PROVO, Utah — During the investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk, authorities found a towel and a screwdriver with DNA linked to the suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, as well as to his former girlfriend and roommate, Lance Twiggs.
Robinson, 23, is accused of fatally shooting Kirk, 31, on September 10, 2025, during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.
At this point, it’s a bit unclear what role the screwdriver played, but during Robinson’s preliminary hearing, police indicated that it was discovered near a location believed to have been used by a sniper overlooking the event.
Both Twiggs and Robinson provided DNA samples to law enforcement, which helped create a complete DNA profile. Robinson’s preliminary hearing is set to continue this week, and prosecutors need to establish probable cause for the judge to authorize a trial on various charges, including aggravated murder, which could result in the death penalty.
In a separate testimony this week, David Hull from the Utah Department of Public Safety presented surveillance footage showing Robinson’s activities on campus leading up to and following the shooting.
Sgt. Jennifer Faumuina, from the State Bureau of Investigation, shared that her team retrieved the screwdriver, suspected to be connected to Kirk’s murder, from the roof of the Rothesay Center on campus. She also stated that they recovered the potential murder weapon, a Mauser 98 rifle wrapped in a towel, revealing it had been modified to fire .30-06 rounds—a match to bullet fragments found during Kirk’s autopsy.
Intriguingly, both the towel and screwdriver contained DNA belonging to Robinson and Twiggs. Reports indicate that Robinson allegedly wrote confessions in notes and text messages to Twiggs, who is cooperating with the investigation but hasn’t been charged with any crime.
As the hearing progressed, forensic analyst Amanda Bakker indicated that Robinson likely contributed the majority of mixed DNA on both items. Defense attorney Michael Burt engaged in a lengthy cross-examination, at one point prompting laughter in the courtroom as he described how he holds evidence.
Throughout the proceedings, Kirk’s family displayed visible reactions—like shaking their heads or leaning forward in attention—while Robinson appeared noticeably fidgety.
As of now, Robinson has not entered a plea. Should the prosecution successfully establish probable cause, it’s anticipated that he will be expected to respond accordingly, with experts suggesting the case against him is strong.
