ABLECHILD: How Governor Cox and Sheriff Smith Misled the World on the Tyler Robinson Confession

ABLECHILD: How Governor Cox and Sheriff Smith Misled the World on the Tyler Robinson Confession - Joe Hoft

joehoft.com

How Governor Cox and Sheriff Smith Misled the World on the Tyler Robinson Confession

Republished with permission from AbleChild.

Tucked away in a January 2026 filing by Tyler Robinson’s defense team regarding a motion to Exclude Still Photographers, TV Cameras and Microphones from the Courtroom is information that raises serious questions about whether the investigators in the case were honest and accurate when speaking about Robinson’s alleged confession.

AbleChild has well-documented serious problems with the State of Utah’s “evidence” least of which is regarding Robinson’s alleged “text message” to fury lover, Lance Twiggs, directly after the shooting on September 10, 2026. In a nutshell, in order for the alleged “text message” to be accurate, Robinson would have to be clairvoyant because he is referencing events that did not occur until the following day. It’s embarrassing and insulting and one must wonder why those brilliant investigators haven’t seized on the impossibility of Robinson being responsible for the alleged “text message.”

Beyond the insulting made-up “text message” there has been great discussion about when and how Robinson (with his parents and family friend) reportedly turned himself into Sheriff Nate Brooksby of Washington County, Utah, and what was said by the alleged shooter and what was said by law enforcement in the way of a “confession.”

For example, the first official to announce that Tyler Robinson had made a statement about his guilt in the shooting of Charlie Kirk, was Utah Governor Spencer Cox. Cox announced to the world on the morning of September 12, 2025 (two days after the assassination) “We got him.” To back up this pronouncement, Cox further explained: “A family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident.”

This is where it gets interesting because AbleChild is unable to locate any document signed by either Tyler’s mother, father or family friend that substantiates this reported “confession.” Hell, AbleChild can’t even find the name of the “friend” who help Tyler turn himself into the Washington County Sheriff.

Washington County Sheriff Brooksby reportedly received the information from the parents and a family friend and passed that information on to Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Unfortunately, Sheriff Brooksby cannot provide any video that shows Tyler Robinson, his mother, father, and family friend entering the Sheriff’s office on September 11, 2025.

Nevertheless, the mom-dad-and-friend-turn-in-Tyler-confession scenario has been accepted as gospel and used in the charging document by Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray. Of Course, it’s possible that mom, dad, and the family friend did provide a signed statement about Tyler’s alleged confession, but the public has not been made privy to it.

Now, moving on to Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith, who is the lead investigator in the case and the law enforcement officer standing beside Governor Cox when Cox explained how they “got him,” Smith appears to play fast and loose with information about Robinson’s participation in the investigation.

During an interview on September 16, 2025, with Eric Bolling of Real America’s Voice, when asked “is he not cooperating now?” Smith reports “he’s exercising his Constitutional rights. They’re in the process of getting a defense attorney assigned to him.” This is misleading at best.

Sheriff Smith was, or should have been, fully aware that Tyler Robinson invoked his Constitutional right to a lawyer before talking to anyone. Smith should have advised Bolling and the public during this interview that Tyler Robinson was waiting for legal representation before discussing anything, which is his and every American’s right. It also is something that Charlie Kirk would have understood and supported.

In fact, in the Motion to Exclude mentioned at the beginning of the article, Robinson’s request for an attorney was recorded and reads as follows: “But, uh, until I have the opportunity to speak with someone, I would like to remain silent.” Sheriff Smith was aware of this, as was Governor Cox, the FBI, and all law enforcement associated with the case, but rather than explain this, Smith’s answer is less than accurate and appears as though Robinson isn’t cooperating.

Sheriff Smith also wrongly explained during the Real America’s Voice interview that Robinson was being arraigned within hours. Nope. Smith should have known that Robinson would not be formally arraigned until there was a preliminary evidentiary hearing and that wasn’t scheduled at that time. In fact, the preliminary evidentiary hearing has been scheduled for July 6-10, 2026. Robinson’s appearance on the 16th of September 2025 was what is referred to as a “felony first appearance,” where the charges are read to the defendant.

At the end of the day, Robinson’s silence isn’t a sign of his unwillingness to cooperate. It is his right to remain silent and Sheriff Smith, along with Governor Cox, has done a disservice to Robinson by failing to make the defendant’s rights clear to the public.

The question, of course, is why law enforcement and elected officials failed to provide accurate information and explanations about what has transpired in this case. It seems slimy and many people might think that there’s a deliberate cover‑up of internal actions taken during the investigation, and damage control was driving their decisions.

AbleChild is a 501(3) C nonprofit organization that has recently co-written landmark legislation in Tennessee, setting a national precedent for transparency and accountability in the intersection of mental health, pharmaceutical practices, and public safety.

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