PROVO, Utah — The legal proceedings concerning Tyler Robinson, accused in the alleged assassination of Charlie Kirk, saw significant developments as video testimony from Robinson’s former partner, Lance Twiggs, was set for court presentation. This step marks the final stages of a week-long preliminary hearing.
Prosecution intended to present the video on Wednesday. However, objections from the defense prompted Judge Tony Graf Jr. to request redactions. The prosecution opted to prepare for Thursday to comply with the court’s requirements.
During the hearing, Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, showed visible emotion alongside her mother-in-law, Kathy Kirk. Family attorney Jeff Neiman entered a request for the court to display the unedited video publicly, stating that withholding portions could erode public trust in the judicial system.
“The Kirk family believes strongly that if the evidence is being admitted in this preliminary hearing, it should be made public for the world to see no redactions,” Neiman urged before the court.
The defense sought redactions in concerns over the potential prejudicing of the trial due to parts of the testimony being seen as a “confession”. Judge Graf approved redactions to about 16 minutes from the 37-minute video, addressing constitutional worries raised by Robinson’s attorney Richard Novak.
The video review includes discussions of texts and notes that prosecutors claim implicate Robinson. However, Novak contests these accounts as confessions. During discussions of Twiggs, Robinson appeared uneasy, adjusting his attire and taking deep breaths.
Some text messages previously released by prosecutors suggest Robinson’s presence in Orem during the incident and imply responsibility. These text references will be omitted from Thursday’s video, but Judge Graf noted he would consider them for determining probable cause.
Judge Graf confirmed that the preliminary hearing will conclude by Friday, ending any speculation of extending beyond the planned duration. As proceedings wrapped for the day, an emotional moment saw Erika and Kathy Kirk share a tearful embrace.