Utah judge orders Tyler Robinson to stand trial for the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Los Angeles (USA), Sep 1 (EFE)
A judge in Utah (USA) ordered on Tuesday that Tyler Robinson, accused of murdering ultraconservative activist Charlie Kirk, be brought to trial, ruling that the prosecution presented sufficient evidence for him to face a jury trial on charges that could carry the death penalty.
Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf issued the ruling after a lengthy preliminary hearing in which the prosecution presented dozens of pieces of evidence, including videos and witness testimonies, against Robinson, 23.
Graf said there is “overwhelming” evidence supporting the “reasonable belief” that Robinson shot and killed Kirk on September 10 of last year, as Kirk was giving a speech on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem.
The judge also authorized the prosecution to seek the death penalty against the defendant.
In total, the 22-year-old faces seven charges. Among the evidence presented by the Utah County Prosecutor’s Office is a video of testimony from Lance Twiggs, Robinson’s roommate, in which he detailed a conversation he had with the defendant the day after the shooting, when Robinson was behaving erratically.
Twiggs said Robinson tearfully admitted to the murder and said, “I wish I hadn’t done it.”
The witness, who claimed to have a romantic relationship with Robinson, said they didn’t usually discuss politics and that he had never heard Robinson mention Kirk.
The prosecution also showed the court text messages exchanged between Twiggs and Robinson, in which Robinson admitted to shooting Kirk, according to the newspaper.
“I just asked him in person if what he said the night before was true,” Twiggs says in the video. “He said yes, and started crying a little.”
The judge noted that the evidence, including Twiggs’s text messages and other surveillance footage, takes the case “far beyond” the prosecution proving probable cause.
Robinson’s defense tried to prevent the public release of the interview and communication, arguing that it violated the defendant’s right to a fair trial and an impartial jury.
But Judge Graf ruled that the video and other evidence could be shown, but ordered that certain portions of the interview not be publicly displayed.
Since the charges were filed, the prosecution has indicated that it will seek the death penalty for Robinson.
Authorities claim there is forensic evidence, including DNA on the gun’s trigger, and security camera footage linking him to the fatal shooting of Kirk during the university event in Utah.
Robinson did not enter a plea on Tuesday. His lawyers requested an extension.
The judge set a new hearing in the case for October 23.
