A body language expert has broken down the reaction of Tyler James Robinson — the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk — as he appeared in court to hear that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Robinson appeared virtually in court on Tuesday for the first time after being arrested on suspicion of Kirk's murder on September 10.
In a detailed video analysis, Dr. John Paul Garrison noted Robinson’s demeanor as Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray confirmed the filing of a notice of intent to pursue the death penalty.
How Tyler Robinson reacted to the prospect of the death penalty
Watching Robinson’s reaction, Dr. Garrison stated: “So you saw him nod after they talked about the death penalty. You didn't see fear. You didn't see anxiety.
"You didn't see him try to pacify himself. This is someone who I suspect is going to fight. This is someone who is going to be as difficult as humanly possible if he's capable of being difficult.”
The breakdown highlighted subtle physical cues throughout the proceedings, from slow blinks and swallows to flashes of contempt.
“So now we're getting a little bit of anxiety. I want you to watch the slow blink and then the swallow afterward when they're talking about his charges… So trying to keep a brave face but is ultimately very anxious,” Dr. Garrison said, pointing to Robinson’s behavior as the judge read the charges.
The body language expert also noted what he described as arrogance in Robinson’s nodding: “I also want you to keep in mind that the nods that he's doing I think those are also a way to maintain control to say that he's the one that is in control here… He nods as though yes I'm giving you permission for that. So to me there is a certain level of arrogance that's coming through here.”
How Tyler Robinson reacted to the charges
When prosecutors read the aggravated murder charge, he said a “subtle” smirk appeared.
“Now we just got a flash of contempt. It's very hard to see because I know the quality of this is pretty limited, but if you watch on the left side of the screen… watch that corner of his mouth. It very subtly goes up when they're reading this charge… It's subtle, but that's a look of contempt.”
Robinson also appeared to nod as prosecutors said he “knowingly caused the death of Charlie Kirk,” which Dr. Garrison linked to possible pride.
Later, as charges involving Robinson’s roommate were read aloud, his demeanor shifted.
“This is an area where I think we're getting more actual emotion. We're seeing his mouth move more. You're seeing a bigger swallow. You're seeing his chin move… When it comes to his roommate, I think this is going to be the biggest pain point for Tyler Robinson,” Dr. Garrison explained, noting heavy swallows, pursed lips, and sideways jaw movements that could indicate sadness.
He summarized Robinson’s overall appearance in court: “What we saw was a little bit of anxiety here and there, but overall an attempt to suppress as much emotion as possible, to move as little as humanly possible. We've seen this before. Chad Del, Brian Cobberger, there are other people that have behaved very similarly in court.
“What we didn't see was any sort of guilt, any sort of real emotional expression that made him appear upset in any way, shape, or form… What I think this implies is that if he in fact committed this act, if he's found guilty and he in fact did do this, this is the kind of person who would have done it again.”