Accused Charlie Kirk assassin, Tyler Robinson, appointed public defender Kathryn Nester

Tyler Robinson, charged with the September 2025 murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, secured Kathryn Nester as his public defender. The Utah County Commission unanimously approved Nester’s appointment on September 24. Robinson faces aggravated murder charges, enhanced by a victim-targeting clause, a capital felony, worsened by a child witnessing the violent act.

District Attorney Jeff Gray seeks the death penalty, intensifying scrutiny on Robinson’s defense. Nester, from the Nester-Lewis firm, previously represented Kouri Richins, accused of murdering her husband before writing a grief-themed children’s book. Nester’s credentials include an invitation from Chief Justice Roberts to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Evidence and a role on the National Steering Committee for the Clemency Project under Obama.

Death penalty cases demand specialized attorneys, as Craig Stanger noted: “You have to get someone who is capital certified; only certain attorneys have those qualifications.” He added, “I think what we’re going to see is a lot of scheduling-type hearings, disclosure of discovery,” predicting delays as evidence review and jail consultations unfold.

Nester’s role signals a complex, taxpayer-funded defense against a high-profile political killing.