No Bullet, No Answers: Charlie Kirk Autopsy Under Fire in Utah
Republished with permission from AbleChild
Officials in Utah have yet to publicly confirm whether the bullet that fatally struck Charlie Kirk was recovered, a critical piece of evidence in the ongoing assassination trial. The autopsy, carried out under Utah’s Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Deirdre Amaro, is central to the case but remains shrouded in secrecy, fueling questions about transparency and accountability. FBI Director Kash Patel stated in an interview on Fox News’s Fox & Friends, “I can report today that the DNA hits from the towel that was wrapped around the firearm and the DNA on the screwdriver are positively processed for the suspect in custody,” underscoring the importance of DNA evidence linked to the case while leaving key forensic details, including bullet recovery, undisclosed. At no point has it been officially confirmed that DNA was found directly on the gun itself.
Dr. Deirdre Amaro, Utah’s Chief Medical Examiner and a key figure on Governor Spencer Cox’s Fentanyl Task Force, is under intense scrutiny as she manages the autopsy process in the trial of Tyler Robinson, accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk in an event that captured worldwide attention. Despite her pivotal role, no official public release has been made of the autopsy report or confirmation that the fatal bullet was recovered and matched to the firearm involved.
State law mandates Dr. Amaro conduct the autopsy but does not compel public disclosure of the findings. This silence has raised significant questions, as officials have refrained from confirming whether the bullet was recovered or linked to the rifle—a vintage Mauser bolt-action weapon found wrapped in a towel near the scene. The DNA evidence, publicly acknowledged by FBI Director Kash Patel, establishes a physical connection to the suspect but leaves open questions about forensic completeness.
Dr. Amaro holds multiple board certifications, including forensic pathology and neuropathology, and leads one of the nation’s few fully centralized statewide medical examiner systems. However, the medical examiner’s office has faced criticism. For example, in 2023, Utah declared the death of 16-year-old Arianna Duenez at Vive Adolescent Care—a state-contracted behavioral health facility—“undetermined,” despite the involvement of multiple psychiatric drugs and troubling care failures that led to minor sanctions against the facility. In addition, Utah failed their overall audit of the medical examiner’s office in 2022.
Governor Spencer Cox has expressed condolences for Arianna’s family and called for behavioral health system reforms but they never materialized. Cox has not addressed the repeated question regarding the employment of the mother of the accused assassin, Tyler Robinson, within the state behavioral health apparatus, where she serves as a care coordinator for intermountain – a contractor with a $750,000 state contract. This is just bizarre; why not just address her role within the Utah behavioral system?
Skepticism grows over whether Dr. Amaro’s office properly monitors drug-related deaths and the data that is provided to Governor’s Cox Fentanyl Task Force when they cannot confirm psychiatric drug related deaths. The nondisclosure of basic key autopsy details in Kirk’s case worsens public distrust. Utah’s complex ties to behavioral health vendors and big pharma interests—including among the accused assassin’s mother connected to this case—underscore the need for transparency.
Basic forensic facts remain unreleased, including confirmation of bullet recovery and its forensic matching to the rifle. This omission erodes public confidence, despite clear acknowledgment of DNA evidence linking the suspect to associated items at the scene.
As the trial unfolds, Utah is the epicenter of a political assassination, big tech AI, big pharma, and the mental health/behavioral health industrial complex influence looming large, Utah’s medical examiner office faces scrutiny over its forensic integrity and public accountability.
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