Tyler Robinson murder case: Utah court hears DNA and confession claims

Provo,UPDATED: Jul 11, 2026 04:22 IST

Lawyers for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, tried to cast doubt on the prosecution's case during a court hearing in the US on Friday, while prosecutors said they had "overwhelming" evidence, including DNA results and what they described as apparent confessions by the defendant. Judge Tony Graf said he would decide on September 1 whether the case should go to trial.

Kirk, 31, a confidant of President Donald Trump, was shot dead while addressing a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University on September 10. Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and could face the death penalty. Friday's proceedings ended a week of preliminary testimony and included an emotional moment for Kirk's family when the court played surveillance footage that prosecutors said showed Robinson on the rooftop from where a single bullet was fired, hitting Kirk in the neck.

As the video was played, Kirk's widow Erika watched closely while holding a tissue. When the figure identified by prosecutors as Robinson dropped to a crawl near the roof's edge, she turned and embraced Kirk's mother Kathryn, who was crying. They remained holding each other with their heads down until the video was nearly over.

Earlier in the week, prosecutors presented a recorded interview with Robinson's former roommate, who said the 23-year-old had expressed remorse over the shooting before surrendering. Prosecutors also placed on record DNA analysis that investigators said linked Robinson to the suspected murder weapon and to a tool he allegedly used to etch messages onto bullet cartridges.

The defence did not offer an alternative account of how Kirk was killed. However, Robinson's lawyer Michael Burt repeatedly questioned the reliability of the DNA evidence and other material presented by prosecutors. "If you had a lot of DNA on your hand, we shook hands, and I went to pick up an exhibit, a gun, and I touched the trigger of it, your DNA could be on that trigger, right?" Burt asked forensic biologist Caitlin Oliver of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "It is possible. Yes," Oliver replied. Burt also noted that government policies do not allow analysts to describe DNA evidence as "infallible" or as having a "zero error rate."

Chief Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander argued that the defence questions did not change the strength of the case. "Your honor's heard four days of testimony now. The evidence is overwhelming. It's devastating," Grunander said. Robinson did not testify at the hearing, and one of his lawyers told the judge that the defence had advised him not to. He has not entered a plea.

Kirk's family later issued a statement thanking people for their support and prayers. "We pray that truth will continue to be heard through a process that is fair, transparent, and grounded in the facts," the statement said. The video shown in court at the family's request included zoomed-in portions and red circles added to some images to draw attention to the figure on the roof. An unaltered version of the same footage had been shown earlier.

On Thursday, prosecutors also played parts of an April 20 interview with Robinson's roommate, Lance Twiggs, who was also reported to be his romantic partner. In the recording, Twiggs said that the day after Kirk was shot in the neck, Robinson cried and told him "he wishes he hadn't done it". Prosecutors also showed messages that investigators said were posted by Robinson about an hour before he turned himself in, including the line: "it was me at UVU yesterday," in a Discord chat room. Defence lawyers had unsuccessfully opposed the public release of Twiggs' statements and the chat messages, arguing that prosecutors would present them as a confession and harm Robinson's right to a fair trial.

Prosecutors have said the shooting put others at Kirk's campus event at risk, which they argue is an aggravating factor that could make the case eligible for the death penalty under Utah law. Robinson also faces possible sentence enhancements based on prosecutors' claim that he targeted Kirk because of his political views. In his interview, Twiggs said Robinson sometimes spoke about politics, including Trump, but that he had never heard him talk about Kirk before the shooting. Twiggs also said Robinson did not speak much about gender issues or LGBTQ rights.

The weeklong preliminary hearing drew intense media attention, with people sometimes lining up overnight for one of 14 seats reserved for the public. Legal experts said such hearings usually do not last this long and that the slow pace reflected Graf's cautious approach and the large volume of evidence. Speculation over that evidence has also fed unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about a possible second shooter or that Kirk's death was staged. "I think that the prosecution wanted to dispel those theories by putting out into the public record the overwhelming case that it possesses against Robinson," said Paul Cassell, a law professor at the University of Utah and a former federal judge. The hearing closed with the court yet to decide whether Robinson will stand trial in a case in which prosecutors say the evidence is strong and the defence says key parts of it should be examined closely.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends