Attorneys for Charlie Kirk murder suspect ask to postpone hearing
Kyiv • UNN
Tyler Robinson's attorneys are asking to postpone the May hearing due to the need to review ballistic evidence. The FBI is conducting additional analysis of the evidence.
Lawyers for Tyler Robinson, who is accused of murdering conservative activist Charlie Kirk, have asked the court to postpone the preliminary hearing scheduled for May. This became known from recently filed court documents, AP reports, writes UNN.
Details
The defense stated that it needs additional time to review the large volume of case materials, as well as to analyze ballistic examinations, which, in their opinion, may be important for the defense line.
In particular, lawyers refer to the conclusions of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to which a bullet fragment recovered during the autopsy could not be definitively linked to the rifle found near the scene of the shooting. According to them, the FBI is currently conducting additional examinations.
The defense believes that these results can be used to try to refute the validity of the indictment already at the preliminary hearing stage.
What is known about the case
Robinson, 22, is accused of aggravated murder in connection with a shooting that occurred on September 10 on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem. The prosecution has already stated that it intends to seek the death penalty for him.
The prosecution claims that DNA matching Robinson's DNA was found on the trigger of the rifle, the cartridge case, and two cartridges. At the same time, the defense emphasizes that some of the physical evidence contained DNA from several people, and therefore requires a more complex analysis.
Prosecutors also claim that Robinson allegedly wrote to his partner that he targeted Kirk because he "had enough of his hatred."
A separate hearing in the case is scheduled for April 17 – then the court will consider the defense's motion to ban cameras in the courtroom.