Former BYU WR Parker Kingston pleads not guilty at preliminary hearing; trial set
Apr 23, 2026, 6:00 PM | Updated: Apr 24, 2026, 11:27 am
ST. GEORGE — The case alleging former BYU wide receiver Parker Kingston of first-degree felony rape is moving to trial.
Kingston appeared Thursday in the 5th District Court in St. George as part of a preliminary hearing that was delayed a month from its originally scheduled date of March 23.
The hearing, which spanned close to three hours as testimonies were heard, ultimately ended with Kingston set to stand trial.
Parker Kingston case moves to trial
“It’s a quintessential he-said, she-said case, which means there’s evidence,” Judge Jay Winward said on Thursday. “Credible evidence, but conflicting evidence.”
Kingston entered a not-guilty plea, setting up a four-day trial that will run from May 26-29. He faces five years to life in prison for charges related to an alleged rape that occurred on Feb. 23, 2025.
As part of the hearing, attorneys showed a forensic interview that included a statement the victim, who was not present for the hearing, told police, saying, “I said no three or four times. I felt like the room stood still.”
Ryan Shaum of the Washington County Attorney’s office said, “Words have meaning and words have context.”
“We have not presented our case. We have presented enough evidence for probable cause. There are answers to what has been presented here from the defense. But the bottom line, all inferences do go in favor of the state for this level of the case,” Shaum said.
Kingston trial dates set for May 26-29, 2026
Kingston’s attorney, Cara Tangaro, zeroed in on the credibility of some of the alleged victim’s actions in the case during her closing argument, citing a “slightly delayed report” after the incident was reported four days after the alleged incident. She also noted the alleged victim said she did not want to pursue the case further in a call with police on March 1.
Citing text messages with the alleged victim obtained from Kingston’s phone as part of the investigation by BYU police, Tangaro said, “that’s a huge leap to think that’s what those conversations meant.”
Tangaro also said a witness reached out to her to let her know that the alleged victim had “bragged” about having sex with a BYU football player.
She closed her argument, saying it is a “quintessential he-said, she-said case.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
