Utah Prosecutors Ready to Hold Hearing in Charlie Kirk Assassination Case Without DNA Evidence

Utah prosecutors told a judge they are ready to move ahead with a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, accused of assassinating conservative figure Charlie Kirk, even without DNA evidence that could tie him to the crimes.

In a court filing on Friday, the prosecutors wrote that they do not need the DNA analysis to hold the hearing, where they plan to present more evidence. "The State has previously proffered that it intends to introduce at the preliminary hearing DNA evidence tying Defendant to the crimes charged in the Information," they stated.

"However, if the Court finds that the State’s introduction of that evidence at the preliminary hearing warrants a continuance, the State is prepared—in the interest of moving this case forward—to proceed with the preliminary hearing as scheduled without the DNA evidence," the filing continued. "The State has made this decision after concluding that the other evidence it intends to introduce is more than sufficient to establish probable cause for bindover."

The preliminary hearing is set for May 18. Judge Tony Graf is due to rule Friday on whether it will go forward as planned or face a delay.

Robinson's attorneys sought at least a six-month postponement in late March. They said prosecutors handed over more than 600,000 files during a March 12 meeting, a volume that will take time to review. "Discovery in this case is incomplete, voluminous, and the processing of it is complex," the defense wrote.

Prosecutors fired back in an April 30 filing, accusing the defense of misleading the public on ballistics testing. Robinson's team had claimed the ATF could not link a bullet recovered at Kirk's autopsy to the rifle tied to Robinson.

Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard called that assertion misleading and misstated. He noted it prompted widespread media coverage. The ATF report stated it could neither identify nor exclude the bullet as having come from the rifle, Ballard wrote. An appendix explained that "inconclusive" means insufficient characteristics to identify or exclude.

Ballard added that Robinson's defense followed up by saying, "the defense may very well decide to offer the testimony of the ATF firearm analyst as exculpatory evidence."

Robinson faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder, after allegedly killing Kirk on Sept. 10, 2025. The charges qualify for the death penalty.