The judge overseeing the Tyler Robinson case ordered portions of a recorded police interview with Robinson’s former roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, to be redacted after defense attorneys argued prosecutors would portray parts of the recording as “confessions” that could undermine Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
District Court Judge Tony Graf ruled Wednesday that several sections of the interview must be removed before it is played in open court. However, Graf said he will consider the full, unredacted recording when deciding whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to send Robinson to trial.
Prosecutors are expected to play the edited recording Thursday as Robinson’s weeklong preliminary hearing enters its final day. They had planned to introduce it on Wednesday, but delayed doing so after the judge ordered the redactions.
Robinson, 23, faces seven criminal charges, including aggravated murder, in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
DNA evidence tied to Robinson’s former roommate was found on key items recovered after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, according to testimony during the second day of Robinson’s preliminary hearing.
The revelation came Tuesday in a Provo, Utah, courtroom as prosecutors continued laying out the case against Robinson, who is accused of fatally shooting the Turning Point USA founder at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.
Jennifer Faumina, a sergeant with the Utah Department of Public Safety who was working in the State Bureau of Investigation at the time of the shooting, read portions of a DNA report from the stand.
The report focused on evidence recovered from the campus, including a screwdriver found on the rooftop of the Losee Center for Student Success and a towel that had been wrapped around a rifle.
“Male DNA was obtained from item 7-1. Item 7-1 was interpreted as originating from two individuals, one of whom is Twiggs,” she read.
She later said, “Male DNA was obtained from item eight sub one. Item eight sub one was interpreted as originating from two individuals, one of whom is Twiggs.”
Those two items were identified as the screwdriver and the towel wrapped around the rifle.
FBI analyst Amanda Bakker also testified about DNA evidence in the case, including findings that linked Robinson and Twiggs to the towel, according to AP.
Robinson’s defense has disputed the DNA evidence and questioned its reliability.
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