Episode summary
Megyn Kelly convenes legal experts to analyze the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, accused of murdering someone at a Charlie Kirk event at Utah Valley University. Joining Kelly are former litigator Viva Frei, former Palm Beach County State's Attorney Dave Ehrenberg, and defense attorney Ashley Merchant, co-hosts of the MK True Crime podcast. The panel dissects testimony from Officer Chris Bagley, who witnessed the shooting and described hearing a gunshot simultaneous with the victim falling and crowd panic. The discussion centers on Utah prosecutors' unusual decision to conduct an extensive five-day preliminary hearing rather than seeking a grand jury indictment, a strategy legal experts call unnecessary and potentially risky. Former prosecutors Ehrenberg and Merchant argue probable cause could be established in under 30 minutes with summary testimony about Robinson's alleged confessions on Discord, text messages to boyfriend Lance Twigs, and physical evidence. They suggest prosecutors may be publicly showcasing evidence strength due to public pressure following a Daily Mail report questioning bullet-match forensics. The prosecutor was recently held in contempt for telling TMZ the case was strong, though correcting the Daily Mail's mischaracterization was deemed acceptable. Experts note the defense likely welcomes the detailed hearing to lock in testimony and challenge witnesses, particularly Lance Twigs who will testify via video rather than in person. The witness and evidence lists are exhaustive, including drone footage, photographs of the alleged sniper perch, the rifle, doorbell camera surveillance, medical examiner reports, and extensive digital communications.