PROVO, Utah — Over the course of five days, prosecutors laid out what they described as compelling evidence against the man charged with killing conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, while defense attorneys challenged DNA findings and questioned the credibility of other witnesses.
However, it will still be weeks before a Provo judge rules on whether Tyler Robinson must face trial on an aggravated murder charge for the September 10 killing of Kirk at Utah Valley University. Both sides will deliver closing arguments on September 1 after filing legal briefs with State District Judge Tony Graf.
Robinson has not entered a plea at this point, and his legal team is working to remove the death penalty as a possible punishment. Robinson surrendered to authorities one day after Kirk was shot. Kirk had been a close ally of President Donald Trump and was credited with helping energize young voters to support him during the 2024 election.
Here is a breakdown of what emerged during the preliminary hearing.
Kirk, who was 31 years old, was fatally shot while addressing a crowd of thousands on September 10. Prosecutors presented multiple videos they say show Robinson on the university campus that day.
Former State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull walked the court through the footage, including one clip showing a man he identified as Robinson purchasing food at a Chick-fil-A and making contact with members of Kirk’s organization.
Hull testified that Robinson returned to campus in different clothing several hours later and fired the fatal shot from a rooftop. Prosecutors showed video of a man climbing onto a campus building, crouching down, and moving toward the edge. After the shot was fired, the man ran back across the roof, dropped to the ground, and fled on foot.
On Thursday, prosecutors played an audio recording of Robinson’s former roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs. In the recording, Twiggs says Robinson told him the day after Kirk’s death that “he wishes he hadn’t done it.”
Prosecutors also presented messages from a Discord chat they say involved Robinson and his friends. In the messages, a man identified by prosecutors as Robinson wrote: “Hey guys I have bad news for you all. it was me at UVU yesterday. Im sorry for all of this. Im surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments. Thanks for all the good times.”
In addition, prosecutors said Robinson left a handwritten note for Twiggs stating, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
Defense attorneys tried and failed to prevent the public release of Twiggs’ statements and the chat room messages, arguing that prosecutors would frame the material as a confession and compromise Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
Investigators recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon — a bolt-action rifle with one spent round — wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus.
State Bureau of Investigation analyst Jennifer Faumuina testified that DNA found on the towel matched two individuals: Robinson’s roommate, and someone very likely to be Robinson.
FBI DNA analyst Amanda Bakker explained the testing process she used, noting that she ran the tests again after Twiggs provided a DNA sample. Because Robinson and Twiggs lived together, Twiggs’ DNA was expected to appear on household items like the towel, Bakker said.
Robinson was identified as a “possible contributor” of DNA found on both the towel and a screwdriver discovered on the rooftop where the shot originated. Bakker noted that U.S. Department of Justice guidelines prohibit analysts from using phrases like “absolute identification” or “reasonable degree of scientific certainty.”
Defense attorney Michael Burt challenged Bakker’s conclusions, pressing her and other forensic specialists about the limits of DNA testing, including scenarios where DNA evidence might be absent or misleading. “She can’t match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples,” Burt said.
The DNA debate is expected to resurface if the case proceeds to trial. Forensics expert Lawrence Quarino, who has no involvement in the case, said law enforcement agencies rely on “extremely reliable” methods to calculate the probability that a person’s DNA matches samples collected from a crime scene.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, along with his parents, Kathryn and Robert Kirk, attended every day of the hearing, though they occasionally stepped out before graphic material was shown.
A particularly emotional moment came on Friday when the court played an enhanced, zoomed-in version of campus surveillance footage. Erika Kirk watched closely as the figure believed to be Robinson moved across the rooftop. When the person dropped to a crawl near the edge, she turned and embraced her mother-in-law, who was in tears. The two held each other with their faces buried in one another’s arms until the video was nearly finished, while Robert Kirk rubbed Kathryn’s back.
Robinson’s parents were also present throughout the hearing, seated a couple of rows from the Kirk family. Robinson himself remained quiet and showed little emotion during the proceedings.
Donald Trump Jr. attended the first several days of the hearing, and conservative activist Jack Posobiec was also present in the courtroom.
Only 14 seats were available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. The limited availability led some people to camp outside the courthouse, with folding chairs, sleeping pads, and blankets visible at the entrance each day.
Nguyen Weeks traveled from Northern California to attend but was unable to get a seat on the first two days. By Wednesday, she arrived at 2 a.m. to secure the first spot in line. Weeks said she came to witness “how justice happens.”
Tiani Shoemaker drove roughly an hour from Salt Lake City on Friday to show support for Kathryn Kirk. She was able to pass along a hat bearing the words “love like a mother” and a note of condolences to a member of the Kirk family’s security staff. She also said she wanted to witness a moment in history.
“This really is like the whole world is focused on little Provo, Utah, right now,” Shoemaker said.
