In Provo, Utah (AP) — A court hearing is set for Monday for the 22-year-old accused of murdering Charlie Kirk. At this session, he and his newly appointed attorney will decide on whether to proceed with a preliminary hearing. This hearing will allow a judge to assess if there is sufficient evidence to advance to a trial.
Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder and plan to seek the death penalty.
The Utah state court allows defendants to waive their right to a preliminary hearing and proceed directly to an arraignment to enter a plea.
Kathryn Nester, who leads the defense team for Robinson, has not made any public statements regarding the case prior to Monday’s hearing. Attempts to reach prosecutors at the Utah County Attorney’s Office via email and phone for comments have gone unanswered.
The open court session in Provo is within close proximity to Utah Valley University in Orem, where the community is still grappling with the events of the September 10 shooting and the subsequent extensive search for Robinson.
Robinson was arrested after he voluntarily appeared with his parents at a sheriff’s office in his home area in southwest Utah, a location over three hours away from where the shooting took place, indicating his intention to surrender. Prosecutors have disclosed text messages and DNA evidence they claim link Robinson to the crime.
According to Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray, Robinson left a note for his partner stating his intent to act against one of the nation’s prominent conservative figures, declaring, “I’m going to take it.” Gray also reported that Robinson expressed his frustration in a text to his partner about Kirk, saying, “I had enough of his hatred.”
The assassination of Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism, has galvanized Republicans who have vowed to carry on Kirk’s mission of moving American politics further to the right.
Trump has declared Kirk a “martyr” for freedom and threatened to crack down on what he called the “radical left.”
Workers across the country have been punished or fired for speaking out about Kirk after his death, including teachers, public and private employees and media personalities — most notably Jimmy Kimmel, who had his late-night show suspended then quickly reinstated by ABC.
Kirk’s political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through his podcast, social media and campus events. Many prominent Republicans are filling in at the upcoming campus events Kirk was meant to attend, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Sen. Mike Lee at Utah State University on Tuesday.
