Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Friends of Charlie Kirk believe evidence against Tyler Robinson is solid.
- Prosecutors presented messages and video linking Robinson to Kirk's murder.
- Robinson's defense questioned DNA evidence; next hearing is set for Sept. 1.
PROVO – Outside the courthouse on Friday, friends of Charlie Kirk said the case against Tyler Robinson is solid, based on the evidence presented in court.
Robinson, 23, is accused of killing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk while he was speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. This week, prosecutors presented evidence in a preliminary hearing, including multiple messages from Robinson in which he said he killed Kirk.
Evidence also included a video interview with Robinson's former roommate, Lance Twiggs, who described seeing Robinson a day after the shooting at their home in St. George.
"It is no question whatsoever in my mind that he did this crime," said Brandon Tatum, a conservative influencer and media personality. He said "overwhelming evidence" was presented in court this week.
"It seems to me like an absolute avalanche of evidence," added Jack Posobiec, a political activist who worked with Charlie Kirk at Turning Point USA.
Both men were in the courtroom all week, including Friday morning, when enhanced surveillance video from UVU was shown. It depicts a man who prosecutors identified as Robinson entering campus, leaving and eventually returning dressed differently and walking with a noticeable limp.
The video also shows an alleged shooter on the roof of the Losee building on campus at the time Kirk was shot before jumping off and running away. As that was shown on screen in the courtroom, Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, wept and hugged Kathryn Kirk, Charlie Kirk's mother.
"I wasn't prepared for it to impact me the way that it did," Posobiec said of the video. "Because it was like watching Charlie die all over again."
But defense attorneys worked throughout the week to cast doubt on DNA evidence tying Robinson to the crime. They also repeatedly objected to evidence and exhibits presented by prosecutors.
Related:
Tyler Robinson preliminary hearing ends — for now — will resume in September
Tyler Robinson's preliminary hearing in Provo adjourned, set to resume Sept. 1.Robinson did not testify during this week's hearing.
"I think probable cause was established in probably the most profound way possible, and I'm excited that the world gets a chance to see what the truth is and that Charlie can get some justice," Tatum said.
The family of Charlie Kirk issued a statement saying that the conclusion of a weeklong preliminary hearing in the political activist's murder case "marks an important step forward in the pursuit of justice."
"Our family is grateful for the prayers, support, and kindness that has been extended to us, especially through these unimaginably painful and emotionally demanding proceedings," the Kirk family said in a statement Friday afternoon at the end of the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson. "As difficult as these last few days have been, it brings our family comfort to know that the world has witnessed the overwhelming evidence of what occurred to Charlie that day.
"Nothing will ever undo the loss of our beloved Charlie. As this case moves into its next phase, we pray that truth will continue to be heard through a process that is fair, transparent, and grounded in the facts."
The next hearing in this case will be Sept. 1, when the judge will decide if the case will go to trial.
