Charlie Kirk Murder Case Heads To Trial, Tyler Robinson Could Face Death Penalty

The murder case against the Utah man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year is headed for trial, and the defendant could face the death penalty if he's convicted.

Utah District Judge Tony Graf on Tuesday sided with prosecutors who said they had "overwhelming" evidence that suspect Tyler Robinson shot Kirk once in the neck as the ally of President Donald Trump spoke to a crowd of thousands last September in Orem, Utah.

One of Robinson's attorneys entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf following Graf's decision. Robinson's lawyers tried to block a trial, arguing that prosecutors failed to show Kirk's shooting placed others around him at risk of death. That's an aggravating factor under the law that makes Robinson eligible for the death penalty. Kirk's family called the ruling "an important step in our family's pursuit of justice."