The bullet that killed conservative influencer Charlie Kirk did not match the rifle linked to the accused, Tyler Robinson, according to a new claim by Robinson’s lawyers. The 22-year-old’s defense team has asked to delay a preliminary hearing scheduled for May, saying they need time to review a large volume of material and a ballistic analysis that could affect his defense.
Kirk was shot dead on the Utah Valley University campus on September 10 last year. Robinson faces one count of aggravated murder with a victim-targeting enhancement and other felony charges. The Utah County Attorney’s Office has filed a Notice of Intent to seek the death penalty.
Defense attorneys say they have not yet received all evidence from prosecutors and that, once they do, they will need time to review it with experts. They contend ATF reports indicate the agency was unable to match the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied to Robinson, and they say they have not obtained case files.
The defense reports receiving roughly 20,000 files—more than 700 hours of video and 31 hours of audio—and an additional 600,000 files on March 12, which they estimate will take about 60 days to process. “Discovery in this case is incomplete, voluminous, and the processing of it is complex,” the lawyers wrote.
Ballistic analysts examine unique microscopic markings on bullets made as they pass through a gun’s barrel, markings often likened to fingerprints. Prosecutors say they nevertheless have sufficient evidence to move forward, noting DNA on the rifle’s trigger was consistent with Robinson’s; defense attorneys point out some forensic reports found multiple individuals’ DNA. Prosecutors also say Robinson told a romantic partner he targeted Kirk because he “had had enough of his hatred.” The filing did not ask to postpone the next court hearing on April 17.
