Prosecutors in Utah presented evidence this week showing that DNA from Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and his former roommate Lance Twiggs was found on key items recovered during the investigation. The items include a towel used to conceal the suspected murder weapon and a screwdriver discovered near a rooftop where police believe Robinson fired the fatal shot.
Robinson, 23, is charged with aggravated murder and other offenses in connection with the September 10, 2025, shooting of Kirk, 31, during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Provo. The charges carry the potential death penalty. During a preliminary hearing that began Monday and is expected to last the week, prosecutors must establish probable cause for the case to proceed to trial.
David Hull of the Utah Department of Public Safety returned to the witness stand Tuesday as prosecutors played surveillance video they allege shows Robinson moving around the campus before and after the shooting, as well as arriving and departing in his Dodge Challenger. The footage is part of a broader effort to place Robinson at the scene of the crime.
Sgt. Jennifer Faumuina of the State Bureau of Investigations testified that her evidence response team processed multiple scenes at UVU after the shooting. She stated that her team recovered a screwdriver from the rooftop of the Losee Center, where Robinson is alleged to have fired the shot that killed Kirk. She also testified that they recovered the suspected murder weapon, a Mauser 98 bolt-action rifle wrapped in a dark-colored towel. The rifle had been retrofitted to fire.30-06 rounds, which match the caliber of bullet fragments found during Kirk’s autopsy.
Faumuina further testified that both the towel and the screwdriver contained DNA consistent with two males: Robinson and Twiggs. Twiggs, who lived with Robinson at the time of the shooting, has been cooperating with investigators and has not been charged with any crime. In a handwritten note and text messages, Robinson is alleged to have confessed to the crime to Twiggs, and the presence of Twiggs’s DNA on the evidence is expected to strengthen the case against Robinson.
Later Tuesday, FBI forensic analyst Amanda Bakker testified that Robinson is likely the majority contributor in mixed DNA samples found on both items, with Twiggs believed to be the minority contributor. Prosecutor Ryan McBride objected multiple times during Bakker’s lengthy questioning by defense attorney Michael Burt, arguing that the defense went well beyond the scope of establishing probable cause. At one point, Judge Tony Graf Jr. asked how far Burt intended to go with his line of questioning, to which Burt responded he had one more question before moving on. McBride replied, «I’ll hold them to that,» prompting laughter in the courtroom.
As the DNA testimony continued for much of the afternoon, Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, was observed shaking her head at times while listening to Burt’s cross-examination. Observers in the gallery, including Erika Kirk, watched intently as Bakker explained a graph displaying specific DNA markers. Kirk leaned forward and tilted her head as she listened. Robinson, who was also present, appeared to be fidgeting. A member of Robinson’s family yawned, while Kirk’s father occasionally took notes.
Robinson has not yet entered a plea. If prosecutors succeed in establishing probable cause, which legal experts widely expect, he will be asked to do so. Maryland attorney Randolph Rice, who represented the family of Rachel Morin, told Fox News Digital, «Barring the prosecutor somehow forgetting how to get to the courthouse, there’s no realistic chance the state fails to establish probable cause.»
The case has drawn significant attention due to Kirk’s prominence as a conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA. The shooting occurred during a campus event, raising questions about security at political gatherings. The preliminary hearing is ongoing, and further testimony is expected in the coming days.
