A Utah judge has cleared the way for a murder trial in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, ruling that prosecutors have presented enough evidence to move the case forward.
The defendant, 23-year-old Tyler James Robinson, is accused of shooting Mr Kirk in the neck during a rally on a college campus on 10 September last year. Mr Robinson faces the death penalty in Utah if convicted.
“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 attorneys sparred over whether the case should proceed to a full trial.
Prosecutors pointed to Mr Robinson’s video gamer chats and text messages, arguing they show he killed Mr Kirk because he was “fed up” with the “hate” the influencer spread.
Defence lawyers, meanwhile, concentrated largely on challenging the reliability of DNA evidence that investigators say ties Mr Robinson to the murder weapon.
Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf ruled that Tyler Robinson should face trial on all seven charges against him
After Judge Graf’s decision, US media reported that Mr Robinson entered a not guilty plea to the charges.
Mr Kirk, 31, was killed at an event organised by his right-wing youth group, Turning Point, which campaigned for President Donald Trump in 2024.
The organisation is now led by Mr 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.
