The Department of Justice in Orem, Utah, alongside Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray’s office, has charged a 22-year-old suspect with multiple serious offenses. The charges include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Authorities revealed that the suspect allegedly texted his transgender lover, stating he shot Kirk because “some hate can’t be negotiated out.” Additionally, Robinson left cartridges from the murder weapon in a nearby wooded area, engraved with phrases such as “hey fascist! CATCH!”
Utah is seeking the death penalty for Robinson, as confirmed by Gray in September. Blanche, a President Donald Trump appointee, discussed the possibility of federal stalking or deprivation of rights charges during a September interview with Fox News. “But that goes after going through all the evidence and trying to understand what this man’s motivation was in doing what he did,” Blanche explained. “And if there’s a federal charge, we will bring it no doubt about it.”
When an individual already faces state prosecution, it is common for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take its time before forming federal charges, as it is not under the same pressures as state authorities, noted Smith. The Trump administration is more likely to intervene when there are concerns that a left-leaning state may not pursue a harsh punishment, Smith added.
For example, in New York, the DOJ is pursuing capital punishment for Luigi Mangione, charged in connection with the December 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. “You’re seeing a concerted effort by the federal government to step in very quickly and very aggressively bring federal charges in that case,” Smith told the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF).
Mangione was charged by a grand jury in April with stalking, murder through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm with a silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence, adding to his existing state-level charges in New York and Pennsylvania related to Thompson’s murder.
Similarly, the DOJ is pursuing the death penalty for Decarlos Brown Jr., a mentally ill man with 14 prior arrests, accused of fatally stabbing a woman in Charlotte, North Carolina. Brown faces federal charges of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, as well as state-level murder charges.
Whether or not federal charges are filed, Utah officials are likely to benefit from federal assistance in prosecuting Robinson, especially in terms of evidence provided by federal agents, Smith said. “That type of assistance is not uncommon. It’s welcomed by most states—maybe not all blue states, unfortunately,” he added.
The FBI began gathering evidence at Utah Valley University (UVU) and sent it to Washington for laboratory analysis immediately after Kirk’s death, FBI Director Kash Patel told the Senate on September 16. Patel praised the bureau’s collaboration with Utah officials throughout the investigation.
The FBI’s probe has widened to include an online Discord chat room, with more than 20 users linked to Robinson, as well as local leftist groups potentially connected to him.
Robinson’s next court hearing in Utah is scheduled for January 16, 2026.
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https://dailycaller.com/2025/10/29/why-trumps-doj-hasnt-thrown-the-book-at-tyler-robinson-yet/
