Court Motion Dismissed in Tyler Robinson Case

A judge has rejected a request by Tyler Robinson’s legal team to summon his former roommate and romantic partner to testify in court.

During a hearing on Monday, State District Judge Tony Graf Jr. approved a move by prosecutors to halt the subpoena for Lance Twiggs, who is expected to be a key witness. Graf emphasized that the preliminary hearing’s function is to ascertain whether there’s sufficient evidence for the case to progress to trial—not to decide on the defendant’s guilt or innocence.

Twiggs, 22, was living with Robinson, 23, at the time of the murder of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA. The court referred to Twiggs as “Mr.” but noted that he identifies as transgender and prefers the name “Luna.”

Prosecutors allege that Robinson sent Twiggs messages expressing his disdain for Kirk and claimed he was “done with his hatred.”

In their case, the state plans to present a recorded interview where Twiggs reportedly told investigators that Robinson admitted to the crime, hid a weapon, disposed of clothes, and urged Twiggs not to alert the authorities. They also aim to include a handwritten note from Robinson to Twiggs and various text conversations between them.

Judge Graf additionally dismissed Robinson’s motion to limit prosecutors from using hearsay to establish probable cause during the upcoming hearing, pointing out that reliable hearsay can be permissible under the Utah Constitution. He argued that a less stringent application of defendants’ rights is suitable during preliminary hearings, given their specific purpose.

“While the preliminary hearing is a crucial phase in the criminal process, it’s not a trial and doesn’t determine guilt or innocence,” Graf stated.

Other matters, including the defense’s plans to summon several forensic witnesses, will be addressed at the next court session on Friday before the preliminary hearing.

Robinson has yet to plead in this case. He faces charges related to the murder of Kirk, 31, which occurred on September 10, 2025, during an event at Utah Valley University.

The charges against Robinson include:

• Aggravated murder, a capital felony;
• Felony discharge of a firearm, a first-degree felony;
• Two counts of obstruction of justice, second-degree felonies, for disposing of the rifle likely used in the incident and changing his clothes;
• Two counts of witness tampering, third-degree felonies, for instructing Twiggs to delete messages and avoid talking to police;
• Violent offense in the presence of a child, a Class A misdemeanor.

Recently, Twiggs was granted some immunity in exchange for providing a sworn statement regarding Robinson’s admission of guilt.

The prosecution has made it clear they will seek the death penalty if Robinson is found guilty. This month, his legal team requested that the court dismiss the death penalty as an option, citing comments and media appearances from prosecutors that they felt violated an order restricting public statements about the case.