Prosecutor Seeks Death Penalty For Charlie Kirk’s Murder Suspect

Robinson was accused of firing the single rifle shot from a rooftop that pierced Kirk’s neck last Wednesday on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles (65 km) south of Salt Lake City.

Following the incident, the suspect allegedly asked his roommate to delete chats between them, making the office of Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey Gray charge him with seven criminal counts, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice for disposing of evidence and witness tampering for asking his roommate to delete incriminating texts, Reuters reported.

Top politicians, including U.S. President Donald Trump, have called for capital punishment in the case.

At a press conference, Gray said he had decided to seek the death penalty “independently, based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime.”

Robinson made an initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon via video feed from jail, unshaven and wearing a suicide prevention smock. He remained expressionless but appeared to listen attentively as the judge read the charges and informed him that he could face the death penalty.

According to reports, the defendant spoke only once, when asked to state his name.

Utah Fourth District Judge Tony Graf, during the court proceeding, discovered Robinson couldn’t afford legal counsel, and stated that he would appoint a defence attorney before the next court hearing, set for September 29.

Pending the next court hearing, he was remanded without bond in the Washington County Jail, where, according to a sheriff’s spokesperson, he has been placed under a “special watch protocol” that includes increased supervision.

Kirk’s killing, captured in a viral video clip, which sparked denunciations of political violence, opening new tab across the ideological spectrum, but also unleashed a wave of partisan blame-casting and concerns that the murder might beget more bloodshed.

In court filings, prosecutors highlighted some of the evidence against Robinson, who had been at large for more than 30 hours before eventually turning himself in.

Shortly after the shooting, prosecutors said, Robinson sent a text message telling his roommate to “drop what you’re doing, look under my keyboard.” The roommate, who officials have also described as Robinson’s romantic partner and transitioning from male to female, found a physical note from Robinson that read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”

The roommate then asked Robinson in a text reply, “You weren’t the one who did it, right????” Robinson responded: “I am, I’m sorry,” according to a transcript of the alleged dialogue.

When the roommate asked why he had shot Kirk, Robinson wrote back: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” He also disclosed he had planned the attack for more than a week, prosecutors said.

In later text messages, Robinson said he wished he had gone back and grabbed the rifle that he left in a bush immediately following the killing, noting it had belonged to his grandfather.

“I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpa’s rifle,” he wrote. “I might have to abandon it and hope they don’t find prints.”

DNA found on the trigger of the alleged murder weapon was linked to Robinson, prosecutors said.

According to court filings, Robinson, a third-year trade college student, surrendered to authorities the following day. His parents had seen images of the gunman, and after confronting him, they persuaded him to meet them at their home. Robinson had suggested he was considering suicide, but once at the home, he admitted to his parents that he was the shooter.

Robinson ultimately decided to surrender to police after speaking at his parents’ urging with a family friend who is a retired deputy sheriff, prosecutors said.

The suspect texted his roommate, revealing he would surrender and telling him, “I’m much more worried about you.” He also instructed the roommate to delete the messages and refuse to speak with law enforcement or the media. Despite these instructions, officials have stated that the roommate, who was not identified in court papers, is cooperating with authorities.

Robinson’s mother told police that over the past year her son had grown more left-leaning and more “pro-gay and trans-rights oriented,” the charging document said.

The relationship with his roommate also led to “discussions” with relatives, including his father, who holds “very different political views” from the suspect, according to the document.

Prosecutors have added aggravating factors to Robinson’s murder and firearm charges. They allege that Robinson targeted the victim, Kirk, based on political views and was aware that children would witness the killing. According to state law, the death penalty can only be applied in cases of aggravated murder.

Kirk, 31, co-founder of the conservative student movement Turning Point USA and a key Trump ally, was speaking at an event attended by 3,000 people when he was gunned down.

Civil rights advocates have long criticised Kirk for rhetoric disparaging various marginalised groups, including Blacks, Muslims, immigrants, women and transgender people, and for embracing Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of a stolen election in 2020.

Kirk’s supporters describe him as a staunch defender of conservative values and a champion of public debate who galvanised young voters through Turning Point, shaping the MAGA movement’s appeal to Gen Z voters.

TVC previously reported that the investigators in the killing of Charlie Kirk disclosed that they found a bolt-action rifle near the site where he was shot on a Utah campus, stating that they also found casings scrawled with what seemed to be mysterious messages.

The messages were engraved into four bullet casings, which included references to memes and video game in-jokes.

An affidavit filed by authorities in the case described these messages. One of the inscriptions, according to the affidavit, read, “hey fascist! CATCH!” followed by a combination of directional arrows, an apparent reference to a sequence of button presses that unleashes a bomb in a popular video game, Reuters reported.

https://www.tvcnews.tv/hey-catchother-messages-found-on-bullets-in-charlie-kirk-murder-case/