Tyler Robinson Seeks to Block Death Penalty Over Prosecutors' Comments on 1 Bullet Fragment
Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jun 12
Tyler Robinson Seeks to Block Death Penalty Over Prosecutors' Comments on 1 Bullet Fragment
3 articles · Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jun 12
Summary
Utah defense lawyers asked a judge Friday to bar prosecutors from pursuing the death penalty, arguing their public comments about a bullet fragment violated court limits and tainted the jury pool.
Those comments came after defense filings highlighted a preliminary ballistics finding that did not match the fragment to the rifle investigators say killed Charlie Kirk, fueling speculation about a second shooter or a staged death.
Prosecutors said they were correcting misinformation, not discussing case specifics, and pointed to DNA consistent with Robinson's on the rifle trigger, a fired casing, two unfired cartridges and the towel used to wrap the weapon.
Judge Tony Graf said he will rule June 22 on the contempt dispute after separately refusing to pause the case over courtroom-camera issues.
The fight lands ahead of a July 6 hearing where prosecutors must show enough evidence to send Robinson, 23, to trial in the Sept. 10 killing of Kirk at Utah Valley University.