SALT LAKE CITY — Alleged text messages were released between Tyler Robinson and his roommate on Sept. 10 — the day Charlie Kirk was assassinated.
The exchange starts with Robinson sending the following: “Drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard.”
The roommate then found a note that said: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
The roommate responded: “What? You’re joking right?”
Spencer Cannon, a retired sergeant from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, said despite online discourse, the roommate’s responses appeared innocent.
Shooting of Charlie Kirk
Transcript reveals Robinson's alleged confession in messages to roommate
“They seemed to be genuine with surprise and lack of knowledge about what was going on. I know there's a lot of people out there who are saying, Oh, the roommate had to know. Well, sometimes people very close to others don't know what's all going on in their life,” Cannon said.
In the middle of the messages, Robinson said he had hoped to keep it a secret and apologized for involving the roommate. The roommate then asked if he was the one who did it, to which he responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”
“It wasn't done under duress or in response to anything but a simple gut reaction to a question from the roommate. Those seem like pretty good pieces of evidence to be used in a case like this,” Cannon said.
When the roommate asked why he did it, Robinson said he had seen enough of Kirk’s hatred and revealed he had been planning it for a little over a week. Robinson then started worrying about the rifle he had left, and said he wrapped it in a towel and was worried about his prints being on it. He then said, “delete this exchange.”
“A little bit of a consciousness of guilt there, that he realizes he has said, or is going to be saying, some things that could be very incriminating against him,” Cannon said.
The exchange concluded with Robinson, who said he wanted to turn himself in and asked the roommate to avoid talking to the media and police.
Cannon said the decision to reveal these messages is not out of the ordinary.
“I am quite certain that they don't release this information based on the pressure that they're receiving,” Cannon said. "It appears that that exchange of text messages was key in supporting the charges that they have now filed.”
WATCH: Tyler Robinson appears in court after Aggravated Murder charge in Charlie Kirk shooting
Despite the publicity surrounding the case, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said the decisions remain in the hands of the jury.
“That jury cannot rely on our allegations, on what they hear in the news, or on what they hear from a public official; the jury is the sole trier of fact,” Gray said during a press conference.
According to attorney Greg Skordas, they are finding an outside lawyer to represent Robinson, since the Utah County Public Defender's Office does not contract for death penalty cases.
Skordas said they should know who is representing him sometime this week.
To read the full text message exchange, click HERE.
