A US judge has ordered Tyler James Robinson to stand trial for murder, ruling that prosecutors presented enough evidence for the case against the 23-year-old to move forward.
Robinson faces the death penalty in Utah over the alleged killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot in the neck during a rally on a college campus on 10 September last year.
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“For the foregoing reasons and based off the record and parties’ submissions, it is hereby ordered that the defendant, Tyler James Robinson, is bound over for trial,” Judge Tony Graf said in court.
Charlie Kirk was shot dead at an event at a Utah university last year
The ruling came after a preliminary hearing in which prosecutors and defence lawyers argued over whether the evidence justified sending the case to trial.
Robinson’s lawyers concentrated largely on challenging the reliability of DNA evidence that prosecutors said connected him to the weapon used in the killing.
Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf ruled that Tyler Robinson should face trial on all seven charges against him
After the decision, Robinson pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to US media reports.
Kirk, who was 31 when he was killed, had been speaking at an event organised by Turning Point, the right-wing youth group he founded and which campaigned for President Donald Trump in 2024.
The organisation is now headed by Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk.
“Today’s decision, which comes nearly a year since Charlie was taken from us, marks an important step in our family’s pursuit of justice for him,” Erika Kirk said in a statement posted on X.
