Charlie Kirk’s family representative has spoken out after it was reported that a video statement from Lance Twiggs, the roommate and romantic partner of Tyler Robinson, is set to be played in court on Thursday, July 9. The video is part of the prosecution’s case, and could be important because Robinson reportedly confessed to Twiggs about the murder.
Meanwhile, prosecutors have revealed that Twiggs was given immunity in exchange for providing recorded video statements to investigators about the case.
Andrew Kolvet has now shared the Kirk family representative Jeffrey Neiman’s full statement “regarding transparency around the Lance Twiggs interview recording.”
“The Kirk family believes strongly that if the evidence is being admitted in this preliminary hearing, it should be made public for the world to see. No redactions. This court has tools at its disposal to make sure the defendant receives a fair trial. You’ll use them if you find that you need to. That’s it, Your Honor. To not be transparent here, to not be open, to not let the world see what happened, will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system,” the statement, posted on X, says.
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It adds, “And that’s not what anybody wants. That’s not what any of us believe should happen here. And we’d ask the court to consider the position of the family in making its ultimate decision. Thank you.”
The defense on Wednesday, July 8, objected to the video being played. They argued that it would violate Robinson’s right to a fair trial. The judge, however, ruled that the video could be played with some redactions.
According to prosecutors, Robinson confessed in a note to Twiggs, saying, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
The week-long hearing
This development happened during a week-long hearing in Provo, Utah. The proceeding resembles a minitrial. Prosecutors plan to offer DNA evidence linking Robinson to the suspected murder weapon, testimony from investigators, autopsy findings, witness statements and video of Kirk’s murder. They will have to present all their evidence and can use secondhand information, or hearsay.
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At the end of the hearing, state District Judge Tony Graf will determine if the case will proceed. Reporters and the public can attend as Graf denied a defense request to restrict access.
Prosecutors will have to demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds to believe Robinson killed Kirk. This standard is actually lower than for a trial, where prosecutors are required to prove guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
