Trial in Charlie Kirk killing set for July 2028

Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old man accused of killing the conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will stand trial for murder in early July 2028, a Utah district judge ruled on Monday.

Judge Tony Graf said the trial will remain in Provo, Utah, and jury selection would begin on 21 June 2028.

Attorneys for Robinson had asked to start the trial in January 2029, while Erika Kirk, Charlie's widow, had pushed for an October 2027 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 on a college campus.

Prosecutors say Robinson harboured 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.

Robinson's trial date had been a source of contention. In October, Robinson's legal team proposed that the trial be held in the third quarter of 2029, pointing to the sizable evidence in the case and jury selection preparations as reasons for needing additional time. Lawyers for Erika Kirk balked at the 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!’

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.

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 scrutinised the reliability of forensic evidence, which indicated Robinson's DNA on a towel wrapped around a firearm.