OAN Staff Lillian Mann
1:10 PM – Monday, July 6, 2026
Escorted into a Utah courthouse, the parents and widow of the late conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder, Charlie Kirk, came face-to-face with his purported killer for the first time during Monday’s pretrial hearing.
On Monday, Erika Kirk was seen being escorted into the Provo, Utah, courtroom, donning a black dress and sunglasses for the five-day preliminary hearing. Charlie Kirk’s parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, also followed, walking hand in hand.
Donald Trump Jr., his new wife, Bettina Anderson, and conservative commentator Jack Posobiec were seen in court as well.
At the preliminary hearing, Utah Judge Tony Graf will be determining whether the trial can move forward, evaluating the evidence “in the light most favorable to the prosecution.”
While defense attorneys are expected to cross-examine witnesses, the burden of proof is much lower than an actual trial, meaning the prosecution only needs to establish enough evidence to proceed.
Prosecutors plan to confront Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter, head-on with DNA evidence, autopsy findings, and recorded testimony from his romantic partner and ex-roommate, Lance Twiggs.
The state’s first witness, former Utah Valley University Police Department officer Chris Bagley, testified on Monday about securing the crime scene. Bagley stated that he noticed a disturbance in the gravel atop the Losee Center — what he described as a “sniper pad” — in the exact spot where Robinson allegedly positioned himself to fire the fatal shot.
“When I got up there and I could see this disturbance in gravel, to me it looks like a sniper pad. A person that has been laying in a prone position and you’ve got markings of elbows, knees and feet to where somebody was in the line of sight of where Charlie’s tent was,” Bagley said.
Bagley was also questioned by a Utah County Chief Deputy District Attorney on the layout of the Utah Valley University courtyard, where the shooting took place on September 10, 2025.
Ahead of the preliminary hearing, Kirk’s family released a statement asking for privacy and offering their gratitude for the support and kindness they have received following the tragic loss.
“Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father,” the statement read. “Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children. We remain deeply grateful for the support, prayers, and kindness we have received. This outpouring has sustained us during the darkest days of our lives. Out of respect for the judicial process, we will not be commenting further at this time. We ask for continued privacy as we navigate this process and immense grief.”
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