Tyler Robinson hearing reveals roommate's 'he wishes he hadn't done it' remark

Provo,UPDATED: Jul 10, 2026 00:22 IST

A Utah court on Thursday heard a recorded statement from the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, in which the accused's roommate and romantic partner said Tyler Robinson told him the day after the shooting that "he wishes he hadn't done it". The recording was played during Robinson's preliminary hearing, where the judge will decide whether there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

Robinson is charged with aggravated murder in the fatal shooting of Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump who was credited with helping galvanise young voters for the Republican in the 2024 election. He has not entered a plea. Prosecutors say he turned himself in a day after the shooting and had earlier left a note saying, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it." They also allege he sent a text saying he targeted Kirk because he "had enough of his hatred."

Lance Twiggs described his interaction with Robinson in a recorded interview with a prosecutor on April 20. He had first spoken to authorities on September 12, two days after Kirk was shot while addressing a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University. Twiggs was given immunity for his statements, meaning they cannot be used against him in a possible criminal case. Defence lawyers had opposed the public release of his statements, saying prosecutors would present them as a confession and risk undermining Robinson's right to a fair trial if the media broadcast them.

Lawyers for the media and for Kirk's widow, Erika, who has been attending the hearing, asked the court to make Twiggs' statements and other evidence public. "To not be transparent, to not be open and let the world see what happened will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system," Kirk family lawyer Jeffrey Neiman told Judge Tony Graf on Wednesday. Neiman later filed a request seeking the open, real-time display of all evidence against Robinson during the hearing, writing that Erika Kirk and Kirk's parents had waited 10 months for the hearing but had at times been denied the chance "to meaningfully observe" it. The judge said not all evidence would be openly displayed and that he needed to protect the rights of both victims and the defendant.

Investigators say Robinson went to a rooftop near the venue, where Kirk was taking questions from a crowd, and shot him once through the neck. Kirk was taken to hospital and declared dead. Investigators later found the suspected murder weapon, a bolt-action rifle with one spent round, wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the scene. Robinson has sat quietly through the hearing. On Thursday, he wore a jacket and tie, with one arm shackled to his waist, and appeared to take notes with his free hand. His parents and two brothers sat behind him in the front row of the courtroom gallery, while Kirk's parents and Erika Kirk sat a few rows back. Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee was also present.

Earlier this week, Robinson's lawyers questioned the DNA testing used to link him to the towel and the gun. Defence lawyer Michael Burt challenged an FBI analyst over the methods used and argued, "She can't match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples." But forensics expert Lawrence Quarino said law enforcement agencies use "extremely reliable" tests to assess the probability that a person matches DNA found at a crime scene. DNA testing "is the gold standard in forensic science," said Quarino, a professor and director of the forensic science programme at Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania. At the end of this week's hearing, Judge Graf will decide whether prosecutors have enough evidence to bring Robinson to trial, while his lawyers continue to seek the removal of the death penalty as a possible punishment.

With PTI Inputs

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