Tyler Robinson To Stand Trial and Face Death Penalty, Stabbing of New Mother in NYC: AM Update 9/2

0:00Hey, Chicagoland, the Wayfair store is in your neighborhood at Edens Plaza and Wilmette. Finally, you can feel the fabric, sit on the sectionals, and even open the refrigerators. Plus, our in-store designers will help you bring it all together with free one-on-one design support for any project on any budget. Yep, we said free. Oh, and did we mention the cafe? So what are you waiting for? Come see all that's in store. Visit the Wayfair store today at Edens Plaza and Wilmette. Wayfair, every style, every home. Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026. And this is your AM update.

0:39Nearly one year after Charlie Kirk's assassination, Tyler Robinson now headed to trial with the death penalty still on the table. A closely watched U.S. Senate primary in Massachusetts with longtime Senator Ed Markey defeating a young challenger in Congressman Seth Moulton. Both stabbings occurred within approximately 20 seconds of each other. A young Bank of America executive killed in a random Times Square stabbing spree as police release new details about the woman accused of carrying it out. And a petting zoo donkey shot dead by police during a search for a missing child, sparking outrage in rural Georgia and beyond.

1:21All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.

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2:12Just text the letters MK to the number 989898 and get a free info kit and some solid information. The midterms will be here before you know it. Don't wait. Text MK to 989898. Nearly one year after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, his accused killer, Tyler Robinson, now heading to trial. With a Utah judge ruling last night, there is enough evidence to move forward with the case against him. Robinson charged with aggravated murder, felony firearm use, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent act in the presence of a child. Charlie's widow, Erica, sitting in the courtroom beside Charlie's mother and father.

2:55Yesterday's proceeding was not a trial, and it was not about deciding Robinson's guilt or innocence. Instead, Judge Tony Graff, hearing the evidence and arguments before deciding whether prosecutors have cleared the probable cause threshold required for the charges to move forward. In closing arguments, Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride, laying out four categories of evidence he says established that Robinson is the shooter. Video, DNA, alleged admissions, and circumstantial evidence. McBride, pointing to surveillance video he says places Robinson on Utah Valley University's campus four times on the day Kirk was killed, including immediately before and after the shooting.

3:37McBride arguing the rifle recovered near campus, the towel wrapped around it, ammo with etched messages, and items recovered from Robinson's apartment all tie him to the shooting. McBride citing forensic testimony that DNA from the rifle, towel, and screwdriver recovered from the roof included Robinson as a possible match. The prosecutor further pointing to what he described as Robinson's admissions, including his confession note to his trans lover Lance Twiggs and what he called the classic circumstantial evidence of motive, means, and opportunity. Prosecutors then turning to the aggravating circumstance attached to the murder charge, whether Robinson put people other than Charlie Kirk at risk.

4:20That allegation crucial because aggravated murder is the charge making Robinson eligible for the death penalty if convicted. McBride arguing Robinson created that risk by firing a high-powered rifle toward Kirk from roughly 400 feet away with thousands of people gathered around him. To make the case, McBride pointing to the attempted assassination of President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. In addition to common sense, you know that if you shoot into a crowd, you're going to, if you miss, you're going to hit someone else. And that's not just a possibility. That's a great risk of death to someone else when we're talking about firing a high-powered rifle.

4:57We remember Butler, Pennsylvania, when President Trump was shot. His life was saved because he turned his head and the bullet went through his ear. And what happened in that miss and other misses, well, three of those errant shots hit people, one of which fatally. Not only is there common sense, but there's recent precedent. You shoot at someone in a public assassination attempt, you have a great risk of killing someone else. In the defense's closing argument at the hearing, Robinson's team challenging the state's evidence, the aggravating circumstance tied to the murder charge and the alleged motive behind the killing.

5:30Defense attorney Stacey Visser arguing prosecutors failed to show Robinson put anyone other than Charlie in danger, pointing to one bullet, one victim, and what she called no evidence anyone else in the crowd was threatened. Later in the closing, defense attorney Richard Novak then asking Judge Graff to dismiss the witness tampering charges, which are based at least in part on Robinson's text to Twiggs that read, quote, don't talk to the media, please. Don't take any interviews or make any comments. If any police ask you questions, ask for a lawyer and stay silent. The defense arguing those messages to Twigs came as Tyler Robinson was preparing to surrender and were meant to protect Twigs, not obstruct the investigation.

6:14On a separate enhancement for three of the counts, prosecutors alleging Robinson targeted Kirk because of his political expression. Defense attorney Novak arguing Robinson's message to Twigs that, quote, some hate can't be negotiated out, does not establish what Robinson knew about Kirk or what allegedly motivated him. Then Novak deciding to inaccurately attack Charlie Kirk as hateful. There is no evidence of Mr. Robinson having heard or seen anything specific from Mr. Kirk or having expressed anything about Mr. Kirk until the statement, it is true that Mr. Kirk spoke hatefully of certain groups of people.

7:02He spoke hatefully of people who don't have traditional, norm-conforming gender identities. He spoke hatefully of people who are not strictly heterosexual. And yes, it is true that the evidence from Mr. Twiggs is that he identified in a non-gender conforming way to his friends and that he was in a romantic relationship with Mr. Robinson. But that doesn't mean that those personal choices by Mr. Twiggs and by Mr. Robinson equate with the hate that at least Mr. Robinson says he had toward Mr. Kirk. Charlie spoke truthfully, not hatefully, about other people. In fact, there are countless videos of him speaking very kindly and lovingly to trans and gay people.

7:58I'm going to have an opinion that very few people will ever tell you, which is I want you to be very cautious putting drugs into your system in the pursuit of changing your body. I instead encourage you to work on what's going on in your brain first. I think what you need first and foremost is just a diagnosis. Just someone that is going to listen to what you've gone through, listen to what else is going on. My prayer for you, and again, very few people will say this, I actually want to see you be comfortable in how you were born. Mr. Novak, do your homework. Judge Graff then taking nearly an hour and a half to consider the arguments.

8:35When he returned, the judge finding enough evidence for all seven charges to go to trial, including aggravated murder, meaning the death penalty remains on the table. Judge Graff then asking for Robinson's plea, his lawyers entering a not guilty plea on all counts. Judge Graff scheduling the next pretrial conference for October 23rd, where they intend to set a trial date. Erica Kirk responding in a statement on X, calling the ruling an important step in her family's pursuit of justice. The Turning Point's CEO and Charlie's widow, writing, quote, Every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie's murder has taken from his family, especially his children, who will grow up without their father.

9:19Massachusetts Democrats voting yesterday in a closely watched U.S. Senate primary, deciding to give longtime Senator Ed Markey another term over Congressman Seth Moulton. Senator Markey, age 80, first winning a seat in the House in 1976, before joining the Senate in a special election in 2013, now seeking a third full term. Congressman Moulton, a 47-year-old Marine veteran, first elected to Congress in 2014, building his Senate campaign around the case for new Democrat leadership. The race providing a unique showdown given the incumbent is more progressive, but a longtime D.C. politician, while the challenger is younger, but supposedly more moderate.

10:01Senator Markey using his own liberal record as a differentiator throughout the race, portraying Moulton as too moderate for Massachusetts voters, pointing to remarks made by Moulton in 2024 about boys' and girls' sports. If only he had meant them. Congressman Moulton previously telling the New York Times, quote, Democrats spent way too much time trying not to offend anyone, rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face, adding, quote, I have two little girls. I don't want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete. But as a Democrat, I'm supposed to be afraid to say that.

10:36Despite the blather, Mr. Moulton subsequently apologizing for those comments and failing to back the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The primary winner expected to be the heavy favorite in November's general election in deep blue Massachusetts. At the end of the night, Massachusetts Democrats easily setting Senator Markey up for another term, rejecting Congressman Seth Moulton's call for new leadership. Senator Markey speaking after the win. Massachusetts values the promise of democracy born here 250 years ago. We have led the fight to combat Trump and MAGA extremism. And we are not backing down in Massachusetts.

11:17Not now. Not ever. So to Donald Trump and his enablers, if you're listening, Massachusetts has something to say tonight. We will not sit by while you try to destroy this democracy. We will not sit by as you terrorize and detain and deport our immigrant neighbors. We need ICE out of our communities and we need to abolish ICE now. Congressman Moulton conceding the race. I just called Senator Markey to congratulate him on his victory tonight. He has my full support as our Democratic nominee. And we must stand united this November to protect our democracy and defeat Donald Trump. We entered this race as the underdog.

12:05And while tonight's outcome isn't what we worked so hard to achieve, I could not be prouder of the campaign we built together. Coming up, one victim in a New York City stabbing spree identified as a young Bank of America executive and a Georgia family grieving the loss of its beloved petting zoo donkey after he was shot by police during a search for a missing child. What? Why?

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13:48A young Bank of America executive killed in a New York City stabbing spree Monday in Times Square, now identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey. Piacenti working in New York as a vice president at the bank, she was a University of Pennsylvania and Fordham law graduate who had recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary, according to the New York Post. Piacente also a brand new mom, reportedly in her first week back at Bank of America after five months of maternity leave. The New York Times reporting Piacente shared a photo on social media just days before the attack holding her newborn daughter beside her husband.

14:29Ugh. Police identifying the woman accused of killing Piacente as 49-year-old Queens resident Pamela Cisneros. Authorities say Cisneros first attacked a 68-year-old man, then moved toward Piacente seconds later. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch describing the rapid sequence. A witness at the scene told investigators that he observed the subject remove two knives from a red target bag before approaching the first victim. The subject waved the knives before stabbing a 68-year-old man in the right side of his abdomen in what appears to be a random and unprovoked attack. The subject then proceeded up 7th Avenue toward 42nd Street and approached a second victim, a 32-year-old woman, stabbing her in the abdomen.

15:22We believe that this, too, was a random and unprovoked attack. Both stabbings occurred within approximately 20 seconds of each other. Piacente, who was reportedly on her way home, later pronounced dead at the hospital. Witnesses then flagging down officers on 7th Avenue between West 42nd and West 43rd streets, where police say Cisneros was still carrying both knives. Commissioner Tisch saying officers tried for several minutes to get her to surrender before she advanced toward them. The officers engaged the woman in dialogue for four minutes and gave her numerous commands to drop the knives, which she refused.

16:06During the encounter, she told the officers, quote, I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you. She repeated, I will kill you. The subject began waving the knives in advance towards the officers. multiple officers discharged tasers, which proved to be ineffective, and the subject continued to advance towards our officers with the knives. Two officers then discharged their service weapons, striking the subject. Cisneros later pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. Her brother, Patrick Peralta, telling the Daily Mail Cisneros had reportedly been diagnosed with bipolar disorder after struggling with postpartum depression years earlier.

16:50Peralta saying Cisneros had been estranged from her daughters and was going through a difficult divorce, but appeared to have been doing better while taking medication. He says she had recently stopped showing up for her usual dinners at their mother's house and had not come home for about a week. Peralta also recounting a past suicide attempt, offering his theory about the confrontation with police, quote, I think she wanted to get shot. If only she had only set herself up to die. A Georgia family mourning the loss of a baby donkey named Hee Haw after a Cedartown police officer shot and killed him during an overnight search for a missing child.

17:30According to Cedartown police, the officer was assisting Polk County police in the search early Sunday morning. The child was later located safely at a church near the pasture where Hee Haw was killed. Hee Haw's owner, Hannah Israel, telling Atlanta News First the animal was just over a year old and that she had raised him by bottle from birth. The family alleging officers entered the pasture without permission just after midnight on Sunday. They say officers later told them Hee Haw approached while braying that a taser was tried first. Why? And then an officer shot him. The officer now on paid administrative leave, the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Law Enforcement Division handling the investigation.

18:15Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsom telling 11 Alive News he has reviewed the officer's body cam footage. They're members of the human family, and I am too. And they're heartbroken. I will confirm body cam video exists. I have viewed it, but I won't comment as to what it portrays to respect the investigation at that state agency. The MK True Crime show co-host Phil Holloway posting to X, quote, I was a rural deputy sheriff in southern Georgia and encountered all manner of livestock on a regular basis. Under no circumstances can I conceive of my life being in danger from a petting zoo donkey. Hannah Israel telling Atlanta News First the loss has left her family devastated.

19:00The farm is definitely not the same without him at all. We're very traumatized and shocked. It's like, there's no words. He should not be dead. The whole circumstances literally say that Hee Haw shouldn't have died. And Donkeys lived to be about 35 to 40 years old. Like, I thought I would raise my future kids with Hee Haw. But instead, he's gone. So it's very devastating. Israel establishing a GoFundMe that had raised more than$117 ,000 as of Tuesday night. Israel writing she has hired a lawyer, but will not use any of the GoFundMe money to pay for legal representation. She says donations will instead go toward the farm, care for its animals, and a foundation in Hee Haw's name, not for her family's personal use.

19:43Poor Hee Haw. Well, that'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the MK Show, live on SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Channel, 111 at noon east, on YouTube.com slash Megyn Kelly, and on all podcast platforms.

20:19Yep, we said free. Oh, and did we mention the cafe? So what are you waiting for? Come see all that's in store. Visit the Wayfair store today at Edens Plaza and Wilmette. Wayfair, every style, every home.