Tyler Robinson Trial: Charges, Evidence, and July 2026 Hearing

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, faces seven criminal counts in Utah’s Fourth Judicial District Court, including a capital charge of aggravated murder for which Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray is seeking the death penalty. The Tyler Robinson trial has not yet begun; a preliminary hearing to determine whether the case proceeds to trial is scheduled for July 6 through 10, 2026, before Judge Tony Graf. Robinson has not entered pleas, and no trial date has been set.¹

The Seven Charges

Gray filed the charges on September 16, 2025, and announced the death-penalty decision the same day. He said he made the call “independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” and denied being pressured by the Trump or Cox administrations.²

The charging information lists:

Aggravated murder, a capital felony, for intentionally causing Kirk’s death while knowingly creating a great risk of death to others.
Felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony, for firing in Kirk’s direction knowing others could be endangered.
Two counts of obstruction of justice, both second-degree felonies: one for concealing the firearm on September 10, and one for destroying or concealing clothing worn during the shooting on September 11.
Two counts of witness tampering, both third-degree felonies: one for directing his roommate to delete incriminating text messages, and one for attempting to keep the roommate silent if questioned by police.
A Class A misdemeanor for committing a violent offense in the presence of a child younger than 14.³

The aggravated murder, firearm discharge, and child-presence counts each carry a victim-targeting enhancement, alleging Robinson selected Kirk based on his perception of Kirk’s political expression.³

The Evidence Against Robinson

Prosecutors have described a multi-strand case that does not rest on any single piece of proof. According to the FBI, the shooter fired from the rooftop of a campus building, then jumped down and fled; investigators later recovered a rifle and ammunition in a nearby wooded area, along with a palm print, a forearm imprint, and shoe impressions on the roof.⁴

DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the rifle’s trigger, on a fired cartridge casing, on two unfired cartridges, and on a towel wrapped around the weapon. Surveillance video captured him near the university on the morning of the shooting in the same clothing he wore when he surrendered.⁵

The rifle itself was identified as a Mauser Model 98, a bolt-action weapon originally made for military use in the World Wars, with its barrel replaced by one chambered in .30-06 caliber. It belonged to Robinson’s grandfather and is believed to predate the 1968 federal law requiring serial numbers on firearms, making it extremely difficult to trace.⁶ Messages allegedly sent by Robinson to his roommate suggest he chose the weapon deliberately, including one that read: “IDK if it has a serial number but it wouldn’t trace to me.”⁷ No charges related to how Robinson acquired the weapon have been reported.

Prosecutors also point to statements the state characterizes as confessions. On the day of the shooting, Robinson texted his roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, telling him to “look under my keyboard.” Twiggs found a handwritten note that read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.”⁸ Robinson also allegedly confessed to friends through the chat platform Discord, and FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino has described Robinson as having an “obsession” with Kirk based on his digital footprint.⁹

Alleged Motive and the Targeting Enhancement

The state’s motive theory drives the political-targeting enhancement attached to three of the counts. When Twiggs pressed Robinson about the attack, Robinson allegedly replied: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” When his parents asked why, he reportedly said “there is too much evil and the guy spreads too much hate.” He told Twiggs he had been planning the attack for “a little over a week.”¹⁰

Robinson’s mother told investigators her son had become “more political” over the prior year, with his views shifting to the left, and had become “more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented” following a relationship with a transitioning roommate. Whether those views or Kirk’s public remarks on those issues were the direct motivating factor remains unclear.¹¹ A Public Safety Assessment Report filed in state court indicated Robinson had no prior convictions and no history of violent offenses.¹²

Who Is Defending Robinson

Robinson’s defense is led by Michael Burt, a veteran capital defense attorney with 24 years at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. Burt’s prior clients include Lyle Menendez during his first criminal trial in 1993, Olympic Park bomber Eric Robert Rudolph, and Richard Ramirez. He is joined by co-counsel Richard Novak and court-appointed attorney Kathryn Nester.¹³

Legal analysts have speculated the team may pursue an insanity defense given the composition of the legal team and the nature of the case, though no such plea has been filed. The full prosecution is estimated to cost more than $1.3 million, with $750,000 allocated for court-appointed defense lawyers and $600,000 for additional staff in the county attorney’s office.¹³

Pretrial Fights That Have Already Shaped the Case

Defense Bid to Disqualify the Prosecutors

In December 2025, the defense moved to remove the entire Utah County Attorney’s Office, arguing a conflict of interest because Deputy County Attorney Chad Grunander’s 18-year-old daughter had been present at Utah Valley University during the shooting. The motion alleged that Grunander received real-time text messages from her, shared them with colleagues, and failed to set up a screening mechanism.¹⁴ Prosecutors responded that the daughter “did not see Charlie get shot” and had no relevant firsthand knowledge.¹⁵

On February 24, 2026, Judge Graf denied the motion, ruling there was “not a significant risk” that Grunander’s relationship with his daughter would affect his work or interfere with Robinson’s rights, and noting that prosecutors “need not be immune to the emotional response of others to prosecute a case.”¹⁶

Contempt Finding Against the Prosecution’s Spokesperson

Judge Graf issued a pretrial publicity order early in the case forbidding anyone associated with the case from speaking to the media.¹⁷ In March 2026 the defense filed a motion pointing to an ATF ballistics report that could not conclusively connect a bullet fragment from Kirk’s autopsy to the recovered rifle, and characterized the report as a “smoking gun.” Christopher Ballard, general counsel and spokesperson for the Utah County Attorney’s Office, then gave interviews to TMZ, USA Today, Politico, and Fox News, calling the report merely “inconclusive” and asserting that prosecutors had “ample evidence” to prove Robinson’s guilt.¹⁸

On June 26, 2026, Judge Graf held Ballard in civil contempt. While the judge found that Ballard’s remarks clarifying the ballistics report itself were permissible, his additional statements about the “strength of the state’s case” and his own assessment of Robinson’s guilt “possessed a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing the proceedings.” The judge noted the violation was not made with “malicious intent.”¹⁹

The defense asked the court to strip the death penalty from the case as a sanction. Judge Graf refused, calling that remedy “grossly disproportionate to the misconduct and legally unavailable in the civil contempt framework.” He instead ordered expanded jury selection procedures and required the state to pay the defense’s legal fees on the contempt matter.¹⁸

The ATF Ballistics Report

The ATF tested a deformed bullet jacket piece and four lead fragments recovered during Kirk’s autopsy. It confirmed a match between a spent .30-06 cartridge casing and Robinson’s Mauser rifle, and identified the fragments as “.30-caliber class,” consistent with the weapon. It could not conclusively match the bullet fragments themselves to the rifle, describing its finding as having “insufficient quality and/or quantity of individual characteristics to identify or exclude.” Law enforcement sources attributed the inconclusive result to the bullet breaking apart on impact with bone.²⁰

The FBI is conducting further testing with more advanced technology. Prosecutors have argued the case does not rest on ballistics alone, pointing to DNA, rooftop trace evidence, surveillance footage, and Robinson’s alleged written and digital confessions.²¹ The defense has argued the DNA evidence requires more complex analysis because multiple individuals’ DNA was present on the weapon.

The Push to Close the Preliminary Hearing

The defense repeatedly sought to close the preliminary hearing to the public and seal exhibits, arguing that hearsay evidence and materials inadmissible at trial could infect the jury pool. On June 1, 2026, Judge Graf ruled the hearing would remain open, finding the defense had failed to demonstrate a “realistic likelihood of prejudice to the defendant’s right to a fair trial” and noting that “the public and the media enjoy a presumptive right to access court proceedings.” He did prohibit inspection or copying of exhibits and left open the possibility of restricting specific sensitive items case by case.¹

Roommate’s Testimony

Lance Twiggs is central to the state’s case. He discovered Robinson’s handwritten note, received the incriminating texts on the day of the shooting, and was interviewed by law enforcement. On June 22, 2026, Judge Graf declined to certify a defense subpoena that would have compelled Twiggs to testify live at the preliminary hearing, and ruled that prosecutors may present hearsay evidence, including Twiggs’s video deposition, during that hearing.²²²³

What Happens at the July 2026 Hearing

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 6 through 10, 2026. Its purpose is narrow: to determine whether probable cause exists to send the case to trial, not to decide guilt. No trial date has been set, and Robinson has not yet entered pleas to any of the seven counts.¹

1
Deseret News. Judge Denied Closed Preliminary Hearing in Tyler Robinson Case
2
Standard-Examiner. Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray Announces Charges Against Tyler Robinson
3
Utah County Attorney. State of Utah v. Tyler James Robinson Information
4
FBI. Utah Valley Shooting Updates
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ABC7. Tyler Robinson Pushes to Ban Cameras in Court
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NBC News. Kirk Assassin’s Alleged Gun Was Powerful, Vintage, Hard to Trace
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Fox 32 Chicago. Rifle Behind Charlie Kirk’s Killing May Be Untraceable Relic From WWI
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ABC News. Tyler Robinson Wrote Letter About Opportunity to Kill Charlie Kirk
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Fox News. FBI Investigating Discord Chats of Suspected Charlie Kirk Assassin
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ABC News. Tyler Robinson Set to Face Formal Charges in Shooting Death
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New York Times. Kirk Shooting Suspect Motive Messages
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BBC. Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Tyler Robinson
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Court TV. Lyle Menendez’s Trial Attorney Added to Tyler Robinson’s Defense Team
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ABC 3340. Tyler Robinson’s Attorneys File Motion to Remove Prosecution Due to Conflict of Interest
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KMBC. Tyler Robinson Seeks Prosecutor Removal in Charlie Kirk Shooting
16
Upper Michigan’s Source. Judge Rejects Defense’s Motion to Disqualify Prosecutors in Charlie Kirk Killing Case
17
Fox 13 Now. Tyler Robinson Makes Second Court Appearance in Utah County
18
Deseret News. Tyler Robinson: Utah Prosecutor Found in Civil Contempt; Death Penalty Remains
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The Hill. Utah Judge Holds Charlie Kirk Shooting Prosecutor in Contempt
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WFMD. Tyler Robinson: Judge Unseals ATF Report in Assassination of Charlie Kirk
21
The Guardian. Charlie Kirk Bullet and Rifle
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ABC4. Tyler Robinson Roommate and Partner May Testify
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CNN. Tyler Robinson Charlie Kirk Contempt Ruling