A senior Utah prosecutor facing calls to step aside from the Charlie Kirk murder case told a judge that grief and proximity did not drive the state’s decision to pursue the death penalty—even though his own daughter was an eyewitness to the shooting.
Defense lawyers for Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing the conservative activist, argue the case is tainted. They say the rapid move toward capital punishment reflected an emotional response by Chad Grunander, a senior figure in the Utah County Attorney’s Office, after learning of the attack through urgent text messages from his 18-year-old daughter, who was at the scene.
Grunander rejected that claim outright while testifying in a Provo courtroom. He said his daughter’s presence during the shooting had no bearing on how the case was handled and insisted the decision to seek the death penalty emerged from collective deliberations, not personal anguish.
According to Grunander, prosecutors weighed the evidence as a group before the matter reached the desk of County Attorney Jeffrey Gray, who had final say. Grunander said Gray did not solicit his personal view on whether capital punishment should be sought.
“We saw no conflict,” Grunander told the court.
Robinson faces seven criminal charges, including aggravated murder, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. He has not yet entered a plea and is expected to do so after a preliminary hearing planned for later this spring.
During the hearing, Grunander described the moments after learning his daughter had been present during the shooting. He said his immediate reaction was fear for her safety, not anger over the crime. After confirming she was unharmed and out of danger, he contacted colleagues and later went to the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, where the shooting occurred.
He testified that his daughter has not required therapy, missed classes, or shown noticeable changes in behavior since the incident.
The judge allowed Grunander’s daughter to testify behind closed doors, agreeing to keep her identity sealed amid concerns she could become a target in an already volatile case.
County Attorney Gray also took the stand, defending the prosecution’s stance. He said the evidence alone justified seeking the harshest possible penalty.
Investigators allege Robinson fired a single shot from a rooftop, striking Kirk as he debated students during a college tour stop. Kirk, a prominent conservative voice, was known for energizing young voters, and his killing has intensified national anxiety over politically motivated violence.
The court is expected to rule later this month on whether the prosecution team will be allowed to remain on the case.
