Rooftop Surveillance and DNA Evidence Unveiled on Day Two of Charlie Kirk Murder Hearing

On the second day of a high-stakes preliminary hearing in state court, prosecutors presented a detailed digital and physical timeline tracking the final movements of the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Tyler Robinson, 23, faces seven criminal charges, including aggravated murder, for the September 10th, 2025, sniper shooting of Kirk at Utah Valley University. As prosecutors seek to convince District Court Judge Tony Graf that there are reasonable grounds to send the high-profile case to a jury trial, they revealed that they intend to seek the death penalty under Utah law. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

Unseen Footage Tracks Alleged Assassin Across Campus

Lead investigator David Hull of Utah’s State Bureau of Investigation took the stand on Tuesday to introduce previously unseen campus surveillance videos. The footage paints a chilling picture of the hours preceding the assassination.

According to Hull's testimony, Robinson first arrived at the university approximately four hours before the shooting. Dressed in a red T-shirt and shorts, he blended in with the student body, bought a meal at a campus Chick-fil-A, and checked out access routes to the roof of the Losee Center building.

Hull noted that during this initial window, Robinson approached and made contact with staff members from Turning Point USA, the influential youth conservative network co-founded by Kirk, as they set up the outdoor amphitheater for Kirk’s trademark debate event. The investigator did not elaborate on the nature of that interaction.

Surveillance footage showed the suspect leaving and returning to campus 90 minutes before the attack, having changed his attire and seemingly walking with a limp. Subsequent video captured the moment the fatal shot was fired. Hull identified the figure on screen as Robinson, describing how the individual rolled over a railing onto the rooftop, crouched down, and assumed a sniper's position with a direct line of sight to Kirk's podium. Following the shooting, the suspect was filmed running across the building, jumping off the roof while holding an unknown object, and fleeing into a nearby wooded area.

Investigators later combed those woods and discovered a bolt-action rifle containing one spent round, wrapped tightly inside a towel.

Political and Religious Motives Enter the Record

Arguments on Tuesday also shed light on the prosecution's alleged motive. The state argues that Robinson targeted Kirk specifically because of the activist’s religiously conservative stances on gender and sexuality, which could trigger sentence enhancements.

In past court filings, prosecutors referenced text messages Robinson sent to his roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, stating he killed Kirk because “I had enough of his hatred.” The prosecution also quoted Robinson’s mother, who told investigators that her son's political views had recently swung to the left, noting that he had become “more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented.”

The defense team, led by Richard Novak, fought to block a written statement from Turning Point USA board member David Engelhardt detailing the organization’s traditional Christian values.

“This doesn’t say anything about Mr. Robinson’s state of mind,” Novak argued to the court. “I don’t think that this court should be deciding — based on the record before it — where, if at all, politics and religion intersect.”

Judge Graf overruled the objection, stating the organization's background was relevant and would be "provisionally admitted" pending a final decision.

Defense Fires Back at Forensics and Scene Integrity

The presentation of evidence offered the public its first clear glimpse into the defense's strategy, as attorneys Michael Burt and Kathryn Nester aggressively attempted to discredit the state’s forensic and physical evidence.

State Bureau of Investigation Sergeant Jennifer Faumuina testified that FBI laboratory testing successfully matched DNA found on the rooftop screwdriver, the recovery towel, and the bolt-action rifle to Robinson and his roommate, Twiggs, who is cooperating with the police. The defense immediately countered by calling FBI forensic examiner Amanda Bakker, who signed the DNA report, grilling her for over two hours to demonstrate that finding a person's genetic material on an object does not definitively prove they touched it.

During cross-examination, Nester pressed Hull over his management of the crime scene, forcing him to acknowledge that no shell casings were found near the rooftop gravel impression that was dubbed the "sniper pad." Hull also admitted that an unrelated handgun inside a backpack was found on campus after the shooting, though investigators determined that it was not linked to the homicide. Nester further highlighted that some eyewitnesses at the scene described seeing a completely different suspect on the roof, while others told police that the grey Dodge Challenger seen on neighborhood cameras was being operated by a bald man.

Trauma in the Gallery

The proceedings took place before a packed gallery. For a second day, Kirk's widow, Erika, who has stepped up to lead Turning Point USA following her husband's death, sat alongside his parents, Kathryn and Robert, and Donald Trump Jr.

On the other side of the room sat Robinson’s parents, Matt and Amber Robinson. The emotional toll of the hearing bled into the public gallery, where local residents who witnessed the shooting lined up at midnight to secure seats.

The preliminary hearing is structured like a mini-trial but carries a significantly lower standard of proof than a criminal trial. Prosecutors do not need to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt; they must only show reasonable grounds that Robinson committed the crime. The proceedings are expected to continue through Friday.