Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old man accused of killing far-right pundit and activist Charlie Kirk, will go on trial for murder in early July 2028, a Utah district judge ruled Monday.
Judge Tony Graf said the trial would continue in Provo, Utah, and jury selection would begin June 21, 2028. Robinson’s attorneys had asked for the trial to begin in January 2029 while Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, had insisted on an October 2027 date.
Last September, prosecutors say, Tyler Robinson was perched on a campus roof at Utah Valley University, where he opened fire on Kirk, who was in the middle of one of his signature debates with ideological rivals on college campuses.
Prosecutors say Robinson harbored grievances against Kirk’s political views, particularly the conservative figure’s criticism of gay rights.
Robinson turned himself in after the shooting, police said, but has since pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder. If convicted of this charge, he could face the death penalty.
Prosecutors also charged Robinson with two counts of witness tampering for allegedly ordering his roommate not to cooperate with police and to delete incriminating texts, and two counts of obstruction of justice, according to court documents.
The timing of Robinson’s trial had been a source of contention. In October, Robinson’s legal team reportedly proposed that the trial take place in the third quarter of 2029. They pointed to the importance of the evidence in the case and preparations for jury selection as reasons why additional time was needed.
Lawyers for Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, balked at the defense attorney’s proposal in court filings.
Donald Trump has also spoken out on the subject, writing last month on social media: “This case should go to trial within a month, not three years – and it should be over!” »
He attacked Tony Graf, the Utah district judge who presided over the case, saying Graf was “desecrating the memory of the great Charlie Kirk, while taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answers to.”
At trial, prosecutors are expected to present evidence that Robinson appears to have confessed to the crime. At a preliminary hearing in July, the court watched a redacted video in which Lance Twiggs, Robinson’s former roommate, told investigators that Robinson expressed regret for the shooting. “He wishes he hadn’t done it,” said Twiggs, who also dated Robinson.
The hearing gave indications of how Robinson’s lawyers will defend him. They question whether there is sufficient evidence to support the state’s motivation theory – that Robinson had deep political differences with Kirk. They also examined the reliability of forensic evidence, which pointed to Robinson’s DNA on a towel wrapped around a gun.
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