Kirk Assassination Hearing Ends Without Ruling, Judge Sets Sept. 1 Decision Date as Defense Presses DNA Doubts

No Ruling Yet, Next Date Set for Sept. 1

Since Tyler Robinson's preliminary hearing wrapped Friday, July 10, without a decision from 4th District Judge Tony Graf Jr., the case now sits in limbo for roughly six weeks. Graf granted a defense request to file additional briefs before ruling on whether Robinson should stand trial for the Sept. 10, 2025, murder of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, according to reporting from PBS and wfmd. The next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 1, just days shy of the one-year mark since Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University.

Robinson, 23, is charged with aggravated murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. He has not entered a plea.

Prosecution Calls It Overwhelming. Defense Says DNA Isn't Infallible.

Chief Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander told the court the evidence against Robinson is "overwhelming" and "devastating," according to PBS. That evidence includes surveillance footage tracking a figure identified as Robinson onto the roof of UVU's Losee Center, DNA testing tied to the alleged murder weapon and a screwdriver used to etch messages on ammunition, and text messages to his then-roommate.

Defense attorney Michael Burt pushed back hard on the science. Questioning ATF forensic biologist Caitlin Oliver, Burt got her to confirm that government policy bars analysts from calling DNA evidence "infallible" or claiming a "zero error rate," and that DNA can transfer between objects through casual contact, PBS reported. DNA transfer is a real, documented phenomenon in forensic science.

But Burt's team has not offered an alternative theory of who killed Kirk, according to PBS. Retired FBI supervisory agent James Gagliano, now a Fox News contributor, said the broader forensic science is sound, telling wfmd that skepticism about ballistics findings "highlight[s] a complete ignorance of ballistics" when it comes from people without autopsy-room experience. The ATF's own tool-mark analysis on bullet fragments came back inconclusive, but the caliber matched a cartridge casing found in the weapon investigators say carries Robinson's DNA.

Vance: 'Absolutely' Guilty, But Still Wondering Who Else Was Involved

Vice President JD Vance, a close friend of Kirk's, told The Daily Wire the case against Robinson is "really, really compelling" and that he has no doubt Robinson pulled the trigger. But Vance also said he'll "always wonder" whether others radicalized Robinson beforehand.

"Do I think that Tyler Robinson is part of a broader network of left wing radicals who have fomented and encouraged violence? Absolutely," Vance said. "Do I know that they communicated with Tyler Robinson before the shooting? No, I don't have evidence for that."

Vance is explicit that he has no evidence of a coordinated plot, only suspicion. No prosecutor, investigator, or court filing in this case has alleged a broader conspiracy.

The Conspiracy Theories Take a Hit

Separately, data analyst Jennica Pounds, known online as DataRepublican, used the hearing's evidence to publicly rebut commentator Candace Owens, who had claimed on her show that Robinson "wasn't even there" and that Kirk was killed by a "shaped charge" rather than gunfire. Pounds, in comments published by The Daily Wire, pointed to testimony placing Robinson on the rooftop at 12:22 p.m., a shot fired at 12:23:28, and DNA matches on the screwdriver and rifle described in court at roughly 30 quintillion-to-one and 1.7 octillion-to-one odds.

The medical examiner's testimony, relayed by wfmd, ruled Kirk's death a homicide by gunshot wound to the neck, with no findings inconsistent with that conclusion. Neither prosecution nor defense has raised any theory involving explosives during four days of testimony. Owens has not issued a public response addressing the specific evidence cited by Pounds.

What Happens Next

Both sides have roughly six weeks to file briefs before Judge Graf hears closing arguments on Sept. 1 and decides whether the case proceeds to trial. Until then, the aggravated murder charge stands, no plea has been entered, and the death penalty remains on the table.