Anyone expecting an immediate decision in one of the nation’s most closely watched murder cases will have to wait several more weeks before learning what happens next.
After a week filled with emotional testimony, forensic evidence and heated courtroom exchanges, the judge overseeing the case has decided the next major step won’t come any time soon.
The weeklong preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man charged with murdering Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, concluded Friday without a ruling, as the court scheduled Sept. 1 for final arguments and a decision on whether the case will proceed to trial.
Judge Tony F. Graf Jr. is expected to determine following that hearing whether prosecutors have established probable cause to bind Robinson over for trial.
Friday’s proceedings began with attorneys addressing an incident from the previous day’s hearing in which a handwritten letter allegedly left by Robinson for Lance Twiggs was briefly shown on the courtroom livestream before cameras turned away.
Defense attorney Michael Burt argued the mistake raised concerns about Robinson’s rights and asked the judge to reconsider allowing cameras in the courtroom, or at least prohibit them from Friday’s proceedings.
Prosecutors instead proposed implementing a 30-second delay on the livestream, while media organizations argued no changes were necessary.
Judge Graf ultimately ruled that cameras would not be permitted to film exhibits presented during Friday’s hearing.
The defense then called its final witness, Caitlin Oliver, chief of the DNA section at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who previously worked as a forensic biologist and conducted DNA testing in the case.
Under questioning from Burt, Oliver acknowledged the limitations of forensic DNA evidence.
“With forensic evidence, it’s impossible to state with 100 percent certainty anything,” Oliver testified.
“That’s why we report a likelihood ratio to speak uncertainty with a statistic.”
She also agreed that DNA testing cannot determine how DNA was deposited onto an object.
“DNA can’t speak to the activity that led to the deposition of the DNA,” Oliver said.
Oliver further explained that DNA may be transferred indirectly, meaning a person’s DNA could appear on an object even if they never directly touched the specific area that was tested.
During cross-examination, however, prosecutors highlighted the strength of the DNA evidence they say ties Robinson to the alleged murder weapon.
Oliver testified that DNA recovered from portions of the rifle and cartridge casings was “at least 1 trillion times more likely” if Robinson was the major contributor than if the samples came from two unknown individuals.
She also testified that the probability of an unrelated person producing the same level of support was “less than one in a trillion.”
Later in the hearing, at the request of Charlie Kirk’s family, the court viewed a reportedly high-quality surveillance video outside the view of the public and media.
According to individuals present in the courtroom, the footage showed a person identified as Robinson on a rooftop at Utah Valley University moments before Kirk was fatally shot, with some witnesses saying the video appeared to show the individual firing a weapon.
The video was not broadcast to the public.
Following the conclusion of testimony, both sides agreed to submit written briefs before returning to court Sept. 1.
Prosecutors are expected to file their brief by July 28, the defense by Aug. 11, and the prosecution’s reply by Aug. 18.
During the Sept. 1 hearing, attorneys will each have time to present oral arguments before Judge Graf decides whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence for Robinson to stand trial, The Post Millennial reported.
Robinson, 23, is charged with aggravated murder and several additional felonies in connection with Kirk’s Sept. 10, 2025, killing.
He has not entered a plea, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.
