Investigator says video shows defendant going onto roof to kill Charlie Kirk

PROVO, Utah (AP) — The antheral charged with sidesplitting Charlie Kirk strolled Utah Valley University successful shorts and a T-shirt, bought a repast astatine Chick-fil-A and made interaction with Kirk's staff, earlier returning successful antithetic apparel to sprout the blimpish activistic from a rooftop, an researcher testified Tuesday.

Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull described Tyler Robinson's alleged movements earlier and aft Kirk was killed arsenic prosecutors played antecedently unseen field surveillance videos successful authorities court. The suspect archetypal arrived connected field astir 4 hours earlier Kirk was killed, Hull said.

Prosecutors accidental they mean to question the decease punishment successful the case. They are trying to person Judge Tony Graf that they person capable grounds to bring Robinson to proceedings connected an aggravated execution charge.

Robinson has not yet entered a plea. His attorneys person not commented connected his guilt oregon innocence. They have, however, sought to get the decease punishment taken disconnected the table, truthful acold unsuccessfully.

In a video shown Tuesday, Robinson goes implicit a railing onto a rooftop, crouches down and runs to a tract overlooking wherever Kirk was speaking, Hull testified. After the shooting, Robinson runs backmost crossed the roof, drops to the crushed and flees connected foot, Hull said.

Investigators aboriginal recovered the suspected execution limb — a bolt-action firearm with 1 spent circular — wrapped successful a towel successful immoderate adjacent woods. Later that night, a constabulary connection again spotted Robinson successful the field area, Hull testified.

This week's preliminary proceeding marks the astir important presumption of grounds to day successful the case. Authorities allege Robinson, 23, changeable Kirk connected Sept. 10 portion the 31-year-old activistic and state of President Donald Trump was speaking to a assemblage of thousands.

Court to perceive connection from defendant’s roommate

Defense lawyer Kathryn Nester questioned Hull's handling of the transgression country connected the time of the shooting. She besides asked astir a slug that was recovered connected field astatine a antithetic determination than the alleged shooting site.

Hull said that slug was traced backmost to a instrumentality enforcement serviceman who had “cleared” his weapon, ejecting an unused bullet. He besides said a handgun successful a backpack was recovered astatine the scene.

Prosecutors contend the shooting endangered others astatine Kirk’s field lawsuit — an aggravating condition that could marque the transgression punishable by decease nether Utah law. Robinson besides faces imaginable condemnation enhancements based connected the prosecution's assertion that helium targeted Kirk due to the fact that of his governmental views.

Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed successful a enactment near for his roommate, who was besides his romanticist partner, that read: “I had the accidental to instrumentality retired Charlie Kirk and I’m going to instrumentality it.” Robinson besides sent a substance saying helium targeted Kirk due to the fact that helium “had capable of his hatred,” prosecutors person said.

Robinson's defence squad pushed backmost Tuesday connected the thought that helium was hostile to Kirk's politics. Defense lawyer Richard Novak sought to artifact prosecutors from introducing a connection describing the accepted Christian values of Turning Point USA, a radical co-founded by Kirk that galvanized the blimpish younker ballot to assistance Trump triumph a 2nd term.

"This doesn't accidental thing astir Mr. Robinson's authorities of mind," Novak said astir the connection from Turning Point USA committee subordinate David Englehardt. “I don’t deliberation that this tribunal should beryllium deciding— based connected the grounds earlier it — where, if astatine all, authorities and religion intersect.”

Judge Graf ruled that the connection was applicable and said it would beryllium “provisionally admitted” with a last determination astatine a aboriginal date.

Prosecutors person a debased bar

This week marks the archetypal clip Kirk’s parents, Kathryn and Robert, and widow, Erika, person been successful the courtroom since the lawsuit began. The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., and Robinson’s parents, Matt and Amber Robinson, besides person been present.

The proceeding resembles a minitrial, but prosecutors request lone show that determination are tenable grounds to judge Robinson killed Kirk and should basal trial. The modular is little than for a trial, wherever prosecutors indispensable beryllium guilt “beyond a tenable doubt.”

Legal experts accidental that means prosecutors should person small occupation advancing their case.

Prosecutors besides this week program to contiguous video from Sept. 11 erstwhile Robinson turned himself successful to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, recorded grounds from Robinson’s roommate, DNA linking Robinson to the suspected execution limb and witnesser statements.

Spectators camped retired for hearing

Utah County residents Denae Branch and Jean Rivera lined up extracurricular the courthouse successful Provo astir midnight Tuesday and snagged 1 of the fewer seats disposable to the nationalist for this week's hearing.

The women said they were successful the assemblage erstwhile Kirk was changeable and present deliberation astir it each day.

“It feels similar a batch of the satellite conscionable kept spinning and we’re inactive dealing with the trauma of it,” Branch said. “Our hearts and minds are inactive trying to process it and, yeah, it benignant of helps being here.”

Rivera connected Tuesday wore a garment that work “FREEDOM” -- conscionable arsenic Kirk did connected the time helium was shot. She said she hoped to perceive grounds astir Robinson’s alleged confession note.

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Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

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