Prosecutors plan to play redacted statements from roommate of defendant in Charlie Kirk's killing

By — Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press By — Matthew Brown, Associated Press Matthew Brown, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/prosecutors-plan-to-play-redacted-statements-from-roommate-of-defendant-in-charlie-kirks-killing Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Prosecutors plan to play redacted statements from roommate of defendant in Charlie Kirk's killing Nation Jul 9, 2026 10:24 AM EDT PROVO, Utah (AP) — Utah prosecutors plan to play audio clips in open court Thursday of law enforcement officials interviewing the roommate of the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Defense attorneys fought against the public release of the statements from Tyler Robinson's roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs. They said prosecutors would characterize the statements as a confession, undermining Robinson's right to a fair trial if the statements are broadcast by the media. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and has not entered a plea. He turned himself in a day after the fatal shooting of Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump credited with helping galvanize the youth vote for Trump in the 2024 election. Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed in a note left for Twiggs that read: "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it." Robinson also allegedly sent a text to Twiggs saying he targeted Kirk because he "had enough of his hatred." READ MORE: Former officer describes finding a 'sniper pad' on nearby rooftop after Charlie Kirk assassination Twiggs spoke to authorities on Sept. 12 — two days after Kirk was assassinated while speaking to a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University — and again on April 20. He was given immunity for the statements , meaning what Twiggs said cannot be used against him in a potential criminal case. State District Judge Tony Graf will decide at the conclusion of this week's preliminary hearing if prosecutors have enough evidence to bring Robinson to trial. Robinson's attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence but have sought to get the death penalty taken off the table, so far unsuccessfully. Attorneys for Kirk's family and the media had urged the judge to make Twiggs' statements and other evidence public. "To not be transparent, to not be open and let the world see what happened will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system," Kirk family lawyer Jeffrey Neiman told Graf. Investigators say Robinson went to a rooftop near where Kirk was speaking and shot him once through the neck as the activist was taking questions from a crowd of several thousand people. Kirk was declared dead after being taken to a hospital. Investigators found the suspected murder weapon — a bolt-action rifle with one spent round