A handwritten note allegedly confessing to the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk will be used as evidence against the accused killer, after a Utah judge rejected attempts by the defense to cross-examine a key witness in person.
Tyler Robinson, the man charged with murdering the prominent conservative activist, suffered another courtroom defeat Monday when Judge Tony Graf Jr. sided with prosecutors on a critical evidentiary question. The ruling allows the state to use recorded testimony from Robinson’s trans-identifying boyfriend, Lance Twiggs, without requiring in-person testimony at next month’s hearing.
According to prosecutors, Twiggs told investigators that Robinson confessed to the crime, hid a weapon, disposed of clothing, and warned his boyfriend not to alert law enforcement. Authorities reportedly granted Twiggs limited immunity in April in exchange for statements against Robinson.
The note Robinson allegedly gave to Twiggs paints a chilling picture of premeditated violence against one of America’s most visible young conservative leaders.
“Luna, if you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry. I left the house this morning on a mission, and sent an auto text. I am likely dead or facing a lengthy prison sentence. I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it,” the letter states, according to KSL.
Robinson allegedly sent Twiggs, whom he referred to as “Luna,” a message on the day of the shooting directing him to “drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard.”
Judge Graf defended his decision to allow hearsay evidence at the preliminary hearing, pointing to the Utah Constitution’s provisions for establishing probable cause.
“Although the preliminary hearing is a critical stage of the criminal process, it is not a trial, and does not involve a determination of guilt or innocence,” Graf said, according to NBC News.
Monday’s ruling marks the latest in a string of defeats for Robinson’s defense team, which has repeatedly lost key motions in court.
On June 1, Judge Graf rejected Robinson’s request to seal court proceedings and evidence from public view. The media and public will have full access to preliminary hearings and evidence exhibits.
In May, the judge also denied a defense request to bar cameras, microphones, and still photographers from Robinson’s murder trial. Defense attorneys argued that media coverage would jeopardize their client’s right to a fair trial.
Prosecutors pushed back hard on that argument.
“Mischief lurks in the dark or in secret,” Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander said. “Conspiracy theories abound, and the antidote is the actual, real proceedings. Let’s shine a light on these proceedings, a bright light, so the public can have confidence in what happens in this courtroom.”
Robinson’s mother previously told investigators that her son became increasingly political and left-leaning over the past year, adopting pro-gay and pro-transgender views in the months leading up to the shooting.
The judge has not yet ruled on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty, punting that decision for another day during Monday’s hearing.
No trial date has been set. If convicted, Robinson faces capital punishment for the assassination of Kirk, who built Turning Point USA into one of the nation’s largest conservative youth organizations before his death.
