Tyler Robinson told his partner he "had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it" in a text sent the same day the conservative activist was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, according to court documents released Friday by Utah prosecutors.
The 22-year-old Robinson now faces a murder trial after prosecutors laid out what they describe as a damning combination of DNA evidence, fingerprints, cellphone tracking data, and the suspect's own words, spread across text messages, a handwritten note, and Discord chats, tying him to the September 10 killing of the Turning Point USA co-founder.
The document release paints a picture of a young man who planned the attack for roughly a week, carried it out in broad daylight on a university campus, and then told multiple people what he had done before surrendering through a family friend in law enforcement.
Court records described by prosecutors say Robinson texted Lance Twiggs, his transgender partner, on the day of the shooting, telling Twiggs to "drop what you are doing" and "look under my keyboard." Under that keyboard, investigators allegedly found a letter Robinson had written to Twiggs ahead of the attack.
The letter read, in part:
"If you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry. I left the house this morning on a mission, and set an auto text. I am likely dead, or facing a lengthy prison sentence."
Robinson went on to write that he "had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it." He added: "I don't know if I will/have succeeded, but I had hoped to make it home to you. I wish we could have lived in a world where this did not feel necessary."
The note closed with a personal appeal to Twiggs: "I wish I could have stayed for you and lived our lives together. I lack the words to express how much I love you, and how very much you mean to me. Please try and find joy in this life. I love you, always, -Tyler."
A judge earlier this year rejected Robinson's attempt to remove prosecutors from the case, and the legal fight over courtroom access is expected to continue at his next hearing.
Robinson's alleged admissions did not stop with the letter to Twiggs. Prosecutors say he also discussed the killing in a Discord chat. One user in the group responded to the news by writing, "Tyler killed Charlie!!!" Robinson himself allegedly posted a message the following day:
"Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. I'm sorry for all this."
He followed up by telling the group he was "surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments." He thanked them for "all the good times and laughs" and added: "I have no intention of being drug [sic] through the courts in front of the country."
Search warrants executed after Robinson's arrest also turned up a "burnt note found in the trash," which investigators seized. The documents do not elaborate on the contents of that note, but its existence suggests Robinson may have attempted to destroy evidence before turning himself in.
Kirk's influence in conservative politics extended well beyond Turning Point USA. His endorsements carried weight in Republican primaries across the country, including races where figures like Nate Morris gained ground in the Kentucky Republican Senate primary with backing from Kirk and Elon Musk.
Beyond Robinson's own words, prosecutors say physical and digital evidence places him at the scene. DNA evidence ties Robinson to the shooting location, court records state. Investigators also found fingerprints and a smeared palm print near the northeast corner rooftop edge of the Losee Center building, the spot from which, prosecutors allege, Robinson "dropped off the rooftop to the ground below" after firing the shot that struck Kirk in the neck.
Cellphone data allegedly tracked Robinson's movements throughout the day of the shooting. The records include a Google Maps route leading to an area near the Utah Valley University campus. Prosecutors had previously released surveillance images they say show Robinson stalking the campus before Kirk was shot.
After the shooting, court documents allege Robinson traveled from Utah back to Washington County, where he confessed to his father over the phone. Robinson initially told his parents he intended to end his own life but was eventually convinced to surrender to a family friend who was also a law enforcement official.
The released documents offer a window into what prosecutors say drove Robinson to target Kirk. In communications with Twiggs after the shooting, Robinson allegedly said he "had enough" of Kirk's "hatred." He told Twiggs that "some hate can't be negotiated out."
When Twiggs asked Robinson how long he had been planning the attack, Robinson allegedly replied: "A bit over a week I believe."
That timeline, just over a week of alleged planning, stands in contrast to the methodical nature of the attack itself: the rooftop position, the apparent escape route, the pre-written note, the auto-scheduled text message. Whether a jury finds that combination premeditated enough to sustain a murder conviction will be tested at trial.
After Kirk's death, his family remained in the public eye. President Trump appointed Erika Kirk to the Air Force Academy board, continuing her late husband's legacy of conservative engagement.
Lance Twiggs, who has not been charged with any crime, went underground after Kirk's death. He reportedly emerged after almost five months in hiding, quietly rebuilding his life in Texas, hundreds of miles from Utah, after reconciling with his strict Mormon family. The Daily Mail exclusively reported his reappearance in February.
Robinson is next due in court on April 17. His attorneys are expected to continue pushing to ban cameras and microphones from the courtroom when the murder trial begins. The Daily Mail contacted Robinson's attorneys for comment on the newly released documents.
The broader conservative movement watched Kirk's political network rally around his memory in the months after his death, channeling grief into continued activism and candidate support.
Several questions hang over the case as it moves toward trial. The specific charges Robinson faces have not been detailed in the released documents. The law enforcement agency that conducted the investigation and executed the search warrants has not been publicly identified in the filings. The identity of the "sheriff friend" who facilitated Robinson's surrender remains unclear. And the contents of the burnt note seized from Robinson's trash have not been disclosed.
What prosecutors have disclosed, however, is substantial: a suspect who allegedly told his partner, his friends, and his father what he did, and left behind fingerprints, DNA, cellphone records, and a handwritten note to prove it.
Charlie Kirk was shot while giving a speech to college students. The man accused of killing him allegedly planned it for a week, executed it from a rooftop, and then wrote a love letter explaining why. If the justice system cannot deliver accountability for that, it cannot deliver accountability for anything.
