A preliminary hearing in Utah is examining whether there is enough evidence to try Tyler Robinson, 23, for the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, with prosecutors also seeking to pursue the death penalty against him.
Prosecutors in Utah appeared in court on Monday in an effort to persuade a judge that there is sufficient evidence to send the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk to trial, and to pursue the death penalty against him.
This hearing – due to run for five days – is the fullest airing of evidence the case has seen so far. Robinson, 23, is charged with the aggravated murder of Kirk, who was shot dead at Utah Valley University on September 10. Kirk was a prominent conservative activist and an ally of President Trump; Robinson turned himself in to police the following day.
Kirk’s parents and his widow, Erika Kirk, attended the hearing – the first time they had appeared in court since the case began. Also present was Donald Trump Jr, the president’s son, while Robinson’s parents sat several rows behind the Kirk family as proceedings got under way.
The Kirk family left the courtroom shortly after the prosecution’s opening witness, a police officer, began describing Kirk’s arrival on campus on the day he was killed. They returned a short time later.
Throughout Monday’s proceedings, Robinson remained composed, seated between members of his legal team as he followed the prosecution’s exhibits on a screen, jotting down notes from time to time. He was dressed in a grey suit, his wrists linked by a chain running to a restraint at his waist.
Central to the prosecution’s case is a note that Robinson is alleged to have left for his roommate, who was also his romantic partner. According to prosecutors, it read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
No plea has yet been entered by Robinson, and his lawyers have declined to address whether he is guilty or innocent. Efforts by the defence to have capital punishment excluded as a sentencing option have not succeeded to date.
