Charlie Kirk murder: judge blocks roommate testimony, weighs sanctions

Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf rejected the defense’s request to compel Tyler Robinson’s former roommate and partner, Lance Twiggs, to testify in person at the July preliminary hearing. The judge ruled that recorded statements and a handwritten note allegedly from Robinson can be admitted as hearsay evidence, stating, “Although the preliminary hearing is a critical stage of the criminal process, it is not a trial.”

Robinson, charged with aggravated murder and facing a possible death‑penalty for the September 10 shooting of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, also asked the court to bar the death penalty, arguing that prosecutors’ public comments about a bullet fragment could prejudice jurors. Graf postponed a decision on whether prosecutors could be sanctioned for those media remarks until Friday. The preliminary hearing is set for July 6‑10, during which the court will decide if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

The case has drawn extensive media attention and sparked conspiracy theories, prompting both sides to warn that misinformation could affect the jury pool.