Stone-faced parents of Charlie Kirk murder suspect Tyler Robinson make quick dash from court after day one of pre-trial hearing where son was seen LAUGHING

By NATASHA ANDERSON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and LUKE KENTON IN PROVO, UTAH and STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 19:06, 6 July 2026 | Updated: 01:26, 7 July 2026 The parents of Charlie Kirk's accused killer Tyler Robinson were spotted leaving the first day of their son's preliminary hearing Monday.  Amber Jones Robinson and Matt Robinson were stone-faced and did not speak to reporters as they left the Provo, Utah courtroom.  It came after a somewhat chaotic day in court as Robinson was at one point seen laughing as the conservative star's widow Erika wept just feet away.  Erika Kirk, dressed in all black, faced her husband's alleged murderer for the first time Monday morning as he appeared before a Utah judge for a five-day preliminary hearing. She had burst into tears before the hearing even started, according to the Daily Mail's reporter in the courtroom. She was accompanied by her rarely-seen in-laws, Robert and Kathryn Kirk. Donald Trump Jr and his wife, Bettina Anderson Trump, showed up to support the sobbing widow and were seated in the front row. Robinson, however, is said to have been laughing with his attorney Kathy Nester ahead of the proceeding, which will determine if he has to stand trial for Kirk's murder. It is unclear what prompted his expression of mirth.  The parents of Charlie Kirk's accused killer Tyler Robinson -  Amber Jones Robinson (pictured left) and Matt Robinson (pictured right) - were spotted leaving the first day of their son's preliminary hearing Monday Erika Kirk is seen walking into the Utah court house Monday morning where she faced her husband's alleged killer for the first time Tyler Robinson is charged with aggravated murder in the September 10 assassination of Kirk, who was shot dead while addressing a crowd of thousands during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University The 23-year-old is charged with aggravated murder in the September 10 assassination of Kirk, who was shot dead while addressing a crowd of thousands during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. The accused killer turned himself in after the shooting and prosecutors allege that he also sent a text message confession to his transgender partner. He has not entered a plea in the case and attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence. The defense has sought to get the death penalty taken off the table. Kirk's parents and his widow all left the courtroom shortly after Utah Valley University police officer Chris Bagley began testifying about the moments the Turning Point USA founder was shot. Bagley, the prosecution's first witness said he could see the right side of Kirk's body as he spoke on the college campus on September 10 last year. Kirk was in the middle of answering a question when the officer heard a gunshot ring out. He saw people fleeing the area before police confirmed that they had had a suspect in custody over the radio.  'I saw him go to the left ... I could no longer see the right side of his body,' Bagley told the court. 'Then everybody started getting up and started to run, more of a chaos situation.' He then began assessing the crowd for injuries as he worked to 'preserve the crime scene.'  Robinson, with his attorney Kathy Nester, listens as evidence is presented at his pretrial hearing on Monday morning Erika was accompanied by Charlie's parents Kathryn and Robert Kirk, seen arriving at the Fourth District Courthouse After the shooting, Bagley went to the top of a nearby building where he saw a disturbance in the gravel that looked like a 'sniper pad', where someone might have been laying in a position that would allow them to shoot a weapon. The officer told the court that there was a clear 'line of sight' from where Kirk was sat to the top of the Losee Center, where Robinson allegedly fired his rifle. Erika leaned her head on a friend for comfort as the testimony was delivered. She wiped away her tears with a handkerchief.  Kathryn Kirk, clutching a pocket-sized packet of tissues, listened to the testimony with her head bowed and eyes closed. Robinson looked at the exhibits on the monitor and took notes. Nester, during her cross-examination of Bagley, questioned him about the report he wrote after the shooting, including his observation about finding an empty pistol holster on the ground after the crowd fled. Bagley acknowledged that he never took custody of the holster and doesn't know if it was ever fingerprinted. She asked Bagley if he ever attended a meeting to discuss how officers would keep people safe on the day of the shooting.  Kirk's widow and parents all left the courtroom shortly after Utah Valley University police officer Chris Bagley, pictured, began testifying about the moments the activist was shot David Hull, a former Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent, was also called to the stand The officer said he did not. He also said he wasn't given any tactical or operational plans before the event. Bagley said there were six officers working that day. Thousands of people attended the event. There were no metal detectors being used to screen the crowd, and no drones being used for security, Bagley said. He said there were no law enforcement officers on the roof, stairway or walkway when he arrived to work that day. David Hull, a former Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent, was also called to the stand.  Hull, who now works for the Utah Department of Public Safety, told the court how he investigated major crimes when he worked for the State Bureau of Investigation. He explained how SBI helps other law enforcement agencies process crime scenes and investigate after serious incidents. Hull said he wasn't familiar with Kirk or Utah Valley University before he was asked to help with the shooting investigation. He was eventually tasked with leading the investigation. Charlie Kirk speaks to a crowd during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 before he was shot dead Erika and Charlie Kirk with their two children The Kirks plan to attend the entire weeklong pretrial hearing for Robinson. Ahead of the hearing, the family released a statement saying his death 'irrevocably impacted our lives.' 'Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death, and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children,' Erika said in the statement shared on X. This week's hearing marks the most significant presentation of evidence in Robinson's case so far.  After the hearing concludes, state District Judge Tony Graf must determine if the case should proceed.  The judge previously denied a defense request to take the death penalty off the table after he held a prosecutor in contempt.  A death sentence is an option in Utah only when a crime has aggravating circumstances.  Prosecutors will argue in Robinson's case that Kirk's shooting endangered others in attendance. Robinson has not entered a plea in the case and attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence. The defense has sought to get the death penalty taken off the table This week's resembles a mini-trial, but prosecutors need only demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds to believe Robinson killed Kirk.  The standard is lower than for a trial, where prosecutors must prove guilt 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' Prosecutors can use secondhand information, or hearsay, to help present their case. They expect to present between 40 and 50 exhibits during this week's hearing. Chief Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander told the judge that the state's exhibits will include several videos of the September 10 shooting. Prosecutors have said they also plan to present DNA evidence linking Robinson to the suspected murder weapon, autopsy findings and witness statements. Robinson's roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, is not expected to testify in person during the hearing. But Twiggs will deliver a pre-recorded statement at the proceeding. Twiggs, 22, who is transgender and goes by the name 'Luna,' was living with Robinson during the time of the alleged murder. Erika broke down in tears at Charlie Kirk's memorial on September 21 last year as she publicly forgave her husband's killer After Robinson turned himself in to authorities, federal investigators learned that he sent Twiggs a flurry of text messages during his 33 hours on the run, disclosing his alleged involvement in the shooting and his efforts to evade capture. In addition to the alleged confession note, Robinson reportedly texted his roommate that he targeted Kirk because he 'had enough of his hatred,' prosecutors have said. Twiggs has never been charged or implicated in the shooting, and has instead cooperated with authorities.  Before his death, Kirk and the organization he co-founded, Turning Point USA, galvanized the conservative youth vote to help President Donald Trump win a second term. The Republican president has said he hopes Robinson receives the death penalty. Erika Kirk said during her husband's memorial service that she forgives Robinson. '[Charlie] wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life,' Erika said at the memorial, sparking a standing ovation and roars from the crowd of more than 60,000 people. 'That man, that young man, I forgive him,' she added, while breaking into tears.