Utah prosecutors have presented a new alleged confession from Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, urging a judge to send the case to trial. The purported admission, made in a Discord group chat shortly after Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University in September 2025, is described by prosecutors as a 'smoking gun.'
"It was me. Look at the pictures from the surveillance footage. It was me. I'm serious," Robinson allegedly wrote in the message, according to a court filing submitted to Utah District Court on July 28. This communication is part of what prosecutors are calling a 'bindover' filing, a legal process to move a criminal case toward trial.
Prosecutors stated that their case is "likely as straight-forward a bindover decision as this Court will ever see." This latest message follows a previously disclosed alleged confession in the same group chat: "Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. it was me at UVU yesterday. I'm sorry for all of this. I'm surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments."
In total, prosecutors claim Robinson has made 11 confessions since Kirk's death, including statements made to his parents and former roommate, Lance Twiggs. The bindover filing asserts that "DNA testing, surveillance video, and eyewitness testimony buttress those elements and demonstrate probable cause to support the remaining elements." Prosecutors are seeking to have Robinson stand trial for capital murder.
Robinson's defense has reportedly sought to challenge the DNA evidence and the reliability of tests conducted on a bullet fragment recovered from Kirk's body. Utah District Judge Tony Graf is expected to make a decision on whether to proceed to trial in September, following pre-trial hearings earlier in July.
Kirk's widow, Erika, has urged the judge to render a swift decision, citing the "overwhelming evidence presented" by the prosecution. While acknowledging that the bindover stage requires a lower burden of proof than a trial jury, prosecutors maintain that the evidence "demonstrates a reasonable belief that Defendant was the shooter."
The prosecution's extensive filing details alleged evidence, including surveillance images, DNA found on a towel wrapped around the murder weapon, and Robinson's multiple alleged confessions. During pre-trial hearings, Chief Deputy Utah County Attorney General Chad Grunander reportedly told the court, "Your Honor's heard four days of testimony now. The evidence is overwhelming. It's devastating."
Confessions to Roommate
Prosecutors also presented a police interview with Robinson's former roommate and lover, Lance Twiggs. In the interview, Twiggs stated that Robinson confessed to him after the shooting, expressing regret: "I wished he hadn't done it."
Twiggs also testified that Robinson left him a handwritten note on the day of the assassination that read, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it." This note, along with text messages allegedly sent by Robinson on the day of the shooting, were presented as evidence. In these texts, Robinson reportedly admitted to Twiggs, "I am, I'm sorry," in response to disbelief about the confession note.
Robinson allegedly discussed attempts to conceal evidence, writing about his plan to retrieve the rifle from a "drop point." He further stated, "If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence." He also indicated he had been planning the shooting for "a bit over a week."
Twiggs cooperated with investigators and provided DNA samples. Prosecutors revealed that DNA from both Twiggs and Robinson was found on the towel used to wrap the murder weapon, which was discarded near the crime scene. Forensic biologist Caitlin Oliver testified that the DNA found on the towel is "at least one trillion times more likely to have come from Tyler Robinson" than from any other individual.
Prosecutors also displayed bullets allegedly engraved with political messages, including one that reads: "Hey Fascist! CATCH!"
