A Utah courtroom became the focal point of intense legal proceedings this week as prosecutors presented what they describe as overwhelming evidence against Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old man charged with the murder of prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The preliminary hearing, held nearly a year after the September 10, 2025, shooting at Utah Valley University, brought forth new details concerning the events leading up to and immediately following Kirk's death. Kirk was fatally struck in the neck while addressing thousands at a Turning Point USA event.
"I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it." — Tyler Robinson, Alleged Note to Roommate.
Central to the prosecution's case was the unsealed recorded interview of Lance Twiggs, Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner. Twiggs, also 23, provided a methodical account of what he says he witnessed in the aftermath of the shooting. According to Twiggs, a cryptic text message arrived shortly after the incident, instructing him to check beneath a keyboard in their shared apartment. The message read: "drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard." Confused, Twiggs questioned the message, prompting an alarmed reply from Robinson: "F*** I TRIED TO DELETE THAT."
Beneath the keyboard, Twiggs testified that he discovered a handwritten note addressed to "Luna," the name Robinson reportedly used for him. The letter contained a stark admission: "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it." This revelation was followed by additional text exchanges, entered into evidence, which allegedly showed Robinson fixating on retrieving the bolt-action Mauser rifle he had left behind while escaping the scene. One message stated, "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 directly asked for confirmation, "you werent the one who did it right????", Robinson's reply left little ambiguity: "I am, I’m sorry."
Twiggs further testified that a third and final admission occurred face-to-face during an in-person conversation on September 11, the day after the shooting. Utah County prosecutor Ryan McBride pressed Twiggs on the specifics of this conversation. Twiggs recalled, "Didn’t go into detail… I just asked him in person if what he said was true the night before, and he said it was… started crying a little bit, and said he wishes he hadn’t done it." Robinson reportedly spoke of eventually confiding in his parents or surrendering to police.
Notably, Twiggs stated that Robinson's mindset, as he perceived it, was not fixated on LGBTQ+ politics. Instead, Twiggs claimed Robinson often gravitated toward discussions about President Donald Trump and his political agenda. Twiggs also asserted that Robinson had never once mentioned Charlie Kirk by name prior to the shooting. Approximately a month before the assassination, Robinson allegedly made an unusual request, asking Twiggs if they owned a Dremel tool, claiming he wanted to engrave bullets for a family hunting trip.
Brian Davis, an investigator with the Utah State Bureau of Investigation, corroborated aspects of Twiggs' testimony, informing the court that Twiggs’ April 2026 statements closely aligned with an initial interview conducted on September 12, 2025, just two days after the shooting. Davis confirmed that investigators had reviewed Twiggs' personal texts, Discord logs, and the handwritten note attributed to Robinson.
The push to make this evidence public largely originated from Kirk's family. Erika Kirk, the widow of the slain activist, was present during the proceedings and reportedly became emotional as prosecutors read aloud a text message in which Robinson casually noted that his grandfather’s .30-06 hunting rifle "does just fine."
Robinson’s legal team had actively sought to keep the video testimony and messages sealed from public broadcast, arguing that exposure could potentially taint the jury pool and infringe upon Robinson's rights. This effort, however, was met with strong opposition from both prosecutors and the Kirk family’s attorney, Jeffrey Neiman. Neiman emphasized the family's right to witness the proceedings, stating to the judge, "The Kirk family has waited 10 months for this hearing… They have a right to see and feel what’s going on in this courtroom." He added, "To be here and not to see the evidence — what’s the point of being here?"
Beyond Twiggs’ testimony, prosecutors also presented surveillance footage which they contend meticulously documents Robinson’s movements around the Utah Valley University campus on the day of the shooting. Forensic analysts provided further evidence, testifying that DNA recovered from a towel allegedly used to conceal the rifle strongly implicated Robinson. Additionally, genetic material found on a screwdriver discovered near the suspected shooting position reportedly matched both Robinson and Twiggs.
Representatives for the Kirk family have expressed hopes that the hearing will permanently dispel various conspiracy theories that have emerged since the shooting, including claims circulated by commentator Candace Owens. The preliminary hearing is anticipated to conclude on Friday. Robinson, who has not yet entered a plea, could face capital punishment if convicted.
