A Utah judge has rejected a defense request to publicly display all exhibits in the case against the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a campus event last September.
Judge Tony Graf Jr. made the ruling Wednesday during preliminary hearings for Tyler Robinson, who is charged in connection with Kirk’s death on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University. The decision came as prosecutors presented DNA evidence linking Robinson’s romantic partner to items recovered from the crime scene.
DNA Evidence Presented
A Utah Department of Public Safety investigator testified Tuesday that DNA belonging to Lance Twiggs was found on two key pieces of evidence, according to the court record. Jennifer Faumina, a sergeant with the State Bureau of Investigation, identified male DNA matching Twiggs on a screwdriver recovered from a rooftop and a towel wrapped around the rifle allegedly used in the shooting.
“Male DNA was obtained from item 7-1. Item 7-1 was interpreted as originating from two individuals, one of whom is Twiggs,” Faumina testified. She also confirmed that DNA matching Twiggs was found on a second item.
Legal Proceedings Move Forward
The Utah Supreme Court declined last week to hear the defense’s appeal challenging two pretrial rulings by Judge Graf. The court’s decision cleared the way for the preliminary hearing to proceed as scheduled, beginning Monday and continuing throughout the week.
The defense had contested Graf’s decisions to allow cameras in the courtroom and to permit certain hearsay evidence during the hearing. “The petition for permission to appeal from an interlocutory order is denied,” the state’s highest court stated in its order.
Camera Access Restrictions
Judge Graf has maintained control over media access decisions on a hearing-by-hearing basis rather than through a blanket policy. News organizations must submit requests to use cameras at least 14 days in advance, and the judge retains final authority over approval.
During the preliminary hearing, Graf rejected nearly all defense requests to restrict camera coverage. The judge granted only one motion, prohibiting still photography from one media outlet that missed the filing deadline by one day.
This story has been updated. CNN’s Digital team contributed to this report.
