Lawyers for the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk are expected to keep questioning the reliability of DNA testing used to link the defendant to the suspected murder weapon when a weeklong hearing resumes Wednesday.
A member of Tyler Robinson’s defense team interrogated a DNA analyst from the FBI on Tuesday about the techniques she used to connect Robinson to a towel wrapped around a rifle found at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot in September while speaking to a large crowd.
Defense lawyer Michael Burt cast doubt on the analyst’s conclusions — a theme likely to recur during the five-day preliminary hearing.
“She can’t match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples,” Burt argued.
Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride countered that the reliability of the DNA testing could be examined if the case goes to trial. He suggested the preliminary hearing — where prosecutors have a lower burden of proof compared with a trial — was not the time to take up the matter.
“The point is there are explanations that are susceptible to different interpretations and arguments,” McBride said. “Ultimately, we’re going to have an expert hearing where all the literature is going to be before the court and the court is going to determine if it meets the threshold of reliability for admission to trial.”
Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty. State District Judge Tony Graf will decide at the conclusion of this week’s hearing if they have enough evidence to bring Robinson to trial on an aggravated murder charge.
Robinson has not yet entered a plea and his attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence. They have, however, sought to get the death penalty taken off the table, so far unsuccessfully.
Prosecutors must show they have enough evidence for a trial
FBI analyst Amanda Bakker said after Robinson’s roommate, Lance Twiggs, provided a DNA sample for comparison, she was able to rerun her tests and attribute all of the DNA to two people.
Investigators found the towel and suspected murder weapon — a bolt-action rifle with one spent round — in a wooded area near where Kirk was shot.
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So here's where it gets more nuts.
The 'Discord Confession', supposedly written by Tyler, on his computer, at home?
... He had been in Police custody for at least an hour or two, when that Discord message was sent.
(Timestamps, motherfucker, how do those work?)
He would have had to send that message while being actively detained and processed/interogated by the Police.
Obviously this is nigh impossible. The cops would have nearly certainly taken away Tyler's phone and anything else, by that point, and he obviously eas not physically at his home at that time.
What isn't impossible is that Twiggs sent the message from Tyler's logged into computer/Discord account, at 'their' home.
Which would explain why Twiggs for some reason needs a deal that involves some degree of immunity for himself, in exchange for ... apparently, his pre-recorded 'witness testimony' ... and also apparently the deal involves Twiggs not being able to be cross examined by the defense council.
Now I cannot say this is all 100% correct or accurate... and my suggestion there is speculation... but to a huge degree, no one can tell wtf is actually 'real' about this case because prosecution seems to be doing basically everything they can to not actually hand over nearly anything during 'discovery'... this is all fishy as a fucking fish market.