By Jimmy Urquhart and Andrew Hay
PROVO, UT, July 6 (Reuters) – Prosecutors were due to begin laying out their case on Monday arguing a Utah man should stand trial in last year’s killing of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist credited with energizing young voters behind Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
During the week-long preliminary hearing, prosecutors must convince District Court Judge Tony Graf in state court in Provo that probable cause exists to believe Tyler Robinson, 23, fired the single shot that killed Kirk, 31, on September 10, 2025.
The influential conservative was appearing at Utah Valley University in Orem, 40 miles (65 km) south of Salt Lake City, for one of his campus debates that drew crowds and propelled him to national prominence.
If the judge finds probable cause, Robinson would enter a plea at an arraignment that could take place the same day, and the case would be set for trial at a later date. He faces seven criminal charges including aggravated murder.
Prosecutors have said they would seek the death penalty for Robinson, who was studying to be an electrician and turned himself in to police the day after the shooting.
Kirk’s killing, captured in graphic cellphone video that spread widely on social media, followed a series of attacks targeting U.S. political figures in recent years and fueled debate over political violence in a deeply polarized country.
Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA when he was 18 in 2012, and the conservative youth organization became an influential force in Republican politics.
During the hearing, prosecutors were expected to present video footage that they allege shows Robinson at Utah Valley University before and after Kirk was shot.
The prosecution also planned to offer other evidence that it alleges links Robinson to the crime, including DNA from the rifle authorities say was used in the killing, a recorded statement from Robinson’s roommate and a handwritten message reading, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I took it.”
Lawyers for Robinson are likely to highlight ballistics testing that proved inconclusive in matching a bullet fragment removed from Kirk’s body with the alleged murder weapon.
ERIKA KIRK TO ATTEND
Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, has taken over Turning Point USA and will be present in the Provo courtroom for the hearing with Kirk’s parents, according to a source familiar with the situation.
“Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father. 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,” Kirk’s parents, wife and sister said in a statement on Monday. “We remain deeply grateful for the support, prayers, and kindness we have received. This outpouring has sustained us during the darkest days of our lives.”
The defense unsuccessfully tried to ban livestream television and photography of the proceedings, arguing they were fueling sensational media coverage. Erika Kirk has called for cameras to be allowed in the courtroom to ensure transparency.
Robinson surrendered to police after his parents saw images of the gunman and confronted him, according to court filings.
(Reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico; editing by Donna Bryson and Cynthia Osterman)
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