{"id":2627520,"date":"2026-07-09T19:31:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T23:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-4\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T19:32:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T23:32:54","slug":"heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-4\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need To Know About The Kirk Assassination Trial, Day 4"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fheres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-4%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2627520&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>during the fourth day of preliminary hearings in Tyler Robinson\u2019s murder trial, key evidence was presented, including a redacted interview with Lance Twiggs, who was Robinson\u2019s roommate and alleged transgender lover. The court debated the extent of evidence disclosure, with the judge emphasizing the need to balance transparency with the rights of all parties. <\/p>\n<p>Several new individuals appeared, such as Christopher Ballard from Utah County and defense witness Samantha Carner, an expert in firearms analysis. Twiggs testified that Robinson was asking about engraving bullets with a Dremel tool about a month before the shooting and was acting erratically the day after. Authorities connected Robinson to the evidence-including a .30-06 rifle, cartridges, and DNA evidence linking him to the weapon.<\/p>\n<p>Photographs of hidden engraved bullets and a gun were introduced, alongside DNA analysis showing a one trillion to one likelihood that the DNA belonged to Robinson. Additionally, court proceedings included the full admission of Pastor David Engelhardt\u2019s testimony, which detailed Kirk\u2019s religious and political beliefs, his founding of Turning Point USA, and his views on marriage and family rooted in orthodox Christian doctrine. The testimony also outlined Kirk\u2019s active engagement in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/faith-freedom-coalition-conference-pac-leader-says-pro-family-candidates-should-not-be-on-the-defensive\/\" title=\"PAC Leader at Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition Conference: Pro-... Candidates Must Stay Assertive\">promoting traditional values<\/a> through events at institutions like Utah Valley university.<\/p>\n<p>The judge indicated that a decision on whether the case will proceed to trial would be made after reviewing all submitted evidence, based on whether probable cause is established.This hearing highlighted the complex evidence,including forensic and ideological components,used in the case against Robinson.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Lance Twiggs, the roommate and \u201ctransgender\u201d lover of alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson, took center stage on day four of the preliminary hearings of Robinson\u2019s murder trial, as Judge Tony Graf allowed a redacted version of Twiggs\u2019 interview with investigators to be played for the public.<\/p>\n<p>The day started with a motion from the Kirk family to play to the courtroom, in full, all exhibits offered by state prosecutors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cErika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, and his grieving parents traveled to this courtroom for one reason: to be present at these proceedings and to bear witness to the evidence concerning the death of their husband and son,\u201d the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2075237270031138848?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">motion<\/a> stated. \u201cAt certain points throughout the preliminary hearing, the Kirk family sat in the room while evidence was admitted but not presented for their viewing. They were present in body, yet denied the very thing their presence was meant to secure: their ability to <em>meaningfully<\/em> observe the preliminary hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That motion was largely denied by Graf, who stated:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>This ruling is not intended to diminish the significance of the victim\u2019s representative rights or concerns. Rather, it reflects the court\u2019s responsibility to regulate the presentation of evidence in a manner consistent with the integrity of the proceedings and the fair trial rights implicated in this manner, the manner in which evidence is displayed remains in the court\u2019s discretion. That discretion must be exercised in a manner that is appropriate and appropriately balances Mr. ROBINSON\u2019s constitutional rights, Mrs. KIRK\u2019s rights as a victim representative, and the court\u2019s obligation to conduct the proceedings that are fair, orderly, and appropriately transparent. Transparency is an important principle, but it must be maintained in a manner consistent with the constitutional rights and protections afforded to all parties. The court does not make a blanket ruling as it relates to any exhibit, and as previously stated, each exhibit will be afforded its own due in weighing whether it shall be published to the courtroom, or beyond, or not.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Like days <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/06\/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/07\/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/08\/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">three<\/a>, some new people were introduced on day four:<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Personne<\/strong>l<\/h2>\n<h4><strong>State of Utah<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/atty.utahcounty.gov\/cms\/uploads\/Christopher_Ballard_bio_d552b7652d.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Christopher Ballard<\/a>, General Counsel\/Chief of Staff, Utah County Attorney\u2019s Office. According to his bio, prior to his current position, Ballard \u201cserved 22 years as an Assistant Solicitor General in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Utah Attorney General\u2019s Office, including over three years as Deputy Division Director.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Witness<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Defense witness Samantha Carner, a forensic firearm and toolmark examiner at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with more than six years of experience. She analyzed the gun said to have been used in Kirk\u2019s murder, the cartridges, and the bullet fragments.<\/p>\n<p>In the interview with law enforcement, Twiggs <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2075270283213078665?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> Robinson was asking about using a Dremel tool to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-trans-lover-says-alleged-charlie-kirk-assassin-admitted-he-wishes-he-hadnt-done-it\/\" title=\"Trans Lover: Alleged Kirk Assassin Said He &#039;Wishes He Hadn&#039;t Done It&#039;\">start engraving bullets<\/a> about one month before Sept. 10, the day he allegedly shot Kirk.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>Gun and etched bullets with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >messages found hidden<\/a> in the woods outside the UVU campus.<\/p>\n<p>Some engravings:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;notice this bulge&#8221;<br \/>&#8220;owo what&#8221;<br \/>&#8220;this?&#8221;<br \/>&#8220;hey fascist, catch&#8221;<br \/>&#8220;o bella ciao&#8221;<br \/>&#8220;ciao ciao&#8221;<br \/>&#8220;if you read this, you are gay lmao&#8221;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FDRLST?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@FDRLST<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/D1nxhyiYeM\">pic.twitter.com\/D1nxhyiYeM<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Breccan F. Thies (@BreccanFThies) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2075313330571690488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 9, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Twiggs also <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2075271999354552373?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> that Robinson was pacing and acting erratically the day after, hours before he eventually turned himself in to the Washington County Sheriff\u2019s Office. He said he <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2075272672183795956?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recognized<\/a> Robinson on the UVU video footage taken when an individual alleged to be Robinson was on campus around the time of the shooting.<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>Along with Twiggs\u2019 testimony and the entering of images of the .30-06 gun and cartridges into evidence, DNA evidence was also used to connect Robinson to all those pieces of evidence.<\/p>\n<p>Utah State Bureau of Investigation Sgt. Jennifer Faumuina found DNA evidence 1 trillion times more likely to be Robinson than anyone else on multiple parts of the gun and on cartridges.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>DNA testimony linking ROBINSON to the .30-06 rifle, per Utah SBI Sgt. FAUMUINA, team lead for the evidence response team.<\/p>\n<p>Swabs of stock and bolt of rifle:<br \/>&#8220;The DNA profiles are at least 1 trillion times more likely if they originated from Tyler Robinson, Exhibit 7.1 as a\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Breccan F. Thies (@BreccanFThies) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2075317480319258966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 9, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Graf allowed in full and published Thursday an exhibit that was only admitted provisionally earlier this week. This exhibit was the testimony of Pastor David Engelhardt, a friend of Kirk\u2019s and a TPUSA board member. The testimony, a document, outlined the religious and political beliefs and motivations of Kirk and TPUSA.<\/p>\n<p>It <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2075307314991542497?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reads<\/a> as follows:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>1) As noted in Turning Point USA\u2019s filings with the Internal Revenue Service, Turning Point USA is organized and operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes in accordance with section 501(c)(3), to empower informed civic and cultural engagement grounded in American exceptionalism and a positive spirit of action. More specifically, Turning Point USA guides citizens through development of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation, so they can meaningfully engage in their communities to restore traditional American values like patriotism, respect for life, liberty, family, and fiscal responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>Charlie Kirk was Turning Point USA\u2019s founder, establishing the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on June 5, 2012. In addition to being its founder, Charlie Kirk also served as Turning Point USA\u2019s Chief Executive Officer and Board President from June 5, 2012, until Charlie\u2019s murder on September 10, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>2) Charlie Kirk believed in the classical orthodox-Christian position on marriage, family, gender, and sexual being, which find their basis in various Biblical scriptures, most explicitly described in Matthew chapter 19:4-5, where Christ taught \u201cHave you not read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?\u201d Charlie Kirk believed as all theologically-orthodox-Christians believe that from this axiom springs forth three principles:<\/p>\n<p>(1) That God determines whether a person is male or female \u2014 and that experimentation with sexual gender identity is sinful and therefore, should not be engaged in, accepted in culture, or allowed under the law.<br \/>(2) That heterosexuality inside the confines of a marriage is the only virtuous pattern for sexuality and the concomitant creation of the family \u2014 and that all other sexual patterns are sinful and<br \/>(3) That marriage is a covenant until death \u2014 Biblically unjustified divorce is sinful.<\/p>\n<p>3) Since its inception, Turning Point USA has hosted thousands of events like the one held at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 \u2014 with at least 200 \u2014 of these events featuring Charlie Kirk as headline speaker. At these events, Charlie Kirk and other Turning Point USA speakers would engage attendees, most often students, in civil debate and discussion on traditional family values, orthodox-Christian views on sexuality, marriage, and gender, sex, America\u2019s founding principles, political doctrines, foreign affairs, economics, faith and religious ideas, current events, cultural trends, and whatever else attendees wanted to discuss. Charlie Kirk and TPUSA\u2019s speakers often specifically attempted to persuade attendees to follow commands rooted in orthodox-Christian and politically conservative values. It should also be noted that Charlie frequently requested that any attendee with an opposing opinion or view was welcome to the front of the question line and to be the first to communicate their views.<\/p>\n<p>4) David Engelhardt is a pastor and attorney. David was a longtime friend and counselor to Charlie Kirk in matters of law, philosophy, and faith. In 2021, David was appointed by Charlie Kirk to serve as a Board Director and Officer for Turning Point USA. David still holds these positions today. David is also a frequent presenter at TPUSA events on matters of faith and culture.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This testimony is part of laying the foundation for a \u201cvictim targeting enhancement\u201d on Robinson\u2019s charges, supporting the contention that he specifically chose to target Kirk for his beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>Graf will make a determination as to whether this case will go to trial Friday after a review of all evidence entered. If it is deemed to reach a probable cause threshold, a trial will follow.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Breccan F. Thies is the White House correspondent for The Federalist. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. As an investigative journalist, he previously covered education and culture issues for the Washington Examiner and Breitbart News. He holds a degree from the University of Virginia and is a 2022 Claremont Institute Publius Fellow. You can follow him on X: @BreccanFThies.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Twiggs, Robinson\u2019s roommate and \u201ctransgender\u201d lover, testified in day four of the preliminary hearing for Robinson\u2019s murder trial. Judge Tony Graf permitted a redacted investigator interview to be played publicly. The day began with a motion from the Kirk family to view all prosecution exhibits fully, citing their desire to observe evidence related to Charlie Kirk\u2019s death. The motion was largely denied; the judge emphasized balancing transparency with fair trial rights and evidence presentation discretion. New personnel included Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard; witness Samantha Carner, an ATF firearms expert, analyzed the weapon and ballistic evidence. Twiggs stated Robinson inquired about engraving bullets with a Dremel tool before the shooting and appeared erratic afterward. DNA evidence linked Robinson to the firearm and cartridges with high certainty. Additionally, Judge Graf allowed into full view a previously provisional exhibit-testimony from Pastor David Engelhardt detailing Kirk\u2019s religious beliefs and political motivations, highlighting his conservative Christian views on marriage and gender roles. This testimony aims to support charges that Robinson targeted Kirk based on his beliefs. A decision on whether the case proceeds to trial will be made after reviewing all entered evidence on Friday<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":2627521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-09-164508.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[82509,35546,60432,82317,33118],"class_list":["post-2627520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-court-updates","tag-day-4","tag-high-profile-case-2","tag-kirk-assassination-trial","tag-legal-proceedings"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-09-164508.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2627520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2627520"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2627520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2627524,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2627520\/revisions\/2627524"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2627521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2627520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2627520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2627520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}