Judge in Charlie Kirk shooting to hear final arguments in September on whether to send case to trial

The preliminary hearings in Charlie Kirk's murder case in Utah wrapped up Friday with the judge pushing his final decision on whether to send the case to trial until September, when he is expected to hear final arguments.

Prosecutors in the case argued this week that Tyler Robinson assassinated Kirk at a rally at Utah Valley University last year, using testimony from law enforcement officials and Robinson's roommate Lance Twiggs. Twiggs claimed Robinson told him a day after the shooting that he wished "he hadn't" fatally shot the conservative activist.

Robinson has not entered a plea related to the Sept. 10 shooting so far but has been charged with aggravated murder.

The hearing Friday included a surveillance video, which was viewed by Kirk's family, that prosecutors said showed Robinson on the rooftop where he allegedly fired a single bullet that hit Kirk in the neck, according to the Associated Press.

Prosecutors have also argued that there DNA evidence allegedly linking Robinson to the crime, including on the alleged murder weapon itself, but Robinson's defense team has repeatedly attempted to downplay the credibility of DNA testing.

“If you had a lot of DNA on your hand, we shook hands and I went to pick up an exhibit, a gun, and I touched the trigger of it, your DNA could be on that trigger, right?” Robinson's attorney Michael Burt asked Caitlin Oliver, a forensic biologist with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“It is possible. Yes,” Oliver said.

Kirk's family, including his wife Erika Kirk, released a joint statement after the hearing concluded, stating the hearing was an "important step forward in the pursuit of justice for Charlie."

“As difficult as these last few days have been, it brings our family comfort to know that the world has witnessed the overwhelming evidence of what occurred to Charlie that day,” the statement said. 

"Nothing will ever undo the loss of our beloved Charlie," the family continued. "As this case moves into its next phase, we pray that truth will continue to be heard through a process that is fair, transparent, and grounded in the facts." 

Judge Tony Graf is expected to make his decision on moving the case to a formal trial after four hours of final arguments on Sept. 1.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.