Tyler Robinson hearing tests DNA and rifle evidence in Charlie Kirk killing
Erika Kirk and Charlie Kirk’s parents will attend Robinson hearing
Charlie Kirk’s parents and widow are expected to attend a weeklong preliminary hearing in Utah where prosecutors will try to show they have enough evidence to move forward with the murder case against suspected killer Tyler Robinson.
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PROVO, Utah – Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University last year, will appear in court Monday for a week-long preliminary hearing that will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to move the case to trial.
In many cases, Robinson was indicted by information while prosecutors prepared grand jury indictments behind closed doors and without giving defense attorneys a chance to object to the evidence; This means prosecutors must establish probable cause at a public preliminary hearing before the case can go to trial.
Defense lawyers will be able to cross-examine witnesses. However, unlike an actual trial, the burden of proof is lower. Prosecutors must show probable cause for the charges against Robinson. They don’t have to prove themselves guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This happens at trial in front of a jury.
CHARLIE KIRK’S WIDOW PARENTS TO ATTEND TYLER ROBINSON’S PRELIMINARY HEARING NEXT WEEK
Tyler Robinson, accused of murdering Charlie Kirk, appeared for a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, on Thursday, December 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was speaking in front of thousands of young people at a TPUSA event when a sniper bullet fatally struck him in the neck. His wife and family are also expected to attend the hearing.
Prosecutors alleged that investigators found Robinson’s DNA on the trigger of his grandfather’s Mauser rifle, the suspected murder weapon; a towel they found wrapped around him; Three of the four bullets inside and a screwdriver found near the suspected rooftop sniper’s perch.
It is expected that the digital evidence against Robinson will include text messages and confessions made via the Discord communication application.
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Charlie Kirk was assassinated during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on September 10. (Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Police found the rifle along the suspect’s escape route in a wooded area near the UVU campus. Robinson is accused of sending a text message to her boyfriend, Lance Twiggs, that he wanted to get the rifle back, and he is believed to have confronted an officer who was on guard nearby, law enforcement said.
“We’re stuck in Orem for a while longer,” Robinson allegedly wrote in the hours after the murder. “It won’t be long before I get home, but I still need to get my rifle.”
Twiggs, who allegedly left a handwritten note from Robinson confessing to the crime, is cooperating with investigators and has not yet been charged.
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While the suspect’s girlfriend will not take the witness stand during the week-long preliminary hearing, prosecutors are expected to play the video of the suspect’s interview with the police.
While Robinson’s defense highlighted the fact that the ATF could not conclusively match the Mauser to the bullet that killed Kirk, analysts also could not ignore it. They found it to be a consistent caliber and located a matching spent shell.
Witnesses are also expected to be at the scene where Robinson lives in Washington, Utah, a four-hour drive away.
A rough estimate of the suspicious movements of Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin Tyler Robinson, based on court documents, videos from the scene, and interviews with law enforcement. (Google Maps, Fox News Digital)
In addition to allegedly shooting Kirk, he is also charged with witness tampering, committing a violent crime in front of a child, use of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors alleged that Robinson targeted Kirk because of his political views, tried to conceal his rifle and the clothes he was wearing at the time of the attack, and suggested Twiggs delete the incriminating messages, destroy the note and remain silent if police questioned him.
Investigators search a taped-off area on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Orem, Utah. The search is believed to be related to the search for evidence regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk during a rally at UVU. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
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Robinson has not yet entered a plea and will not be required to do so unless prosecutors prove correct at the preliminary hearing.
The top charge against him, aggravated murder, carries the potential death penalty.
