The family of Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative leader, will attend a preliminary hearing next week in Utah, marking their first major appearance since the arrest of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting Kirk during a Turning Point USA event.
The hearing, set to take place July 6, is expected to last a week and will involve prosecutors calling witnesses to establish probable cause for the case against Robinson. If successful, the court will allow the case to proceed to trial.
Risk of delay exists, however, with the Utah Supreme Court considering a defense appeal over Judge Tony Graf's denial of Robinson's motion to ban news cameras from the proceedings. Graf's decision was opposed by Erika Kirk, designated victims' advocate and widow of Charlie Kirk.
The preliminary hearing is expected to be a difficult moment for the Kirk family, with several videos of the murder having circulated online. To minimize distress, the sides have agreed to notify family members of sensitive evidence before it is shown in court, allowing them to leave the courtroom in advance if needed.
Robinson faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted of the top charge of aggravated murder. He is also charged with six lesser offenses, including weapons offenses, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering.
Prosecutors have gained permission to play a video statement from a witness, Twiggs, rather than having him testify in person. Twiggs has cooperated with investigators and has not been charged with a crime. Robinson allegedly confessed to the assassination in conversations with Twiggs and in a note left behind at their shared apartment.
Police recovered the suspected murder weapon, a Mauser rifle, wrapped in a blanket in a patch of woods near campus. Prosecutors believe that other text messages between Robinson and Twiggs discuss wanting to retrieve the rifle.
