{"success":true,"data":{"id":"c1ca6642-82d9-418f-b616-8ef30aad6aaf","title":"Takeaways from a weeklong preliminary hearing in the Charlie Kirk murder case","summary":"Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Not now Yes please US Edition Change Support Now × \"Clear search box\") Custom Search Sort by Relevance Date NewsNews World CupWorld Cup SportsSports CultureCulture LifestyleLifestyle MoneyMon...","content":"## Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent\n\nNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.\n\nNot now Yes please\n\nUS Edition Change\n\nSupport Now\n\n[×](javascript:void(0) \"Clear search box\")\n\nCustom Search\n\nSort by\n\nRelevance\n\nDate\n\n*   News[News](https://www.independent.co.uk/us)\n\n*   World Cup[World Cup](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup)\n\n*   Sports[Sports](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport)\n\n*   Culture[Culture](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment)\n\n*   Lifestyle[Lifestyle](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style)\n\n*   Money[Money](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money)\n\n*   Travel[Travel](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/travel)\n\n*   Premium[Premium](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium)\n\nMore\n\nMore\n\n### Thank you for registering\n\nPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in\n\n# Takeaways from a weeklong preliminary hearing in the Charlie Kirk murder case\n\n## The first stage of a preliminary hearing has wrapped up in the case of the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk\n\n[Hannah Schoenbaum](https://www.independent.co.uk/author/hannah-schoenbaum)&[Rebecca Boone](https://www.independent.co.uk/author/rebecca-boone)Saturday 11 July 2026 16:00 BST\n\n*   Copy link  \n*   Bookmark  \n\n## Bookmark popover\n\nRemoved from bookmarks\n\nClose popover\n\nShow all 5\n\n### Your support helps us to tell the story\n\nFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.\n\nAt such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.\n\nThe Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.\n\n**Your support makes all the difference.**\n\nFor five days, prosecutors presented what they said was overwhelming evidence against the man accused of killing conservative activist and Turning Point [USA](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/usa) founder [Charlie Kirk](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/charlie-kirk), while defense attorneys worked to sow doubt about [DNA](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/dna) analysts' findings and other witnesses.\n\nBut it will still be several weeks before a judge in Provo decides whether Tyler Robinson must stand trial on an aggravated murder charge for the Sept. 10 assassination of Kirk at Utah Valley University. That's because attorneys on both sides will present final arguments Sept. 1 after submitting legal briefs to State District Judge Tony Graf.\n\nRobinson has not yet entered a plea, and his attorneys are seeking to get the death penalty taken off the table. Robinson turned himself in a day after the shooting of Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump who was credited with helping galvanize young voters behind him in the 2024 election.\n\nHere are the key takeaways from the preliminary hearing so far.\n\nProsecutors introduced videos they say show Robinson on campus\n\nUndo\n\nUndo\n\n[](https://tick.topchicdeals.com/51946335-b32a-4287-891e-7a2c0b162747)[Why Are Western Lovers Buying This Iron Pony? 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Prosecutors showed several videos they said show Robinson on campus that day.\n\nFormer State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull narrated the videos, including one showing a man he said was Robinson buying food at Chick-fil-A and making contact with people from Kirk's organization.\n\nHull said Robinson returned in different clothes hours later to shoot Kirk from a rooftop, and prosecutors showed video of a man climbing onto a campus building. In the video the man crouches down and runs to a site near the edge. After the shooting the man runs back across the roof, drops to the ground and flees on foot.\n\nRoommate told police that Robinson said ‘he wishes he hadn’t done it’\n\nProsecutors played a recording of Robinson's former roommate and romantic partner Lance Twiggs on Thursday. In it Twiggs says Robinson told him “he wishes he hadn't done it” the day after Kirk was killed.\n\nProsecutors also shared messages from a Discord chat that they said was between Robinson and friends. In it a man prosecutors identified as Robinson says: “Hey guys I have bad news for you all. it was me at UVU yesterday. Im sorry for all of this. Im surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments. Thanks for all the good times.”\n\nProsecutors also said Robinson left a note for Twiggs that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”\n\nDefense attorneys unsuccessfully fought against the public release of the statements from Twiggs and the chat room messages. They argued that prosecutors would characterize the material as a confession, undermining Robinson’s right to a fair trial.\n\nThe defense questioned the reliability of DNA results\n\nInvestigators found the suspected murder weapon — a bolt-action rifle with one spent round — wrapped in a towel in the woods near campus.\n\nDNA on the towel matched to two people, Jennifer Faumuina with the State Bureau of Investigation testified: one was Robinson’s roommate, and the other was very likely Robinson.\n\nFBI DNA analyst Amanda Bakker testified about the process she used to run the testing, including rerunning the tests after Twiggs provided a DNA sample for comparison. Because the two lived together, Twiggs' DNA was expected to be found on items from the home like the towel, Bakker said.\n\nRobinson was found to be a “possible contributor” of the DNA on the towel and a screwdriver found on the rooftop where the shot was fired, she said. U.S. Department of Justice policy is that examiners do not use language like “absolute identification” or “reasonable degree of scientific certainty,” Bakker said.\n\nDefense attorney Michael Burt cast doubt on Bakker's conclusions. He questioned her and other forensic specialists extensively about the limitations of DNA testing, including situations where DNA might not be found or results might be misleading.\n\n“She can’t match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples,” Burt concluded.\n\nThe issue will likely come up again if the case goes to trial. Forensics expert Lawrence Quarino, who is not involved in the case, said law enforcement agencies use “extremely reliable” tests to determine the probability that a person matches with DNA found at a crime scene.\n\nEmotional proceedings for family members\n\nKirk's widow, Erika Kirk, and his parents, Kathryn and Robert Kirk, attended each day, though they sometimes left the room before graphic evidence was presented.\n\nOne particularly emotional moment happened Friday, when the court played an enhanced and zoomed-in version of campus surveillance video.\n\nErika Kirk watched intently as a person said to be Robinson was seen running across the roof. When the figure dropped to a crawl near the edge, she turned and embraced her mother-in-law, who was crying. They held each other and buried their faces in each other's arms until the video was almost over, while Robert Kirk rubbed Kathryn's back.\n\nRobinson's parents also attended each day, sitting a couple of rows away from the Kirks. Tyler Robinson was quiet and maintained a stoic demeanor throughout.\n\nDonald Trump Jr. was in court for the first few days, and conservative activist [Jack Posobiec](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/jack-posobiec) also attended.\n\nSupporters and would-be attendees lined up for seats\n\nFourteen seats in the courtroom were reserved for the public, on a first come, first served basis.\n\nThe limited space had some camping outside the courthouse, and folding chairs, sleeping pads and blankets littered the entrance each day.\n\nNguyen Weeks traveled from Northern California to attend but did not get a seat the first two days. On Wednesday she was there at 2 a.m. to score the first spot in line. Weeks said she wanted to watch “how justice happens.”\n\nTiani Shoemaker drove about an hour from Salt Lake City on Friday to attend. She said she was there to show support to Kathryn Kirk — she was able to give a Kirk family security staffer a hat with the words “love like a mother” and a note of condolences — and also to see a bit of history in the making.\n\n“This really is like the whole world is focused on little Provo, Utah, right now,” Shoemaker said.","source_name":"The Independent","source_url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/charlie-kirk-dna-takeaways-utah-usa-b3013185.html","url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/charlie-kirk-dna-takeaways-utah-usa-b3013185.html","author":"Hannah Schoenbaum and Rebecca Boone","author_name":"Hannah Schoenbaum and Rebecca Boone","published_at":"2026-07-11T15:00:25.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-11T15:00:25.000Z","image_url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/11/16/Charlie_Kirk_Shot_91373.jpg?quality=75&width=640&height=614&fit=bounds&format=pjpg&crop=16%3A9%2Coffset-y0.5&auto=webp","category":"world","topic":"world","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":7,"word_count":1385,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot"}}