A recording played in a Utah court on Thursday revealed that the defendant in Charlie Kirk's killing told his roommate the day after the shooting that he wished he hadn't done it. The roommate, Lance Twiggs, who was also the defendant's romantic partner, described the interaction during a recorded interview with a prosecutor on April 20.
Evidence and Legal Battle
Defense attorneys had fought against the public release of Twiggs' statements, arguing that prosecutors would characterize them as a confession, undermining the defendant's right to a fair trial if broadcast by the media. Tyler Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and has not entered a plea. He turned himself in a day after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump credited with helping galvanize young voters for the Republican in the 2024 election.
Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed in a note left for Twiggs that read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” Robinson also allegedly sent a text to Twiggs saying he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”
Testimony and Immunity
Twiggs spoke to authorities on September 12, two days after Kirk was assassinated while speaking to a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University, and again on April 20. He was given immunity for the statements, meaning what Twiggs said cannot be used against him in a potential criminal case.
State District Judge Tony Graf will decide at the conclusion of this week’s preliminary hearing if prosecutors have enough evidence to bring Robinson to trial. Robinson’s attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence but have sought to get the death penalty taken off the table, so far unsuccessfully.
Transparency Demands
Attorneys for the media and for Kirk’s widow, Erika, who has attended this week’s hearing, had urged the judge to make Twiggs’ statements and other evidence public. “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 on Wednesday.
Neiman filed a request late Wednesday for all evidence against Robinson to be displayed openly and in real time during this week’s hearing. Neiman wrote that Erika Kirk and Kirk’s parents had waited 10 months for the hearing but at times have been denied the chance “to meaningfully observe” it. The judge said in response that not all evidence would be openly displayed and he needs to protect the rights of both victims and the defendant.
Details of the Shooting
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 has sat quietly through the hearing. On Thursday, he was dressed in a jacket and tie with one arm shackled to his waist. He appeared to be taking notes with his free hand. Robinson’s parents and two of his brothers sat behind him, in the front row of the courtroom gallery. Charlie Kirk’s parents and Erika Kirk sat a few rows back. Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, also was in attendance.
DNA Evidence Challenged
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 the 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, arguing, “She can’t match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples.”
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.
