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WASHINGTON - A US judge ruled Tuesday that the man accused of killing conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk will face trial for murder, finding that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to proceed.
The 23-year-old defendant Tyler James Robinson, faces the death penalty in the state of Utah for allegedly killing Kirk, who was shot in the neck during a rally on a college campus on Sept 10, last year.
"For the foregoing reasons and based off the record and parties' submissions, it is hereby ordered that the defendant, Tyler James Robinson, is bound over for trial," Judge Tony Graf said in court.
The decision follows a preliminary hearing during which both sides presented arguments about whether such a trial should proceed.
The prosecution presented Robinson's video gamer chats and text messages that they said proved the suspect killed Kirk, because he was "fed up" with the "hate" spread by the influencer. The defense, for its part, focused primarily on casting doubt on the validity of DNA evidence linking the defendant to the murder weapon.
Following the judge's Tuesday decision, Robinson pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, according to US media.
The event at which Kirk was killed at age 31 was planned by his right-wing youth organization, Turning Point, which campaigned for President Donald Trump in 2024. The group is now led by his wife, Erika Kirk.
"Today's decision, which comes nearly a year since Charlie was taken from us, marks an important step in our family's pursuit of justice for him," Erika Kirk said in a statement posted on X.
The Kirk killing alarmed Americans and sent shockwaves through the political world.
Kirk had become a popular leader in a Christian Nationalist movement that preaches traditional values while voicing intolerance for diversity and LGBTQ communities. - AFP
