Erika Kirk was heard crying in the courtroom in Provo, Utah, on Thursday as prosecutors read aloud chilling text messages between Tyler Robinson and his former roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs. The 23-year-old Robinson is charged with aggravated murder for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a close ally of Donald Trump, who was shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University on 10 September. Robinson turned himself in the following day.
In a recorded interview with prosecutors on 20 April, Twiggs said that the day after the killing, Robinson told him “he wishes he hadn’t done it”. Robinson’s lawyers fought against the public release of Twiggs’ statements, arguing that releasing them to the media would undermine Robinson’s right to a fair trial. But prosecutors allege that Robinson left a note for Twiggs reading: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” He also sent a text message saying he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred”.
“Tyler Robinson told roommate he 'wishes he hadn't done it' day after Charlie Kirk shooting, court hears.”
About an hour before turning himself in, Robinson posted “it was me at UVU yesterday” in a chat room on the Discord messaging platform, according to messages shown by prosecutors. Twiggs, who was granted immunity for his statements, was interviewed by investigators on 12 September and again on 20 April.
State District Judge Tony Graf is expected to decide at the end of this week’s hearing whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial. Robinson has not yet entered a plea, and his lawyers have asked to remove the possibility of the death penalty. Lawyers representing the media and Kirk’s widow, Erika, who attended the hearing, have urged the judge to make Twiggs’ statements and other evidence public. “To not be transparent, to not be open and let the world see what happened will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system,” said Kirk family lawyer Jeffrey Neiman on Wednesday.