A Utah judge will hear four hours of closing arguments Sept. 1 before deciding whether prosecutors presented enough evidence to try Tyler Robinson for Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
PROVO, Utah — A judge will wait until September to decide whether Tyler Robinson should stand trial for the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk after a week of preliminary hearing testimony concluded Friday in Utah.
Judge Tony Graf scheduled four hours of final arguments for Sept. 1. He is expected to determine afterward whether prosecutors established sufficient grounds to move the aggravated murder case into a formal trial.
Robinson has not entered a plea in connection with the Sept. 10 shooting at Utah Valley University.
Prosecutors argued throughout the hearing that Robinson positioned himself on a rooftop during a campus rally and fired the single bullet that struck Kirk in the neck.
The state presented testimony from law enforcement officials, forensic evidence and statements attributed to Robinson by his roommate, Lance Twiggs.
Twiggs said during a police interview that Robinson told him one day after the shooting that he wished “he hadn’t” killed Kirk.
Friday’s proceedings included surveillance footage that prosecutors said showed Robinson on the rooftop from which the fatal shot was fired. Members of Kirk’s family were present as the video was shown in court, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors also introduced DNA evidence they said connected Robinson to the alleged murder weapon and other material associated with the crime.
Robinson’s defense attorneys repeatedly questioned how much weight should be given to those findings, arguing that DNA can be transferred indirectly from one person or object to another.
Attorney Michael Burt raised that possibility while questioning Caitlin Oliver, a forensic biologist with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“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.
“It is possible. Yes,” Oliver replied.
The exchange formed part of a broader defense effort to challenge the reliability and significance of the DNA evidence rather than accepting it as proof that Robinson handled the weapon during the shooting.
Kirk’s relatives, including his wife, Erika Kirk, issued a joint statement after the preliminary hearing ended.
They described the proceedings as an “important step forward in the pursuit of justice for Charlie.”
“As difficult as these last few days have been, it brings our family comfort to know that the world has witnessed the overwhelming evidence of what occurred to Charlie that day,” the family said.
“Nothing will ever undo the loss of our beloved Charlie,” the statement continued. “As this case moves into its next phase, we pray that truth will continue to be heard through a process that is fair, transparent, and grounded in the facts.”
The September hearing will give both sides an opportunity to summarize the evidence, address disputes raised during testimony and argue whether the legal standard for advancing the prosecution has been met.
Graf’s ruling will determine whether Robinson must answer the aggravated murder charge at trial.