Defense Team Challenges DNA Evidence in Charlie Kirk Murder Hearing
During a weeklong preliminary hearing, attorneys for Tyler Robinson questioned the reliability of FBI DNA testing that prosecutors say links him to the weapon used in the killing of activist Charlie Kirk.
A Utah County preliminary hearing continued Wednesday as lawyers for Tyler Robinson, charged with the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, pressed the court on the credibility of DNA evidence. Defense attorney Richard Novak sought to exclude a statement from Turning Point USA describing the organization’s traditional Christian values, arguing it did not pertain to Robinson’s mental state. The judge allowed the statement to be provisionally admitted pending a later ruling.
FBI analyst Amanda Bakker testified that after Robinson’s roommate provided a DNA sample, re-testing attributed the towel’s DNA to two individuals: the roommate, Lance Twiggs, and “very likely” Robinson. Prosecutors said the towel and a bolt-action rifle wrapped inside it, recovered from a wooded area near the shooting site at Utah Valley University, were central to their case.
Defense attorney Michael Burt challenged the analyst’s methodology, suggesting the conclusions were uncertain. Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride responded that the reliability of the testing could be examined at trial, not during the preliminary hearing, adding that “there are explanations that are susceptible to different interpretations and arguments.”
The hearing, expected to last a week, will likely see further disputes over whether the DNA results meet the legal threshold for admissibility.