Charlie Kirk murder case: Accused Tyler Robinson pled ‘not guilty’ to aggravated murder, six other charges
A lesser murder charge would carry a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison.
During a five-day hearing in July, prosecutors presented DNA evidence they said linked Robinson to the rifle and to a tool allegedly used to engrave ammunition. Kirk’s family welcomed the judge’s decision, calling it “an important step” in their pursuit of justice. “There was one shot. One bullet. One victim,” Visser argued, saying Kirk was elevated on a stage and was not immediately near others when he was shot in the neck. Graf nevertheless ruled that the aggravated murder charge could proceed, citing, among other factors, the positions of people in and around the tent where Kirk was speaking. Defence lawyers questioned the reliability of the DNA evidence. His parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, attended the hearing at the heavily secured courthouse in Provo alongside his widow, Erika Kirk.
Utah District Judge Tony Graf on Tuesday ruled that prosecutors had presented enough evidence to pursue the aggravated murder charge, siding with prosecutors who said they had a “mountain of evidence” against Robinson, 23. Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including aggravated murder, after a judge ruled that the case can proceed to trial. Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted. The defence had sought to block the aggravated murder charge from going to trial or remove the possibility of the death penalty.