Fox News Anchor Will Cain Breaks Down Day Three of Tyler Robinson's Preliminary Hearing With Legal Experts
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Fox News Anchor Will Cain Breaks Down Day Three of Tyler Robinson's Preliminary Hearing With Legal Experts
On day three of Tyler Robinson's preliminary hearing, prosecutors show new video of Robinson from the day he was taken into custody while pushing to introduce a recorded statement from his former roommate and alleged romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, who wasn't present in court. Fox News anchor Will walks through DNA evidence allegedly linking both Robinson and Twiggs to a screwdriver found on the rooftop where Charlie Kirk was shot and a towel allegedly used to conceal the murder weapon, while the defense challenges the reliability of that testing. Donald Trump Jr., who has attended every day of the hearing, calls the evidence cut and dry and says he's now convinced Robinson will be found guilty. Two criminal defense attorneys join to explain why the defense has spent two days objecting to the Twiggs recording specifically, arguing it's less about keeping the evidence out, since it's likely to come in one way or another, and more about preventing it from being played in open court where media cameras can capture it.
Anchor Will opens with a Fox News alert on day three of the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors have just shown new video of Robinson from the day he was taken into custody, and the day's biggest anticipated testimony involves Robinson's former roommate and alleged romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, whose recorded statement prosecutors want to introduce even though he isn't present in court. Will notes that key evidence reportedly includes DNA from both Robinson and Twiggs found on a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where Kirk was allegedly shot, along with a towel allegedly used to conceal the murder weapon in nearby woods. The defense is challenging the reliability of that DNA testing, while prosecutors continue presenting video meant to establish Robinson's movements on the day of the shooting.
Donald Trump Jr. Calls the Evidence Cut and Dry
Donald Trump Jr., who has attended the hearing every day, tells reporters the evidence laid out in the courtroom was undeniable, saying hard evidence was laid out to him in a courtroom before his very eyes. He adds that watching the defense's reaction made the case seem far more cut and dry than he expected, and that he's now convinced Robinson will be found guilty.
The Fight Over Lance Twiggs' Recorded Statement
Will brings in two criminal defense attorneys to break down what's happening in the courtroom. One notes that the evidence is coming in piece by piece, forming a full picture of what happened on the Utah Valley University campus that day, agreeing with Trump Jr. that each new piece appears damaging to the defense, which explains the volume of objections being raised. Will asks about the recorded statement from Twiggs, who has reportedly been granted limited immunity in exchange for his cooperation as a prosecution witness, and why the fight over playing that recording has stretched across two days. One attorney explains that the defense first moved weeks ago to keep the recording out entirely, was denied by the judge, appealed to the Utah Supreme Court, and was denied again, only to keep raising new objections now that the recording is set to be played, describing it as the defense sandbagging the proceedings at the last possible moment.
Why This Recording Is the Cornerstone of the Hearing
Asked why this particular recording matters so much given the volume of other evidence, including text messages between Robinson and Twiggs already introduced, one attorney explains that hearing the words directly from someone who was intimately involved with Robinson makes it uniquely compelling, effectively functioning as a confession in Robinson's own words. The attorney notes prosecutors have other ways to get similar information in through a detective testifying about a conversation with Twiggs, meaning the recording itself isn't strictly necessary, which raises the question of why the defense is fighting so hard over it.
A Fight About Cameras, Not Admissibility
The second attorney argues the real dispute isn't over whether the recording counts as admissible evidence, but whether it will be played in open court where media cameras can capture it, noting the defense has otherwise been comfortable playing to reporters and cameras outside the courtroom throughout the preliminary hearing. The attorney argues the defense cannot have it both ways, pointing out that they had the option to waive the preliminary hearing entirely if keeping evidence away from potential jurors and the public was truly their top priority, but chose not to.
