When news broke that Tyler Robinson had been arrested for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, people were looking for a motive. Any motive. They found something else instead. They found a complex, messy, and quiet life in a St. George townhome that didn't fit the loud, violent act Robinson had just committed at Utah Valley University.
At the center of that life was Lance Twiggs, the 22-year-old transgender partner Robinson lived with until that fatal September day in 2025.
Honesty matters here: the internet moved fast on this one. Within hours, "Tyler Robinson living with trans partner" became a lightning rod for political speculation. But behind the headlines about "anti-fascist engravings" on bullet casings and political manifestos, there was just a small apartment in southern Utah, a shared interest in gaming, and a relationship that—until the FBI knocked—seemed almost mundane to those who knew them.
The Quiet Life at Fossil Hills
It wasn't a secret, but it wasn't a spectacle either. Robinson and Twiggs lived together in a three-bedroom apartment at the Fossil Hills complex. It’s the kind of place you see all over Utah—clean, suburban, and usually quiet.
Twiggs wasn't just a roommate. They were in a romantic relationship.
According to family accounts, Twiggs had a rough go of it before meeting Robinson. Having been kicked out of his parents’ house at 18 due to his gender identity and struggles with substance abuse, Twiggs was basically rebuilding his life from scratch. He was an aspiring professional gamer, spending hours on titles like Apex Legends and Valorant. Robinson, also 22, fit right into that world. They met through a Discord gaming circle and eventually, when other roommates moved out, Robinson moved in.
For about a year, they just... lived. Twiggs worked a job, paid rent, and was in the process of transitioning.
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The Text That Changed Everything
Everything fell apart on September 10, 2025.
While the rest of the world was watching the chaos in Orem, Twiggs was at home. He received a text from Robinson that simply said to "look under my keyboard." Underneath that keyboard was a handwritten note. It wasn't a love letter. It was a confession before the fact: "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I'm going to take it."
Imagine sitting in your living room and reading that.
Twiggs didn't stay silent. Court filings show a desperate exchange of texts immediately following the shooting. Twiggs asked, "You weren't the one who did it right????"
Robinson’s reply was chillingly brief: "I am, I'm sorry."
What Most People Get Wrong About the Motive
There is a massive urge to link Robinson’s relationship with a trans partner directly to the shooting. People want a neat line connecting "LGBTQ+ identity" to "political violence."
But the reality is stickier.
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While investigators found evidence of anti-conservative sentiment, Twiggs himself has never been charged with a crime. In fact, he became the FBI’s star witness. He turned over the texts. He pointed them to the note. He shared the Discord logs.
Kinda makes the "conspiracy" angle fall apart, doesn't it?
- Cooperation: Twiggs was described by authorities as "extremely cooperative" from day one.
- The Discord Confession: Much of the evidence came from Robinson's own digital footprint, which Twiggs helped investigators navigate.
- Isolation: While they lived together, Robinson’s decision to commit a "political assassination" appears to have been a personal descent, fueled by online radicalization that Twiggs reportedly didn't see coming in its final form.
Living Under Protection
For months, Lance Twiggs was a ghost.
Because of the high-profile nature of the Kirk assassination, the FBI placed Twiggs under a four-man security detail. He was moved to a "safe space" far from St. George. The vitriol online was intense. On one side, people blamed him for Robinson's actions; on the other, he was seen as a traitor to the person he loved.
Basically, he was stuck in a social and legal limbo.
As of January 2026, that protection has ended. The FBI doesn't usually explain why they pull a detail, but it generally means two things: either the immediate threat has subsided, or they have everything they need from the witness. Twiggs has since moved out of state and hired an attorney, trying to disappear back into a life that isn't defined by a keyboard note and a murder charge.
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Why This Case Still Matters
The story of Tyler Robinson living with a trans partner isn't just a tabloid tidbit. It’s a case study in how we process tragedy in a polarized age.
We see a "trans partner" and we immediately jump to conclusions about "ideology." We see a "gamer" and we think "isolated loner." But when you look at the evidence gathered by the FBI at the Fossil Hills apartment, you see a person—Robinson—who was living a relatively normal life on the surface while harboring a violent, specific intent.
It's a reminder that the people closest to us can be strangers. Twiggs lived with the man, shared a bed with him, and played games with him every night, yet he was still the one texting in disbelief when the news broke.
Key Takeaways from the Investigation
- Identity isn't a motive: There is no evidence currently linking Twiggs’ gender identity to Robinson’s decision to target Charlie Kirk.
- Digital footprints are permanent: The Discord messages and texts shared between the couple were the primary tools used to track Robinson during his 33-hour manhunt.
- Witnesses aren't always accomplices: Despite living together, the legal system has treated Twiggs as a victim and witness, not a suspect.
If you’re following the legal proceedings in Provo, keep an eye on the defense’s attempt to disqualify prosecutors. They’re arguing that the focus on Robinson’s personal life and his partner's identity is an attempt to bias the jury. Whether that holds up in court will likely determine if Robinson faces the death penalty.
To understand the full scope of the legal battle ahead, you should look into the specific motions filed by Robinson's defense team regarding the "eight-figure" cost of this trial to Utah taxpayers.
Actionable Insight: When consuming news about high-profile criminal cases, separate the personal identity of the witnesses from the actions of the accused. In this case, the most reliable information comes from the unsealed court affidavits regarding the text exchanges between Robinson and Twiggs, rather than social media speculation.