Preliminary Hearing for Charlie Kirk’s Murder Suspect

A preliminary hearing is taking place for Tyler Robinson, accused of shooting and killing Charlie Kirk last year, in Provo, Utah. The prosecution, led by Claudia Cowan, is expected to present surveillance footage showing Robinson at the scene, along with DNA evidence linking him and his roommate, Lance Twiggs, to the murder weapon. The defense attorney, Joshua Ritter, is discussing various strategies to challenge this critical evidence.

Charlie Kirk’s widow and parents have claimed they were not allowed to view evidence during the suspect’s preliminary hearing. They assert, in a recent court filing, that victims have a legal right to not only participate in criminal proceedings but also to observe the evidence displayed publicly in court.

Tyler Robinson, who is 23, has been charged with the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, outside a “Prove Me Wrong” event at Utah Valley University in Orem. This preliminary hearing aims to determine whether the case will move forward to trial.

In a supplemental filing submitted on Wednesday, Erica Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, requested that a Utah judge ensure that all evidence shared during the rest of the preliminary hearing is visible to everyone present in the courtroom. She also asked for previously admitted exhibits that were not publicly shown during the first three days of the hearing to be reopened.

The filing emphasizes that the victim’s family believes all evidence presented during the preliminary hearing should be accessible to lawfully present individuals in court. It also argues that without transparency, speculation and conspiracy theories about the circumstances of Kirk’s tragic assassination will only continue to grow, undermining public trust in the justice system. “This is something nobody should want,” reads the document.

After waiting ten months for this hearing, the Kirk family was disappointed to discover that certain evidence admitted during the testimony was not visible to them. The lawyers pointed out that the family was “present at the scene as the body” yet lacked the opportunity to “meaningfully observe the preliminary hearing.”

The complaint also highlights that Utah law provides crime victims and their attorneys the right to be informed, present, and involved in key criminal justice matters, asserting that such protections are ineffective if victims cannot see the evidence presented.

“Being ‘present’ is meaningless if the victim or their representative is unable to view the evidence received by the court,” the filing continues. “A right to participate that doesn’t include knowledge of the proceedings has no genuine existence.”

The filing further requests that all previously admitted evidence not shown to the public be displayed during the scheduled hearing starting July 9. It also calls for judges to prohibit evidentiary proceedings that conceal information from courtroom observers.

Robinson’s preliminary hearing is set to begin on Monday and is likely to continue throughout the week. Prosecutors will need to establish probable cause for the case, which includes multiple charges such as aggravated murder, potentially leading to the death penalty.