Charlie Kirk assassination: New footage, DNA bombshell... and the crucial question everyone is now asking as Tyler Robinson faces the death penalty

By TOM LEONARD, US CORRESPONDENT Published: 16:38, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 16:38, 8 July 2026 A single shot from a high-powered rifle was all it took to silence Charlie Kirk - only to unleash a deafening clamor about the menace of rising political violence. But the shocking assassination of the right-wing activist and commentator on the campus of Utah Valley University last September left many crucial questions unanswered about the suspect, his motives and even whether the police might actually have the wrong man. That man, Tyler Robinson, has compounded the uncertainty hanging over the case by still refusing to offer a plea to a charge - of aggravated murder - that could lead to his execution. This week, amid heavy security that included rooftop police snipers, a court in Provo, Utah, is holding a preliminary hearing at which prosecutors will lay out the evidence that they say leaves no doubt that they do have their killer. They will try to address some of those outstanding issues as they push to convince a judge that the 23-year-old Utah man not only should go on trial but should face the death penalty. This hearing, scheduled to last five days, is not some dry, behind-closed-doors discussion of legal nitty-gritty but something akin to a potted trial: The first day on Monday was attended not only by the accused and his parents, Matt and Amber Robinson, but also Kirk's forthright widow, Erika, and his parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk. Even Donald Trump Jr attended the hearing, an illustration of how Kirk's death became a defining moment for the MAGA cause to which he was so loyal and so important. It was the first time Kirk's family members had been in the same room as his alleged killer. Charlie Kirk was assassinated after speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 Tyler Robinson has compounded the uncertainty hanging over the case by still refusing to offer a plea to a charge - of aggravated murder - that could lead to his execution Kirk's widow, Erika, was present at the preliminary hearing on Monday in Provo, Utah Shortly before they took their place in court, the relatives - Kirk's widow, Erika, 37, as well as his parents and his sister, Mary - issued a statement in which they described the proceedings as a 'painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives.' They said the 'outpouring' of public support 'has sustained us during the darkest days of our lives.' Erika, who has taken over the reins of Turning Point USA, the conservative youth movement her late husband co-founded, has said she forgives his killer, although hearing the evidence against Robinson laid out in court may yet shake that resolve. While this preliminary hearing requires prosecutors to clear a lower bar than they would in a full trial (showing 'probable cause' rather than proof 'beyond a reasonable doubt'), they know they will need to get their ducks in a row if they are to persuade Judge Tony Graf to grant their request to have Robinson eligible for the death penalty. Two weeks ago, they had their knuckles rapped by the judge, who had limited what either side could say publicly, after they told TMZ that they had 'ample evidence' to convict Robinson. Indeed, some who remember media coverage of Robinson's arrest shortly after the shooting in Orem, Utah, might wonder what more evidence is needed to justify sending him to trial. After all, the intense manhunt for Kirk's killer ended 34 hours after the shooting when his parents - who'd seen a suspect photo that looked like him - and a family friend persuaded Robinson to surrender to the local sheriff. And investigators later brandished a final exchange of text messages that Robinson had with his transgender lover, Lance Twiggs, 22, that prosecutors - who reproduced them in court documents - say leave no doubt that Robinson assassinated Kirk out of outrage over his conservative politics. When he was shot on September 10 last year, the 31-year-old father of two was addressing a crowd from under a tent as part of his 'American Comeback' tour of college campuses, during which he invited attendees to discuss controversial issues with him. In court on Monday, Robinson - wearing a gray suit - sat between his lawyers as a string of law enforcement witnesses were questioned on what they recalled of the day of the killing. Having looked down throughout his testimony, Erika left the courtroom when a former campus police officer, Chris Bagley, described the moment when her husband received the fatal gunshot. Bagley said he saw what he believed might have been a 'sniper pad' when he went up to the gravel-covered roof of a nearby campus building, the Losee Center, and found a 'disturbance' in the gravel. The rooftop position provided a 'clear line of sight' across a courtyard to Kirk's tent, he said. Charlie Kirk's parents, Kathryn and Robert Kirk, were also at the hearing. It was the first time Kirk's family members had been in the same room as his alleged killer After an intense manhunt that lasted 34 hours, Robinson was arrested in Orem, Utah when his parents and a family friend persuaded him to surrender  The rooftop position provided a 'clear line of sight' across a courtyard to Kirk's tent, said a campus police officer  Your browser does not support iframes. Describing what he saw, he told the court: 'A person that has been laying in a prone position and you've got markings of elbows, knees and feet to where everybody was in the line of sight of where Charlie's tent was.' Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent David Hull testified how the authorities were able to use surveillance video footage to track Robinson's movements around the campus, showing him visit and leave the campus a total of four times on the day of the killing. On one occasion, said Hull, the accused returned in a different outfit and walking with a limp, with one leg held mostly straight. According to the agent, a figure caught in video footage climbing on the Losee building's roof, running across it and then laying prone in the corner of the building for 15 to 30 seconds, was Robinson. The person then lowers himself off the roof and leaves the area while carrying something in his hand, said Hull. The time stamp on the video said 12.44pm. Hull said a handgun in a backpack was also found on the scene. On Tuesday, when Robinson's parents were also seen in the courtroom, the defense continued to challenge every piece of prosecution evidence. They elicited an admission from agent Hull that the surveillance video showing someone on the roof of the Losee building doesn't reveal any distinguishing facial features. Hull acknowledged that witnesses who took a separate video of the mystery person thought he was a law enforcement officer. The agent also testified on Tuesday that Robinson interacted with members of Turning Point USA hours before the shooting, although he didn't elaborate on what was said and exactly to whom. Prosecutors have said they will be presenting some 40 to 50 exhibits to support their case during the week including DNA evidence indicating Robinson's finger was on the trigger of the rifle used to kill him, as well as on the fired cartridge casing, two unused cartridges and a towel used to wrap the weapon. They'll further provide autopsy findings, surveillance video, statements by the accused to relatives and footage from the rally where Kirk was killed. And there will be the digital communications between Robinson and Lance Twiggs, some of which has already emerged and which - if the defense is unable to counter it effectively - will surely provide compelling evidence in any trial. In what turned out to be the pair's final text conversation, Robinson told Twiggs to 'drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard.' According to prosecutors, the alleged gunman had left a note that read: 'I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it.' Robinson had a text message exchange with his transgender lover, Lance Twiggs, that prosecutors say leaves no doubt that Robinson assassinated Kirk out of outrage  Robinson told Twiggs to 'drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard.' According to prosecutors, the alleged gunman had left a note that read: 'I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it'  Prosecutors will present surveillance video and footage from the rally where Kirk was killed  'What?????????????? You're joking, right????' Twiggs responded. To that, Robinson reportedly replied: 'I am still ok my love, but am stuck in orem for a little while longer yet. Shouldn't be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.' When Twiggs wrote back: 'You weren't the one who did it right????,' Robinson allegedly replied: 'I am, I'm sorry.' According to the prosecution evidence, he described how he had borrowed an old bolt-action hunting rifle from his grandfather but had to leave it in a bush near the scene of the shooting where he had changed outfits. He feared that it would lead investigators to him. After his lover and roommate asked why he shot Kirk, he allegedly wrote: 'I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out.' He claimed he had been planning it for 'a bit over a week.' Both sides in the case initially revealed little about what they might say at trial. However, that changed in March when defense lawyers filed papers to the court suggesting that a bullet fragment recovered during the autopsy on Kirk's body didn't match the rifle that had been connected to Robinson. However, the defense had drastically exaggerated the evidence as an analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found only that the analysis was inconclusive and that the bullet fragment could not be identified or excluded. If the case goes forward to trial, there will also be the issue of finding a jury that can judge the evidence on its merits and not be swayed by other considerations - such as what they already think of Kirk. As with other recent high-profile killings, particularly that of the UnitedHealthcare boss Brian Thompson in New York in 2024, public opinion about Robinson has been colored significantly by the notoriety of his alleged target. Uncensored videos showing the gruesome moment when Kirk, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the word 'Freedom' was shot and blood gushed out of his neck wound, circulated online with lightning speed. It was clear many of the sharers were reveling in the moment, a fact that inevitably further antagonized conservatives. According to a survey commissioned by the defense, 99 percent of residents in Utah County - a Republican stronghold - know about the case and 64 percent believe Robinson is guilty. (Graf rejected a request for a change of venue but has instead allowed an expanded and rigorously vetted, jury pool). The defense remains unconvinced that their client has any chance of a fair trial. Possibly intentionally, Kirk - who argued vociferously against gun control - was killed with a bullet to the neck just as he'd finished answering a question about mass killings. Kirk had specifically claimed that trans people were disproportionately responsible for such outrages. Robinson has previously posed with guns, which included a M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun Erika has taken over the reins of Turning Point USA, the conservative youth movement her late husband co-founded, and said she forgives his killer  His political opponents were quick to say that Kirk had said he had played a not insignificant part in raising political tensions - and the prospect of violence - by espousing fiery pro-Trump rhetoric and hardline views that included banning all abortion and gay marriage. Hundreds of Utah Valley University students had signed a petition banning the so-called 'Youth Whisperer of the American Right' from speaking there but Kirk was a provocateur who never flinched from a fight. Critics particularly drew attention, sometimes with a hint of relish, to a comment he made in 2023 when he said that 'unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year' were a price worth paying to protect Americans' constitutional right to bear arms. Some Left-wingers suggested the firebrand provocateur was to some extent the author of his own downfall, although his supporters admired Kirk's willingness to sit down with his opponents - even in the hostile environment of university campuses - and thrash out their differences verbally. Even before a suspect was arrested, President Trump blamed 'radical Left political violence,' for Kirk's death but whether that description really applies to Tyler Robinson remains an open question. And not the only one that will have to be settled if he goes to trial.