Prosecutors grant immunity to Charlie Kirk suspect’s roommate in murder case

Prosecutors gave Lance Twiggs "use immunity" after he sat for a video-recorded interview on April 20, 2026, and they planned to play that recording at Tyler Robinson’s preliminary hearing rather than bring Twiggs into court. Twiggs, identified in court filings as Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, now sits at the center of a case prosecutors are building around motive, planning and aftermath without forcing live testimony from one of its key witnesses.

Use immunity protects a witness from having that statement used against him, but it does not erase the underlying facts of the case or stop prosecutors from relying on other evidence. In this hearing, Judge Tony Graf ruled that hearsay is admissible and denied the defense effort to compel Twiggs to appear in person. He said the recorded interview was enough for the limited purpose of deciding whether the case should move forward.

Robinson, 23, faces capital murder charges in the Sept. 10, 2025 shooting death of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Utah County prosecutors will seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted. Charging documents say he faces 10 counts, including aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and a violent offense committed in the presence of a child.

Robinson left a note and texted Twiggs after the shooting, including a message that he had gone "on a mission" and had taken the chance to kill Kirk. The case moves through 4th District Court in Provo, where the preliminary hearing was delayed from a previous May 18 date and is now scheduled for July 6-10, 2026.

Under Utah law, the judge only has to decide whether there is probable cause to send Robinson to trial, not whether he is guilty or innocent. News cameras were allowed in the courtroom, and Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, his parents Robert and Kathryn Kirk, and Donald Trump Jr. attended the proceedings.