been sent to law enforcement. The report will now go under legal review before public release.
Currently, multiple people have been referred to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for recommended charges in Lord's death.
So far, MCAO continues to review those recommendations and no one has been charged in connection to Lord's death.
Lord's death brought a series of attacks on teenagers in the East Valley back into the spotlight, leading multiple police agencies to start or reopen cases of violence.
Multiple people have been arrested in connection to these revisited cases, including some for multiple attacks in the East Valley.
