Prosecutors in the US state of Utah have begun presenting evidence in the case against Tyler Robinson, the alleged killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The preliminary hearing, which started Monday, is expected to last five days.

The courtroom was packed with family members, including Kirk's wife Erica Kirk and his parents, as well as Donald Trump Jr. and far-right activist Jack Posobiec. Robinson has not entered a plea, and his attorneys have unsuccessfully sought to remove the possibility of the death penalty.

The prosecution's first witness, Utah Valley University police officer Chris Bagley, testified that Kirk was shot while speaking to a crowd on campus. Bagley described finding indentations in gravel on a nearby rooftop, which he called an apparent 'sniper pad.' Defense attorney Kathryn Nester noted that an empty pistol holster found at the scene was never collected or fingerprinted.

Prosecutors plan to present a confession note allegedly written by Robinson, text messages admitting to the crime, and video testimony from Robinson's roommate and romantic partner. The defense is expected to focus on inconclusive ballistics testing that could not definitively link the bullet fragment to the murder weapon.

Kirk co-founded the conservative student organization Turning Point USA and was credited with helping turn out younger voters for Trump. The US president blamed Kirk's killing on 'radical left' ideology and vowed to crack down on liberal organizations and donors.

Source: www.aljazeera.com