# Timeline A running chronology of the case, from the shooting through the preliminary hearing. Dates and details are drawn from the [[Court Documents Index|court file]] and [[2026-07-06 - Preliminary Hearing Day 1 Transcript|hearing testimony]]; see individual notes for sourcing. ## 2025 - **Sep 10, ~12:23 p.m.** — Charlie Kirk is shot once in the neck while speaking under a canopy at a Turning Point USA event at **Utah Valley University** (Orem). He is pronounced dead; manner of death, homicide. → [[The Established Record]] - **Sep 10, aftermath** — A member of Kirk's own A/V team removes memory cards from the event cameras; footage is later turned over to the FBI. → [[The SD Cards]] - **Sep 10–11** — Campus surveillance is reviewed; a **Mauser .30-06 bolt-action rifle**, wrapped in a towel with engraved cartridges, is recovered along the escape route. → [[The Rifle]], [[The Engraved Casings]] - **Sep 11, evening** — Robinson's family recognizes him from released images; a **retired sheriff's deputy** known to the family calls the Washington County Sheriff at 8:02 p.m.; Robinson is driven to surrender ~9 p.m. → [[The Surrender]] - **Sep 11** — With the site still under law-enforcement control, **UVU places an emergency, no-bid order with a vendor** for **"clean up for shooting incident"** (invoice **$6,090.52**; vendor name later **withheld**). → [[The Site Cleanup and Paving Records]] - **Sep 12** — Robinson is charged with **aggravated murder** (a capital offense in Utah) plus felony discharge of a firearm and related counts. Judge Shawn R. Howell enters a **no-bail order**. → [[2025-09-12_charging_probable-cause-affidavit.pdf|PC affidavit]], [[2025-09-12_court_order-hold-without-bail.pdf|no-bail order]] · Also **~Fri Sep 12**: per a sworn UVU declaration, **"the scene was released back to UVU"**; facilities crews begin cleanup (*"the FBI is still there"*). → [[The Site Cleanup and Paving Records]] - **Sep 13–16** — UVU (via Facilities VP **Frank Young**) coordinates removing the sod under the tent and installing **gray pavers** over the spot; the **first pavers are laid Sun Sep 14**, and installation **"was completed by Tuesday, September 16."** UVU swears it **"did not pay for or install the pavers"** — the paving contractor is **unnamed**. Campus reopens **Sep 15**. → [[The Site Cleanup and Paving Records]], [[The Scene Was Paved Over]] - **late Sep** — A taxpayer-funded, elite capital-defense team is appointed: **Kathryn Nester, Richard Novak, Michael Burt**. → [[The Defense Team]] - **Oct 24** — A sealed motion hearing is held before **Judge Tony Graf**. → [[Judge Tony Graf]] - **Oct 27–28** — Rulings on courtroom appearance (civilian clothing / restraints) and a standing decorum order; stipulated extension of time. → [[Court Documents Index]] - **Nov** — The media-intervenor fight over sealing and publicity of records plays out; the State moves to amend the publicity/gag order. - **Nov 19** — Kirk's security chief **Brian Harpole** gives his first interview to the *Salt Lake Tribune*. → [[Security Knew It Was Coming]] - **Dec 11** — In-person review hearing. ## 2026 - **Jan 16** — Part one of the evidentiary hearing on the defense motion to **disqualify the Utah County Attorney's Office**, premised on a line prosecutor's adult child having been in the crowd when Kirk was shot. Judge Graf declines to refer the motion to the Attorney General on the briefing alone; County Attorney **Jeffrey Gray** is sworn and examined before the day is continued. → [[2026-01-16 - Disqualification Hearing, Part One Transcript|transcript]] - **Feb 3** — The disqualification hearing continues (part two): testimony from **Jeff Gray**, Chief Deputy **Chad Grunander** (the prosecutor whose adult child was present), and SBI Agent **Dave Hull**; Graf reserves his ruling. → [[2026-02-03 - Disqualification Hearing, Part Two Transcript|transcript]] - **Feb 24** — The court **denies** the motion to disqualify the Utah County Attorney's Office. - **Mar 27** — The defense files its **Motion to Vacate or Continue the Preliminary Hearing** (69 pp.), the ballistics/discovery fight that publicized the "inconclusive bullet" result. → [[The Inconclusive Bullet]], [[defense_motion-to-vacate-or-continue-prelim.pdf|the motion]] - **Apr–May** — Pretrial motion practice: dueling **discovery** filings (defense supplemental requests **Apr 3** & **Jun 19**; State objections **Apr 10** & **Jul 2**), largely over the prosecutors' media contacts; the defense's **Motion in Limine to close portions of the hearing / exclude exhibits** (May 1) and the State's response (May 15); and the State's **preliminary-hearing witness & exhibit list** (May 6). → [[Court Documents Index]] - **May 8** — Graf **denies** the defense's motion for a **categorical ban on courtroom cameras** (Dkt 305) and issues a standing order on media coverage. The defense's own expert survey (Dr. Bryan Edelman, 200 Utah County residents) found **99% recognize the case and 64% already believe Robinson is guilty** — its evidence of prejudicial publicity. → [[2026-05-08 - Ruling Denying Motion to Exclude Cameras|ruling]], [[Prosecution Problems]] - **~June** — The State files its opposition to the ballistics/continuance motion, quoting the ATF conclusion verbatim ("could not be identified **or excluded**… inconclusive"). → [[state_opposition-to-motion-to-show-cause.pdf|State's opposition]] - **June 1** — Graf **grants** the defense's order-to-show-cause motion (setting the June 12 contempt hearing) and **denies** a defense motion to compel discovery. → [[2026-06-01 - Ruling Granting Order to Show Cause and Denying Compel Discovery|ruling]] - **June 11** — The defense files a **282-page Petition for Permission to Appeal** the interlocutory orders — asking Utah's appellate courts to review, *before* the prelim, the rulings **admitting Rule 1102 hearsay** and **quashing the [[Lance Twiggs|Twiggs]] subpoena**. → [[2026-06-11 - Petition for Permission to Appeal the Interlocutory Orders|the petition]], [[What Is Genuinely Open]] - **June 12** — Busy motion day: the court **denies** the defense's motion to **stay the July 6 preliminary hearing pending an interlocutory appeal to the Utah Supreme Court** (Dkt 561) of the hearsay ruling; holds the **contempt / order-to-show-cause evidentiary hearing** (prosecutors **Ballard** and **Gray** testify about media statements on the ballistics evidence; the defense asks that the death penalty be struck as a sanction); and hears the hearsay-at-preliminary-hearing challenge. The **Utah Attorney General**, notified of the defense's constitutional challenge, files a notice declining to respond. → [[2026-06-12 - Contempt Evidentiary Hearing Transcript|transcript]], [[2026-06-12 - Ruling Denying Stay Pending Interlocutory Appeal|stay ruling]], [[2026-06-12 - Attorney General Notice Not to Respond to Constitutional Challenge|AG notice]] - **June 22–23** — Graf denies the defense's **Rule 1102 hearsay challenge** (written ruling June 23) and quashes the subpoena to compel [[Lance Twiggs]] to testify live — the ruling that let the recorded confession evidence come in at the prelim; the defense's hearsay challenge stays **preserved for its Utah Supreme Court appeal**. Contempt ruling still pending. → [[2026-06-23 - Ruling Denying Motion to Preclude Rule 1102 Hearsay|hearsay ruling]], [[2026-06-22 - Twiggs Subpoena Hearing Transcript|transcript]] - **June 26** — In a **20-page ruling**, Graf holds **prosecutor Christopher Ballard** in **civil contempt** for a March TMZ statement touting the State's evidence as enough to "overcome" Robinson's presumption of innocence — but **keeps the death penalty on the table**, denying the defense's requested sanction (lesser remedies instead: jury-selection measures; defense recovers contempt-related fees). → [[2026-06-26 - Ruling on Contempt Order to Show Cause|the ruling]], [[Judge Graf Is Bought Off]] - **July 6–10** — The **five-day preliminary hearing** begins. Day 1 runs ~7h47m and ends mid-testimony with the case agent still on the stand. → [[2026-07-06 - Preliminary Hearing Day 1|Day 1 Preliminary Hearing]] - **July 7** — **Prelim Day 2** (~8h). Agent **Dave Hull** is cross-examined and released; the court **provisionally** admits (but does not publish) the TPUSA/"Orthodox Christian views" Exhibit 5.1; Sgt. **Jennifer Faumuina** establishes chain of custody (screwdriver, towel-wrapped rifle) and the DNA report before being paused; the defense calls FBI DNA examiner **Amanda Bakker** out of order to challenge DNA reliability. Ends mid-hearing, adjourned to Day 3. → [[2026-07-07 - Preliminary Hearing Day 2 Transcript|Day 2 Transcript]] · analysis: [[2026-07-07 - Preliminary Hearing Day 2|Day 2 Legal Review]] - **July 8** — **Prelim Day 3** (~3.5h). Case agent **[[Brian Davis|Agent Brian Davis]]** lays the **[[Lance Twiggs]]** foundation (two recorded interviews, buccal swab, **use immunity**); the **.223 live round** on the Computer Science Building roof is explained (wrong caliber, no line of sight → [[A Bullet on the Other Roof]]); a long **Rule 1102 / publicity** fight over the recorded statement, the Discord thread, and the note. Ends mid-hearing. → [[2026-07-08 - Preliminary Hearing Day 3 Transcript|Day 3 Transcript]] · analysis: [[2026-07-08 - Preliminary Hearing Day 3|Day 3 Legal Review]] - **July 9** — **Prelim Day 4** (~8.5h — the longest session). The court **overrules** the defense's publication objection and the digital exhibits are **published** (texts, Discord, the note); **[[Lance Twiggs]]'s immunized, sworn recorded statement is played** and **[[Brian Davis|Agent Davis]]** is **excused with no cross**; Sgt. **[[Jennifer Faumuina]]** is recalled on the physical evidence — the **Dremel** engraving tool, boxes of **.30-06**, five safe casings (one engraved **"test shot"**), and **ATF tool-mark links** from the home tool to the murder-rifle casings (but **no .30-06 weapon in the home**). At ~06:14 **the State rests**; the **defense opens** by calling the State's ATF examiner **[[Samantha Karner]]**, who concedes the murder **bullet is "inconclusive"** and the discipline is **subjective**. Ends mid-hearing. → [[2026-07-09 - Preliminary Hearing Day 4 Transcript|Day 4 Transcript]] · analysis: [[2026-07-09 - Preliminary Hearing Day 4|Day 4 Legal Review]] - **July 10** — **Prelim Day 5** (~3h — the short final session). The morning opens on the Day-4 camera breach: after a **gallery-only** image of the Robinson–Twiggs messages (Exhibit 16) briefly hit the livestream, the court **denies** the defense's motion to bar the camera but sanctions the media — **no capture/broadcast of any exhibits** for the day. The defense's lone witness is **ATF DNA Section Chief [[Caitlin Oliver]]** (the DNA counterpart to Karner): on direct she establishes DNA's **limits** (likelihood ratios, not source or "activity"), but on **McBride's cross** confirms Robinson as the **major contributor** at the lab's **trillion** ceiling. The **defense rests**; the State's enhanced **"sniper's-perch" video (Exhibit 12.1)** is published in the courtroom (livestream to **audio only**); the court **adjourns to Sept 1**. → [[2026-07-10 - Preliminary Hearing Day 5 Transcript|Day 5 Transcript]] · analysis: [[2026-07-10 - Preliminary Hearing Day 5|Day 5 Legal Review]] - **As of July 10** — The **five-day preliminary hearing has concluded** — both sides **rested**. **No bind-over ruling** — the probable-cause question is set for **briefing** (State's memo **July 28**, defense response **Aug 11**, State reply **Aug 18**) and **oral argument Sept 1, 2026 at 10 a.m.** Robinson **waived his speedy-trial rights**. No trial date set. - **~July (post-hearing)** — The **victim's family** (Erika Kirk and Charlie Kirk's parents, through counsel Jeffrey Neiman) files a **statement urging a prompt probable-cause determination** — invoking the victim's statutory right to a speedy disposition (Utah Code § 77-38-7(2)) and asking the court to rule **no later than Sept 1, 2026**. → [[2026-07-11 - Victim Family Statement for Speedy Bindover|the statement]], [[The Death Penalty in Utah]] - **Sept 1, 2026** *(set)* — **Oral argument on bind-over / probable cause** before Judge Graf, after which he will decide whether Robinson stands trial (and whether the death penalty proceeds). → [[What Is Genuinely Open]] ## The road ahead — projected, with comparisons *Not scheduled dates — a projection of how a Utah capital case moves, drawn from comparable cases. Full analysis and sources: [[The Death Penalty in Utah]].* - **A delayed bind-over ruling is normal.** Setting briefing and taking the decision under advisement (rather than ruling from the bench) is standard in current Utah capital cases — the near-identical **Ryan Bate** case (2 Tremonton officers, capital) and **Michael Jayne** case (Santaquin officer, capital — *same Utah County office*) both did the same — *Jayne*'s bind-over was argued **June 18, 2026**, and *Bate*'s bind-over **decision is set for Dec. 18, 2026** (~6 months after its June prelim). Robinson's Sept 1 argument (~8 weeks after the hearing) is actually **on the faster end**. Graf's pace is **within the normal range**; the unusual features of *Robinson* are the **5-day hearing** and the **publicity**, not the timeline. → [[The Death Penalty in Utah]], [[Judge Tony Graf]] - **Trial, if the case is bound over, is likely years away.** Utah capital / aggravated-murder cases run **~2.75–4 years from charging to trial** (Kouri Richins ~2.75 yr; Jerrod Baum ~4 yr) — pointing to a Robinson trial in **2027–2029 or later**, not 2026. - **A death *sentence* would not mean a near-term execution.** Nationally, only **~16–18%** of death sentences since 1972 have ended in execution (the most common outcome, ~41%, is reversal), and those executed in 2023 waited an **average of 23 years** from sentence. Utah has carried out **8 executions since 1976** and none of a *contested* case in under 4 years; its most recent death-row exit was **Ralph Menzies dying of dementia (Nov 2025)** with his execution stayed, not an execution. → [[The Death Penalty in Utah]] --- **Related:** [[Home]] · [[The Established Record]] · [[The Death Penalty in Utah]] · [[2026-07-06 - Preliminary Hearing Day 1|Day 1 Preliminary Hearing]] · [[What Is Genuinely Open]]