PROVO, Utah — Utah prosecutors are expected to play audio recordings in court Thursday from interviews between law enforcement officials and the roommate of the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Attorneys for Tyler Robinson had objected to making the statements public, arguing that comments from Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, could be presented by prosecutors as a confession. They warned that media coverage of the recordings could jeopardize Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
Robinson faces an aggravated murder charge and has not yet entered a plea. Authorities say he surrendered the day after Kirk was killed. Kirk, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump, was widely credited with helping energize young voters in support of Trump during the 2024 election.
According to prosecutors, Robinson left a note for Twiggs that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” Prosecutors also allege Robinson later texted Twiggs that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”
Twiggs spoke with investigators on Sept. 12, two days after Kirk was assassinated while addressing thousands of people at Utah Valley University, and again on April 20. He received immunity for his statements, meaning his remarks cannot be used against him in any potential criminal prosecution.
State District Judge Tony Graf is expected to determine at the end of this week’s preliminary hearing whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence for the case against Robinson to proceed to trial.
Robinson’s defense team has not publicly addressed whether he is guilty or innocent, but it has attempted to remove the possibility of the death penalty from the case. Those efforts have not succeeded so far.
Lawyers representing Kirk’s family, along with media organizations, had pressed the judge to allow Twiggs’ statements and other evidence to be released publicly.
“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 Graf.
Investigators say Robinson went to a rooftop near where Kirk was speaking and shot him once through the neck as the activist was taking questions from a crowd of several thousand people. Kirk was declared dead after being taken to a hospital.
Investigators found the suspected murder weapon – a bolt-action rifle with one spent round – wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near where Kirk was shot.
Robinson’s lawyers earlier this week questioned the reliability of DNA testing used to link the defendant to the towel and gun.
A member of Tyler Robinson’s defense team interrogated a DNA analyst from the FBI about the techniques she used to connect Robinson to the evidence. Defense lawyer Michael Burt cast doubt on the analyst’s conclusions.
“She can’t match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples,” Burt argued.
But forensics expert Lawrence Quarino said law enforcement agencies use “extremely reliable” tests to determine the probability that a person matches with 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 program at Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania.
Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
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