The assassination of conservative giant Charlie Kirk is one of the prominent cases in the U.S. in which President Donald Trump is pushing for the death penalty.
During an interview Friday on Fox News, Trump revealed that a suspect in the killing of Kirk was in police custody and called for the execution again.
Later, that person was identified as Tyler Robinson. He was arrested after a 33-hour manhunt stopped when his father convinced him to turn himself in. Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University by the 22-year-old, who is now being charged with aggravated murder.
His case brings up a big legal question: will Robinson get life in prison if he is found guilty, or could the prosecution ask for the death penalty?
Not being able to post bail, he is being held on suspicion of aggravated murder, firing a gun in a way that seriously harms someone, and obstructing justice, the UK’s Mirror reported.
Prosecutors said that more charges, such as weapons violations and obstruction, could be added as the case goes on.
Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said on Sunday that the accused gunman is not cooperating with authorities, but added that “all the people around him were cooperating, and I think that’s very important.”
Robinson is due in court on Tuesday, but there are already many calls for the death sentence to be used.
But this takes a long time, and people in this country who are on death row usually have to wait more than ten years before they can be put to death. On top of that, there are times when courts reverse persons’ death sentences.
Robinson’s lawyers are going to say that he did what he did on his own and wasn’t part of a planned terrorist group.
Any mental health problems Robinson had are another thing that could work against the death penalty. Utah is one of the 27 states in the US that still have the death sentence.
Authorities confirmed that Robinson is being placed under “special watch” until he has a mental health evaluation.
According to a statement from the department, Robinson will remain in the Utah County Sheriff’s Department’s special housing unit under “special watch” to allow officials to closely monitor his mental health. The sheriff’s department warned that the procedure could take a few days.
Robinson will keep going with the classification process to find out where he will stay when he is in jail after he is cleared.
The police said that the “special watch” status is given for several reasons, such as the type of crime the suspect is being held on, behavioral problems, violent behavior, or suicidal words made during the arrest.
The sheriff’s office said it hasn’t been made aware of any specific suicidal thoughts or words about Robinson.
Before Robinson’s father turned himself in, a law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that he told the FBI that he recognized his son from surveillance video images that the FBI had shared during the manhunt.
The person told Fox News Digital that Robinson told his father he was going to kill himself when he got there. Sources told Fox News Digital that the dad talked to a preacher whom the family knew before he turned in his son.
On Sunday morning, Utah Gov. Brian Cox told ABC News that Robinson was not working with police while he was in jail.
The governor said that Robinson’s family members and his romantic partner, a man who is transitioning from male to female, are cooperating with authorities. He added that those who know the 22-year-old say he was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.”
FBI Director Kash Patel detailed on Monday the contents of a text message exchange between the suspected assassin of Charlie Kirk and a close friend. In the messages, the killer indicated he had a chance to “take out Charlie Kirk” and that he was “going to do it.”
Patel also revealed that DNA found on a screwdriver left on the roof of Utah Valley University and the towel wrapped around the weapon found near the site of the Kirk attack has matched Robinson.
He added that DNA found on the towel the rifle was wrapped in, as well as a screwdriver found on the rooftop, matches that of the suspect.