Wake-Up Call With Bill Lundun & Mandy Beemer

www.wtfeugene.com

Will is with the VA
Sean is a Vet Peer Leader with St. Vincent DePaul

The man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk is set to face trial in June 2028, nearly three years after the Turning Point USA co-founder was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University.
Tyler Robinson, 23, is facing seven charges including first-degree murder for allegedly killing the conservative activist on Sept. 10, 2025. Robinson has pleaded not guilty. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
Kirk’s family called the judge’s decision “deeply disappointing” in a written statement. Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow and the leader of Turning Point USA, had pressed Utah Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf to set a trial no later than early October 2027. 
“While nothing will restore the time we have lost with Charlie, every additional day without justice prolongs our family's pain and forces us to wait even longer for accountability,” the family said. 
Robinson was formally charged with Kirk’s murder within a week of the conservative activist’s death, but it took nearly 12 months for a judge to determine that Robinson should go to trial for the crime.
Prosecutors laid out several key pieces of evidence they say links Robinson to the shooting over the course of a weeklong hearing in July. Robinson's defense attorneys, meanwhile, worked to cast doubt on the evidence, including DNA and ballistics analysis, with hours of questions about the scientific methods used and error rates.
The hearing was not intended to determine Robinson's guilt or innocence, but whether there is probable cause to believe he had committed the crime. Graf, who was required to view the evidence "in the light most favorable to the prosecution," ruled in September that there is.
Robinson’s defense team had proposed holding the trial in the third quarter of 2029, which Erika Kirk’s lawyer called “grossly out of line” in a court filing. Kathryn Nester, an attorney for Robinson, declined to comment on the trial date being set. Prosecutors had sought a ​start date in January 2028.
"We are grateful to finally have a trial date and look forward to the opportunity to present the evidence to a jury," Christopher Ballard, a prosecutor with the Utah County Attorney’s Office, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
If the schedule holds, the murder trial will happen during the height of the 2028 presidential campaign, a key focus for the political organization Kirk left behind. The Kirk family thanked the public for support as the court process continues. 
“As we continue down this difficult road, we remain deeply grateful for the love, prayers, and support that have sustained our family through these painful months,” the family said. 

Lane County Sheriff's Office is asking for tips in a five-year-old missing persons case.  47-year-old Shane Sprenger went missing under suspicious circumstances in 2021 near Blue River Reservoir.  Two years later, partial human remains were found in the McKenzie River drainage area.  They belonged to Sprenger.  A few months later, another bone fragment was found in the McKenzie River and it was confirmed to be from Sprenger.  Detectives continue to investigate the case,which is still considered active. 

Promoting:  his new book, Graceful Warrior: The True Story of a Son, a Father, and a Family Who Carried Each Other Through (releasing on his son’s Birthday, 11/10/26)