The family of the late Charlie Kirk, including his widow and parents, has expressed frustration at being unable to view critical evidence during a preliminary hearing for the accused murderer. They contend, in a recent court document, that victims are entitled to not only attend legal proceedings but also have full access to observe the presented evidence.
Tyler Robinson, a 23-year-old, faces allegations of assassinating conservative figure Charlie Kirk outside a “Prove Me Wrong” event held at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10, 2025. A preliminary hearing is currently ongoing to establish whether the case will proceed to trial.
In a supplementary notice filed this past Wednesday, Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, petitioned a judge in Utah to ensure all evidence introduced in the remainder of Robinson’s preliminary hearing is made visible in real-time to everyone present in the courtroom legally. Additionally, she requested the court to display previously presented exhibits from the first three days of the hearing that had not been shown to the public.
During the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, who stands accused of murdering Kirk outside a “Prove Me Wrong” event in Orem, Utah, Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, can be seen with Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf. (Fox News; Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
The family’s formal statement is unequivocal: every piece of evidence submitted during the preliminary hearing should be visible to all lawful attendees, as their filing declared. “Hiding evidence from those in the courtroom, as occurred today, undermines transparency. Without transparency, speculation and conspiracy theories about Mr. Kirk’s tragic assassination will likely multiply, eroding trust in the justice system. No one desires this outcome.”
The filing says the Kirk family waited 10 months for the preliminary hearing and traveled to the courthouse to witness the proceedings, only to find themselves unable to view certain evidence admitted during testimony.
Attorneys wrote the family was “present in body” but denied the ability to “meaningfully observe the preliminary hearing.”
Booking photos for Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the Utah assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Utah Gov. Spencer Cox)
The filing also contends that Utah law guarantees crime victims and their representatives the right to be informed of, present at and heard during important criminal justice proceedings, and argues those protections are meaningless if victims cannot see the evidence being presented to the court.
“The right ‘to be present’ is hollow if the victim or his representative is physically in the room but is prevented from seeing the evidence the Court is receiving,” the document reads. “A right to attend that does not include the ability to perceive what is happening is not meaningful presence at all.”
Charlie Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
The filing asks the court to display all previously admitted exhibits that were not shown publicly during proceedings scheduled for July 9 and to require that all future evidence admitted during the preliminary hearing be displayed openly and in real time for everyone lawfully present in the courtroom.
It also asks the judge to prohibit evidence from being received in a manner that conceals it from courtroom observers.
Robinson’s preliminary hearing began Monday and is expected to continue through the week. Prosecutors must establish probable cause for the case to proceed to trial on multiple charges, including aggravated murder, which carries the potential death penalty.