Image: from KUTV2news X @KUTV2News
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
PROVO, Utah — Attorneys representing the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk are seeking a six-month delay in court proceedings, raising significant questions over the reliability of ballistics and DNA evidence tied to the alleged murder weapon.
Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the September 2025 shooting at Utah Valley University, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing this May. However, in a motion filed before Judge Tony Graf, the defense argued that a “mini-trial” cannot proceed until they have fully analyzed a massive trove of digital data and clarified discrepancies in the federal forensic reports.
The “Two World Wars” Rifle
Central to the prosecution’s case is a decades-old, German-made bolt-action rifle found in a wooded area near the scene of the outdoor event. Investigators have linked the vintage firearm originally built for use in the World Wars to the shooting that claimed the life of Kirk, the influential founder of Turning Point USA.
Kirk was fatally shot while answering questions from a crowd during a stop on his national tour. The brazen nature of the attack, captured on various livestreams, has made the forensic link between the suspect and the weapon the pivot point of the legal battle.
Ballistics and DNA Discrepancies
In the recent court filing, Robinson’s legal team highlighted a summary report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). According to the defense, the report indicates that the ATF was “unable to identify” the bullet fragment recovered during Kirk’s autopsy as having been fired from the German rifle tied to their client.
“Until the defense receives the case files and protocols relating to these analyses, they will not be in a position to assess the reliability of this evidence,” the filing states. The defense suggested that if the ATF’s findings remain inconclusive, they may call the government’s own analysts as exculpatory witnesses to prove Robinson’s innocence.
Furthermore, a secondary analysis by the FBI is currently underway but remains incomplete. The defense is also awaiting specialized DNA testing results from the firearm’s surface.
A “Mountain” of Digital Discovery
Beyond the physical evidence, the defense team revealed they are struggling to process an overwhelming amount of digital discovery. Earlier this month, they received a hard drive containing:
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31 hours of audio files
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700 hours of video footage from the event and the surrounding area
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600,000 individual data files
The legal team estimated that a comprehensive review to determine what materials might still be missing will take “hundreds of hours,” making the current May deadline “unrealistic.”
The Road Ahead
The assassination of Charlie Kirk sent shockwaves through the American political landscape, occurring during a period of heightened tension and several high-profile security incidents involving public figures.
If Judge Graf grants the six-month extension, the preliminary hearing—which will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to a full criminal trial- would be pushed to late 2026. The prosecution has not yet filed a formal response to the request for a delay.