PROVO, Utah (AP) 鈥� Utah prosecutors plan to play audio clips in open court Thursday of law enforcement officials interviewing of the man accused of killing conservative activist
Defense attorneys fought against the public release of the statements from Tyler Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs. They said prosecutors would characterize the statements as a confession, undermining Robinson’s right to a fair trial if the statements are broadcast by the media.
Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and has not entered a plea. He a day after the fatal shooting of Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump credited with helping galvanize the youth vote for Trump in the 2024 election.
Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed in a note left for Twiggs that read: 鈥淚 had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I鈥檓 going to take it.鈥� Robinson also allegedly sent a text to Twiggs saying he targeted Kirk because he 鈥渉ad enough of his hatred.鈥�
Twiggs spoke to authorities on Sept. 12 鈥� two days after Kirk was assassinated while speaking to a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University 鈥� and again on April 20. He was given immunity for the statements, meaning what Twiggs said cannot be used against him in a potential criminal case.
State District Judge Tony Graf will decide at the conclusion of this week鈥檚 preliminary hearing if prosecutors have to bring Robinson to trial.
Robinson鈥檚 attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence but have sought to get the taken off the table, so far unsuccessfully.
Attorneys for Kirk鈥檚 family and the media had urged the judge to make Twiggs’ statements and other evidence public.
鈥淭o not be transparent, to not be open and let the world see what happened will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system,鈥� Kirk family lawyer Jeffrey Neiman told Graf.
Investigators say Robinson went to a rooftop near where Kirk was speaking and shot him once through the neck as the activist was taking questions from a crowd of several thousand people. Kirk was declared dead after being taken to a hospital.
Investigators found the suspected murder weapon 鈥� a bolt-action rifle with one spent round 鈥� wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near where Kirk was shot.
Robinson鈥檚 lawyers earlier this week questioned the reliability of DNA testing used to link the defendant to the towel and gun.
A member of Tyler Robinson鈥檚 defense team from the FBI about the techniques she used to connect Robinson to the evidence. Defense lawyer Michael Burt cast doubt on the analyst鈥檚 conclusions.
鈥淪he can鈥檛 match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples,鈥� Burt argued.
But forensics expert Lawrence Quarino said law enforcement agencies use 鈥渆xtremely reliable鈥� tests to determine the probability that a person matches with DNA found at a crime scene.
DNA testing 鈥渋s the gold standard in forensic science,鈥� said Quarino, a professor and director of the forensic science program at Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania.
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Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
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