A US judge has ruled that the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk will stand trial for murder, finding that prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence for the case to proceed.
Tyler James Robinson, 23, faces the death penalty in Utah over the alleged killing of Kirk, who was shot in the neck during a rally on a college campus on September 10 last year.
“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.
The ruling followed a preliminary hearing in which prosecutors and defence lawyers argued over whether there was enough evidence to send the case to trial.
Prosecutors presented video-game chats and text messages involving Robinson, which they said showed he killed Kirk because he was “fed up” with the “hate” allegedly spread by the conservative influencer.
The defence, meanwhile, sought to cast doubt on DNA evidence that prosecutors said linked Robinson to the weapon used in the killing.
Following Tuesday’s ruling, Robinson pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to US media reports.
Kirk, 31, was killed at an event organised by Turning Point, the right-wing youth organisation he founded and which campaigned for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. The organisation is now led by his 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.
Kirk’s killing sent shockwaves through the United States and reverberated across the country’s political landscape.
He had emerged as a prominent figure in the Christian nationalist movement, which advocates conservative social values and has faced criticism over its opposition to diversity and LGBTQ rights.
AFP
