Prosecutors in the US state of Utah on Thursday presented key evidence in the case of the suspected killer of high-profile conservative youth leader Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors played portions of an interview with the suspect’s roommate, Lance Twiggs.
Kirk was shot in the neck last year in front of a large crowd of students who had come to hear him speak at Utah Valley University.
A close ally of President Donald Trump, Kirk has been credited with inspiring young voters to vote for him in the 2024 US presidential election.
Tyler R. He faces seven criminal charges, including aggravated murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The suspect has not entered any plea in the case.
Twiggs, who was romantically involved with the suspect, agreed to interviews with prosecutors and police in exchange for immunity in the case.
Prosecutors allege that Tyler R. confessed to Twigs in a note that he had the opportunity to “take out Charlie Kirk” and that he was going to take advantage of that opportunity. He also reportedly told Twigs in a text message that he targeted Kirk because “he had a lot of hatred.”
The roommate spoke to authorities two days after the Kirk murder and again on April 20.
The judge in the case barred parts of Twigg’s interview from being played in the courtroom at the request of the defense. The defendant’s attorneys would characterize the clip as a “confession” and jeopardize the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
What did the roommate say?
In an April 20 interview, Utah County Prosecutor Ryan McBride asked Twiggs about text messages she exchanged with Tyler R. in the hours following Kirk’s murder.
The suspect reportedly admitted via text messages that he shot Kirk and returned to his three-bedroom townhouse the day after the murder.
Twiggs said in the interview, “I asked him personally if what he said last night was true, and he said it was true. He started crying a little and said he wished he hadn’t done it.”
Twiggs also told officers that she and the suspect rarely discussed politics and the first time they talked about Kirk was after the shooting.
Kirk family wants evidence made public
Charlie Kirk’s parents and his widow Erica Kirk attended the court hearing in person. Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee was also in attendance.
The media and Erica Kirk’s attorneys asked the judge to make Twiggs’ statements and other evidence public.
Kirk family attorney Jeffrey Neiman said, “Not being transparent, not being open and not letting the world see what happened will create suspicion and distrust in the judicial system.”
The judge rejected the request, saying that not all evidence would be displayed openly. He reminded lawyers and the Kirk family that the rights of both victims and defendants must be protected.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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