PROVO, Utah (AP) — Lawyers for the man charged with killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk have asked to delay a preliminary hearing scheduled in May, saying they need time to review an enormous amount of material and a bullet analysis that could contribute to his defense.
Tyler Robinson's defense team said in recent court filings that an analysis from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a federal law enforcement agency, could not conclusively connect a bullet fragment recovered during an autopsy to the rifle found near the scene. The FBI is running additional tests, according to court documents.
The agency's report has been kept private, but attorneys have cited snippets in other public filings that say the results were inconclusive.
The success of a forensic ballistics analysis largely depends on the size and condition of the bullet fragments. Experts are looking for unique, microscopic markings that are left on a bullet as it passes through the gun’s barrel. The scratches are like fingerprints in that no two firearms make identical markings.
The defense said in its motion that it may try to use the analysis to clear Robinson of blame during the preliminary hearing, while prosecutors aim to show they have enough evidence against him to proceed with a trial.
Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson, 22, who is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.
Prosecutors have said DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the trigger of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing and two unfired cartridges. Defense attorneys note that forensic reports indicate multiple people's DNA was found on some items, which they say requires a more complex analysis.
Robinson reportedly texted his romantic partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred," prosecutors have said.
Robinson is due back in court April 17 for a hearing on a defense motion to ban cameras from the courtroom.
FILE - Tyler Robinson, who is accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, sits beside defense attorney Kathryn Nester during a hearing in 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, Jan. 16, 2026. (Bethany Baker/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, File)
CHICAGO (AP) — Edward Cabrera was just about perfect in his debut with the Chicago Cubs.
Cabrera pitched six crisp innings in Monday night's 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander struck out five while throwing 80 pitches in the opener of a three-game series, 49 for strikes.
“He did a tremendous job,” catcher Carson Kelly said. “Had good command with everything. He's got electric stuff. Having all those pitches and keeping guys guessing, I think there's not one pitch you can sit on, and I think that's what really makes him special.”
Cabrera set the tone for his outing with a first-inning strikeout of Angels star Mike Trout. The three-time AL MVP fouled off a 97.2 mph fastball before fanning on a full-count curveball on the eighth pitch of the at-bat.
“I just went out there and gave it my 100% like I always tend to do,” Cabrera said through a translator. “I had faced him before, but I just wanted to go out there and give it my absolute best regardless of who was up to bat.”
Cabrera, who turns 28 on April 13, was acquired in a January trade with Miami for outfielder Owen Caissie and infield prospects Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo De Leon. Caissie is 5 for 13 with a homer and four RBIs in his first four games with the Marlins.
Wearing custom Cubs-themed cleats, the 6-foot-5 Cabrera allowed two baserunners in his first start of the year. Yoán Moncada walked with one out in the second, and Nolan Schanuel singled to right in the fourth.
After allowing his only hit of the night, Cabrera got Jorge Soler to bounce into an inning-ending double play. He pounded his glove with his fist as he made his way off the mound.
“As he got into it, he had everything working,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Carson felt really comfortable with kind of any pitch, any count. With his stuff, if we get into that mode, it's going to be a tough night for hitters.”
Cabrera, who made his major league debut with Miami in 2021, went 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA in a career-high 26 starts and 137 2/3 innings last year. He agreed to a $4.45 million, one-year contract with Chicago a day after the trade, avoiding salary arbitration.
He became the first Cubs pitcher to throw six shutout innings while allowing one or fewer hits and one or fewer walks in his team debut since Don Cardwell on May 15, 1960, against St. Louis.
“Just goes right after guys,” Kelly said of Cabrera. “He's like ‘I think I’m the best every time I take the mound, and I truly believe that,' and I think he's going to go out there and bring that energy every single time.”
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Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning in a baseball game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
