Lance Twiggs, the transgender partner of Tyler Robinson — the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk — will not appear in person at a crucial pre-trial hearing in Utah this week, and will instead give evidence via recorded video, statements or transcripts. This matters because Twiggs is considered central to the prosecution's case, having cooperated with police since Kirk's killing, and is expected to become their star witness against Robinson.

Robinson's lawyers had sought to compel Twiggs to appear in person for cross-examination, but the judge ruled that his recorded statements could stand on their own at the hearing. Prosecutors say Robinson confessed in a handwritten note left at the couple's shared flat in St. George, Utah, reportedly stating he intended to "take out" Kirk. Twiggs, 22, who uses the name "Luna", has not been charged with any crime; he is said to have handed investigators the couple's intimate messages and volunteered his DNA. Those who knew the quiet, video-game-obsessed young adult, raised in a Mormon family, say they were stunned by his sudden prominence.