Tyler Robinson, the ۲۳-year-old man accused of killing the far-right pundit and activist Charlie Kirk, will stand trial for murder in early July ۲۰۲۸, a Utah district judge ruled on Monday.
Judge Tony Graf said the trial will remain in Provo, Utah, and jury selection would begin on ۲۱ June ۲۰۲۸. Attorneys for Robinson had asked to start the trial in January ۲۰۲۹ while Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, had pushed for an October ۲۰۲۷ date.
Last September, according to prosecutors, Tyler Robinson perched on a rooftop on Utah Valley University’s campus, where he opened fire on Kirk, who was in the middle of one of his signature debates with ideological rivals on college campuses.
Prosecutors say Robinson harbored grievances against Kirk’s political views, particularly the conservative figure’s criticism of gay rights.
Robinson turned himself in after the shooting, according to police, but has since pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder. If convicted of the charge, he could face the death penalty.
Prosecutors also charged Robinson with two counts of witness tampering for allegedly instructing his roommate to not cooperate with police and to delete incriminating texts, and two counts of obstruction of justice, according to court documents.
Robinson’s trial date had been a source of contention. In October, Robinson’s legal team reportedly proposed that the trial be held in the third quarter of ۲۰۲۹. They pointed to the sizable evidence in the case and jury selection preparations as reasons for needing additional time.
Lawyers for Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, balked at the defense attorney’s proposal in court filings.
Donald Trump also weighed in on the matter, writing last month on social media: “This case should be tried within a month, not three years – and it should be over with!”
He took a jab at Tony Graf, the Utah district judge presiding over the case, saying Graf was “desecrating the memory of the Great Charlie Kirk, while taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answer to”.
At the trial, prosecutors are expected to present evidence of Robinson seemingly confessing to the crime. During a July preliminary hearing, the court watched a redacted video in which Lance Twiggs, Robinson’s former roommate, told investigators that Robinson expressed regret about the shooting. “He wishes he hadn’t done it,” said Twiggs, who had also dated Robinson.
The hearing offered hints of how Robinson’s attorneys will defend him. They cast doubt over whether there was sufficient evidence to back the state’s motive theory – that Robinson had deep-set political differences with Kirk. They also scrutinized the reliability of forensic evidence, which indicated Robinson’s DNA on a towel wrapped around a firearm.
