The 22-year-old wanted for the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was arrested on September 12 after a 33-hour search.
Utah State Attorney Jeff Gray stated at a press conference that Tyler was initially recognized by his mother, not his father, as previously thought.
According to the prosecutor, after seeing photos of his son in the media, his mother called him. Tyler said that he was at home and had been sick in recent days. The mother told her husband about this, and they both concluded that the person wanted in the photos resembled their son.
At the same time, Tyler’s father, noticing the gun in the photos, assumed that it was similar to the weapon that Tyler’s grandfather had given him years ago. He sent his son a message asking him to send a photo of the gun, but did not receive a response. After that, the father called him and persuaded him to return to his parents’ house. At home, Tyler hinted that he shot Kirk and said he would rather die than go to prison.
According to prosecutor Gray, Tyler’s mother also said that her son had recently become more politicized and had begun to lean towards the left. This happened after he started dating his roommate.
Gray also presented to reporters alleged correspondence between Tyler and his partner. According to the correspondence, Tyler asked his partner to check a note he left under his keyboard. “The roommate looked under the keyboard and found a note that said, ‘I have an opportunity to get rid of Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it,'” the prosecutor said.
In the messages, Tyler also described how he was trying to hide from the police and reported on his movements. At one point, according to the prosecutor, he wrote about Kirk: “I’ve had enough of his hatred. Not all hatred can be resolved through negotiation.”
Gray said Tyler and his partner also discussed his plans to leave town after Kirk’s murder, as well as his disability and how he would have to explain it to his father. Tyler later announced his intention to turn himself in and asked his roommate not to talk to the media and to find a lawyer.
Tyler made his first appearance in court via video link during a preliminary hearing. He heard the charges presented by the judge, as well as a statement from the prosecutor that the prosecution intends to seek the death penalty.
