Potential Conflict of Interest Rocks Charlie Kirk Murder Case – Utah Prosecutor’s Relative Was in the Crowd During the Assassination, Defense Demands Disqualification
Newly revealed court documents in the prosecution of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of assassinating conservative icon Charlie Kirk, have exposed a potential conflict of interest within the Utah County Attorney’s Office.
Defense attorneys are pushing to boot the entire prosecution team, citing personal ties to the crime scene.
Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed on September 10 while addressing a massive crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University during his “American Comeback Tour.”
The conflict centers on an unnamed prosecutor whose family member, a student, was present at the event, just 85 feet from Kirk when he was killed.
According to court filings, which were made in October but just released to the public on Monday, the relative texted the prosecutor in a group chat amid the pandemonium, “SOMEONE GOT SHOT,” followed by, “I’m okay, everyone is inside.”
The prosecutor immediately shared these messages with Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray while both were attending a separate presentation.
Later, the prosecutor and an investigator visited the campus to pinpoint the relative’s exact location and learned that the family member had abandoned their backpack while fleeing the scene.
The New York Post reports:
The prosecutor’s office shared this family connection with Robinson’s team on Oct. 1, saying the relative “will not be a witness for the state and that he does not believe that this circumstance presents a conflict precluding him from participating in the prosecution of Mr. Robinson,” the defense papers explained.
The majority of the secret October hearing was about Robinson’s bid to appear in civilian clothes and remain unshackled in court at all future hearings, to avoid potential jurors being prejudiced against him, his lawyers argued.
Prosecutors opposed the requests, saying they could better maintain courtroom security if Robinson was easily identifiable in jail clothes and if he was shackled. At a later hearing, Graf ultimately ruled that the press could not capture images of Robinson’s restraints and that he could wear non-jail clothes.
Robinson’s defense team, led by attorney Richard Novak, argues that this personal connection compromises the entire six-member prosecution team.
In a motion filed to disqualify the office, Novak highlighted the issue during a closed-door hearing on October 24, telling Judge Tony Graf:
“The Utah County Attorneys have advised us that a family member of one of the attorneys was present at the incident at which Mr. Kirk was shot and killed.”
Novak added that law enforcement was dispatched to ensure the relative’s safety due to their proximity to the shooting.
Robinson, who allegedly fired the single fatal shot, faces a slew of felony charges including aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.
If convicted, Robinson could face Utah’s infamous firing squad, as it is one of only five states still allowing this method of execution.
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