The Tyler Robinson hearing has raged on with plenty of drama.
July 8 2026, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
The Tyler Robinson preliminary hearing has not been without drama, RadarOnline.com can reveal, as the legal team for the Charlie Kirk suspected killer is pushing back against the reliability of DNA testing that prosecutors claim will prove the defense’s client is guilty.
Defense lawyer Michael Burt lashed out over the techniques DNA analyst Amanda Bakker used to connect Robinson to a bolt-action rifle found wrapped inside a towel at Utah Valley University, where the right-wing activist was shot and killed last year.
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DNA Evidence Doesn’t Match Tyler Robinson?
Robinson is accused of killing right-wing activist Kirk.
“She can’t match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples,” Burt told the courtroom. According to Bakker, Robinson’s roommate and alleged lover, Lance Twiggs, gave the FBI a DNA sample for comparison. Bakker then explained reran her tests and attributed all of the DNA to the pair.
After Burt hit back, Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride noted the DNA testing could be examined if the case goes to trial.
McBride said, “The point is there are explanations that are susceptible to different interpretations and arguments. The court is going to determine if it meets the threshold of reliability at trial.”
Kirk was murdered while speaking to students at the Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. According to prosecutors, Robinson had driven three hours from his home to the university campus to kill Kirk.
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Tyler Robinson Footage Revealed in Court
Robinson’s lawyer claimed DNA evidence did not link back to their client.
Following Kirk’s death, investigators found the towel and the suspected murder weapon – with one spent round – in a wooded area near the crime scene.
On Day 2 of the hearing on Tuesday, July 7, Judge Tony Graf allowed never-before-seen footage of Robinson’s movements on the day the conservative podcaster was murdered to be played, despite the defense team’s attempts to keep it out of the court.
The footage showed Robinson driving into a parking garage, walking away, returning once again, and then leaving, as the video was described by former Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull on the stand.
Hull testified Robinson is seen going over a railing onto a rooftop before crouching down and running to a site overlooking where Kirk was speaking that day.
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Kirk’s grieving widow, Erika, has been at the hearing.
Hull also noted the clip showed Robinson running back across the roof, dropping to the ground, and then fleeing on foot after the shooting in the midst of the chaotic scene.
On Wednesday, July 8, day 3 of the hearing, another video featuring Robinson was shown in the courtroom, this time of the 23-year-old turning himself in to authorities one day after the shooting went down.
The clip showed Robinson at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office wearing a T-shirt and baseball cap, which is believed to be the outfit he was wearing when he was allegedly caught on camera at the university.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, has been in court this week during the hearing, as she was seen sobbing at one point. She also bolted from the courtroom as a cop described the brutal details of how her husband was killed.
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Donald Trump Jr, a longtime friend of Kirk, has also been in the courtroom alongside his wife, Bettina Anderson.
Erika, however, has had many supporters on her side, including the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., who attended with his new wife, Bettina Anderson.
After Day 2, Don Jr. revealed he is now more convinced than ever that Robinson is guilty.
“Once this hard evidence was laid out to me in a courtroom before my very eyes, (and) seeing the reaction of the defense, this thing is much more cut and dry than I would have ever even imagined,” he said on Fox News.
If convicted, Robinson could find himself on death row.
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