6 Biggest Revelations to Come Out of the Charlie Kirk Murder Preliminary Hearing
Here are the main developments from the hearing thus far...
This article originally appeared on the Daily Caller News Foundation and was republished with permission.
Guest post by William Buckley
A preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the alleged killer of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, began Monday in a Provo, Utah, courtroom.
Charlie Kirk’s parents and widow Erika have been present for the first two days of the proceedings. Day three is set to begin at 1 p.m. MDT on Wednesday. So far, the hearing has focused primarily on which evidence will be admitted and whether there is enough evidence to justify moving forward with a full jury trial.
Here are the main developments from the hearing thus far:
1. Surveillance Footage
Never-before-seen surveillance footage was admitted as evidence and appears to show Robinson visiting the Utah Valley University campus four separate times on Sept. 10 and into the early hours of Sept. 11. Robinson allegedly scouted the scene, got food and returned in new clothing, at which point he allegedly shot Kirk. He returned again around 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 11.
The video shows Robinson walking around campus, including on the Losee Center roof, as well as what is allegedly Robinson’s car driving around campus. The defense brought up whether or not Robinson was in fact carrying something when he was seen running off the roof of the Losee Center after the shot was fired. Due to the distance from the camera and the quality of the footage, it was extremely difficult to determine whether he was carrying a rifle-shaped object.
2. DNA Evidence
Tyler Robinson’s defense team questioned Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) analyst Amanda Bakker regarding the processing and analysis of the DNA samples, appearing to try to cast doubt on the evidence prosecutors are using to implicate Robinson. After a lengthy line of questioning from the defense regarding the specific processes of the DNA analysis, which prosecutors argued fell outside the scope of a preliminary hearing, Bakker testified that the DNA evidence matched two people: Robinson and his roommate, Lance Twiggs.
Twiggs’ DNA made up 5 percent of the DNA profile on the towel that was wrapped around the firearm allegedly used to kill Kirk, while Robinson’s DNA made up 95 percent. On the screwdriver left on the roof of the Losee Center, Twiggs’ DNA accounted for 11 percent of the profile, compared to 89 percent for Robinson.
Bakker emphasized that the method used to determine DNA profiles is standard practice in every criminal investigation.
Reports that Twiggs was the majority of the DNA were refuted by the rest of Bakker’s testimony. The misunderstanding appears to arise from the DNA samples being conditioned on Twiggs against Robinson’s genetic profile, which revealed that Robinson’s DNA made up most of each sample.
3. Additional Bullet Found On Scene
An additional, unfired rifle bullet was found on a separate building from where Robinson allegedly shot Kirk, which Agent David Hull from the State Bureau of Investigation claimed was accounted for as “an ejected cartridge from an officer who had cycled his rifle.” This scene was not preserved as it was not seen as pertinent to the investigation, given that the bullet was accounted for.
4. Tyler Robinson Seen Limping Across Campus
The surveillance video footage shown in court shows a man whom the prosecution claims to be Tyler Robinson limping across campus, making his way to the Losee Center roof. They are suggesting this is because he is concealing a rifle in his pant leg, which was then used to shoot Kirk. However, the footage does not appear to conclusively show Robinson.
5. UVU Officer Body Cam Dies On Roof Of Losee Center
UVU Officer Chris Bagley, the first officer to make it to the roof of the Losee Center after the shooting, testified as to why his body camera shut off right as he reached the roof: “I think the battery went dead just right at that moment.”
When asked whether he went back to charge his body camera, Officer Bagley stated: “No, I didn’t go back and dock [charge] it; it was too chaotic.”
Bagley clarified that “yes,” the footage that ends with him on the roof is the only footage he had that day.
6. The Judge Visibly Flinched When Faced With The Video Of Kirk Being Shot
When presented with a video of Kirk being shot, the Utah judge for this hearing visibly flinches at the moment when the late conservative activist is shot. This footage was not shown to the courtroom or the media due to the extremely graphic nature of the images.
The hearing will continue throughout this week and is set to conclude Friday. The defense has several more days to argue there is no basis for the case to proceed to trial, and the prosecution is arguing that there is “probable cause” that Robinson committed these crimes, and therefore a jury trial should take place.
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Are we to pretend that the judge has not watched that footage previously? What in gods name has he been doing
Whatever killed Mr. Kirk, it wasn't a 30-06 bullet screaming in at 3000 fps with 150 grains at 110 yards. Simple physics says no way.