Attorneys for accused Charlie Kirk killer seek prosecutor removal again

During a pretrial session for Tyler Robinson, the suspected murderer of Charlie Kirk, the defense once more contended that the prosecution team should be removed from the case.

Robinson's legal team is advocating for the disqualification of the entire Utah County Attorney's Office due to the fact that one of the prosecutors has an 18-year-old daughter who attended the event at Utah Valley University in Orem, where Kirk met his end.

The Utah County Chief Deputy Prosecutor, Chad Grunander, shared that he received messages from his daughter shortly after the incident, informing him that there had been a shooting at the university and that she was unharmed.

Defense representatives previously detailed in court documents that this personal connection poses a conflict of interest, prompting "serious concerns about previous and future prosecutorial decisions in this case."

Additionally, they claimed that the urgency in pursuing the death penalty against the 22-year-old defendant demonstrates "strong emotional reactions" from the prosecution team.

Grunander’s daughter also gave testimony during the hearing, although that part was held privately to protect her privacy.

As per an affidavit from the prosecutors, she did not witness the shooting.

She subsequently sent a text to a family group chat saying, "CHARLIE GOT SHOT." Following the incident, she didn't skip any classes or activities and expressed no enduring trauma "aside from feeling frightened at the moment," according to the affidavit.

Previously, Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray testified, standing by his choice to pursue the death penalty. 

Gray explained that his decision was not influenced by Grunander and that he concluded to charge under aggravated murder based on the evidence available.

Grunander asserted he does not think that Gray’s resolve to pursue the death penalty was affected by his daughter's presence at the shooting scene.

The session on Wednesday extended the hearing from January 16, covering more than two hours of testimonials.

Prosecutors are set to present their evidence against Robinson at a preliminary hearing, set to start on May 18.