Judge allows recorded testimony in Charlie Kirk murder hearing

A Utah judge cleared the way for prosecutors to rely on a recorded interview from Tyler Robinson’s former roommate instead of forcing him to testify in person. Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf said the July 6-10 preliminary hearing is only meant to determine probable cause, not whether Robinson is guilty of aggravated murder in Charlie Kirk’s killing.

Graf denied the defense request to subpoena Lance Twiggs for live testimony, rejecting the argument that Robinson needed to confront a key witness in open court at this stage. Prosecutors had opposed the motion, saying Twiggs, who lived with Robinson in St. George, Utah, had already received use-immunity for statements about the shooting and that his recorded, sworn interview from April could be used at the hearing.

The ruling puts the legal standard at the center of the case. Graf said hearsay is admissible in a preliminary hearing because the proceeding is limited to screening whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send the case to trial. Questions about Twiggs’s credibility, and Robinson’s ability to challenge his account, will matter later if the case reaches trial.

Robinson, 23, has not yet entered a plea. He is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10, 2025 shooting death of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, and he faces a possible death sentence if convicted. Prosecutors say their evidence will include text messages Robinson allegedly sent to Twiggs after the killing and a note they say referred to the attack as a mission.

The defense had tried to delay the hearing and pressed for review of additional material, including bullet analysis. Graf separately postponed until Friday a ruling on whether prosecutors should face sanctions over public comments about a bullet fragment recovered from Kirk’s body. That side issue underscores the intensity of the pretrial fight, but Monday’s ruling was narrower and more important: for now, the court will allow recorded evidence to stand in for live testimony, and the state will try to show enough to keep the case moving forward.