'Devastating' evidence against Charlie Kirk murder suspect laid out in court

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: 'Devastating' evidence against Charlie Kirk murder suspect laid out in court Figure caption, Watch: Roommate says Charlie Kirk murder suspect confessed to killingBySheila FlynnSenior US ReporterPublished4 hours ago"Devastating" evidence, including DNA on a rifle and a text confession, shows a 23-year-old should be tried for murdering Charlie Kirk last year, prosecutors told a court this week, as the defence team tried to poke holes in the case. The preliminary hearings gave prosecutors a chance to outline probable cause to try Tyler Robinson, 23, on charges including aggravated murder, a death penalty offence in Utah. They painted a vivid picture of his movements in the 48 hours surrounding the murder of Kirk - using CCTV, witness testimony, a taped interview with Robinson's roommate and messages between the pair.

The defence for Robinson, who has not yet entered a plea, sought to sow doubt on all of it. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Tyler Robinson (file picture)Kirk, a key Trump ally, founder of conservative youth organisation Turning Point USA and a 31-year-old father-of-two, was shot once in the neck as he addressed a crowd on the campus of Utah Valley University on 10 September last year. For the past five days, lawyers for Robinson, a trainee electrician, raised repeated objections to evidence and testimony on arguments including hearsay and the tainting of potential jurors.

The Details

They questioned the credibility of experts, DNA and ballistics reports with prolonged cross-examination about testing, interpretation and protocol. But Chief Deputy Utah County Attorney General Chad Grunander told the judge: "Your Honour's heard four days of testimony now. "The evidence is overwhelming.

"Now Robinson's fate lies in the hands of Utah County Judge Tony Graf, who will determine if the case proceeds to trial. Few details were actually known about Robinson or his actions until this week's court hearing. Proceedings drew intense interest from the public, and some lined up overnight to earn a wristband for one of just 14 seats allotted for spectators.

Families of both defendant and victim were emotional in court. At one point on Friday, while video was shown of the suspect running across a rooftop on the day of the shooting, Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, reportedly hugged her tearful mother-in-law, then both looked away from the footage. Prosecutors, meanwhile, spent the week painting a picture of a college dropout gamer who used his grandfather's rifle to assassinate a national political figure, then sought to cover his tracks to get away with it.

Much of what was learned came from Robinson's former roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, through a video interview with a prosecutor, recorded in April. Twiggs told how the pair first met through friends in 2023. They were roommates before starting to date.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.