The preliminary hearing in the Tyler Robinson case kicked off Monday in Utah, and it went about as well as you would expect when a courtroom full of people has to sit through footage of an assassination. Which is to say, not great for anyone involved.
Robinson, 23, is accused of fatally shooting Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. He showed up to court in a gray suit, pink shirt, and black tie, looking like a guy heading to a business casual brunch rather than a murder hearing. His wrists and ankles were cuffed, which somewhat ruined the look. As Trending Politics reported, Judge Tony Graf Jr. physically flinched and leaned away from his screen when the fatal gunshot rang out on one of the videos played during testimony. Robinson, meanwhile, did not move a muscle.
The Kirk family was present for much of the hearing. Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, sat with his parents, Rob and Kathy Kirk, watching proceedings closely. They were given warnings before graphic evidence was introduced and left the courtroom twice before the assassination footage and autopsy testimony. Among those joining the family near the front of the courtroom were Donald Trump Jr., his wife Bettina, and conservative commentators Jack Posobiec and Brandon Tatum. Robinson's parents, who typically sit in the front row, found themselves bumped back to the fourth row on Monday, which is probably the least of their concerns right now.
The first witness was Officer Christopher Bagley, now with the Spanish Fork Police Department, who was working at UVU the day of the shooting. Bagley testified that he believed the shot came from a rifle, not a pistol, after spotting an empty handgun holster on the ground and then looking up to realize the Losee Center rooftop had a clear line of sight to where Kirk had been speaking. On that rooftop, he found a black and red screwdriver and impressions in the gravel he described as what looked like a "sniper's pad." Defense attorney Kathy Nester pointed out on cross examination that Bagley's police report from the day of the shooting did not mention the direction of the shot. He also admitted he did not know what happened to the holster.
The second witness, Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull, introduced the videos that made the judge recoil. Two clips reportedly showed the moment a sniper's bullet struck Kirk in the neck. The autopsy report listed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the neck, ruled a homicide. During that testimony, Robinson's mother leaned toward her husband and placed her hand on his shoulder.
The judge did sustain one defense objection, blocking a piece of UVU surveillance video because prosecutors had edited it with face blurs, zooms, and red circles without proper authentication. Prosecutors said they would provide an unedited version later. Other video shown Monday allegedly depicted Robinson's vehicle near a house close to the UVU campus after midnight on Sept. 11, roughly 12 hours after the murder.
The hearing is expected to last the entire week. At some point, the court is expected to hear a previously recorded statement from Robinson's former lover, Lance Twiggs, who prosecutors allege received a written confession. Robinson has not entered a plea. He faces potential death penalty charges if convicted of aggravated murder. Hull is expected to resume testimony Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. MT.
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