Dan Merrell
:::caution Legal Disclaimer Nothing on this page is a claim of fact that Daniel Merrell, or any other living person, knew of, planned, participated in, or covered up any crime, or acted illegally, immorally, or unethically. Performing contracted landscaping work is lawful. This page documents Merrell's own on-camera statements and public commentary about them — not findings of fact. Merrell is presumed innocent; commentators circulating his account have themselves stated they are not accusing him of anything. :::
Dan (Daniel) Merrell is a Utah landscaping contractor who operates under the name Hardscape Utah. He became a public figure in the Charlie Kirk case after an on-camera interview — clipped and widely shared from around May 2026 — in which he described being called to install pavers over the UVU courtyard where Kirk was shot, on Sunday, September 14, 2025, four days after the shooting.
Snapshot
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Daniel (Dan) Merrell |
| Location | Utah |
| Occupation | Landscaping / hardscape contractor |
| Business | Hardscape Utah (trading name) |
| Connection to CK Case | Contractor who says he paved the UVU courtyard on Sept 14, 2025 |
| Evidence Rating | MODERATE (his own on-camera account) |
| Status | Alive |
Connection to the Charlie Kirk case
By his own account, Merrell received an unexpected "paver emergency" call and assembled a crew within roughly 90 minutes to lay pavers over the courtyard. He is emphatic that he was the second team on the ground — the soil had already been excavated (he estimates "about ten inches") by a different, unidentified crew before he arrived. His statements are the most detailed first-hand source for the disputed rapid re-paving of the scene.
The full breakdown of what he says he was told, and by whom, is on the dedicated topic pages:
- 10 in. of dirt removed — the soil-removal claim and how the "six inches" and "ten inches" figures reconcile.
- Daniel Merrell — Hardscape Utah — his verbatim quotes, the coordinator statements he attributes, and the video.
- 10 Inches of Dirt Removed Before the Pavers — the earlier dig he says preceded his crew.
What Merrell says
According to his recorded statements:
- He was called under an emergency order to cover the courtyard by Monday, and quotes an on-site coordinator saying "This is above our pay grade. The governor and the FBI said they want this done by Monday." These are Merrell's reports of what he was told, not confirmed statements from Governor Spencer Cox, the FBI, or the coordinators.
- He arrived to find the ground already dug out and took photographs of it.
- He explained that over-excavation is standard practice for a proper paver base — a routine construction detail, not by itself evidence of anything improper.
The company: Hardscape Utah vs. Hardscape Specialties LLC
Merrell operates as Hardscape Utah. Separate social-media research attributes the courtyard paving to a differently named entity, Hardscape Specialties LLC, whose reported owners (Michael Powell, Burton Romrell) are not Merrell. Whether "Hardscape Utah" and "Hardscape Specialties LLC" describe the same job, two phases of one job, or a confusion of names in the online discussion remains unresolved. This site does not assert that Merrell owns or is affiliated with Hardscape Specialties LLC.
Backlash
After his story spread, Merrell reportedly faced online backlash, including fake reviews and accusations. He has said publicly that his intent was simply to help and that he regrets engaging with online trolls. Research notes also flag that his name and business were reportedly searched from Israeli IP addresses in summer 2025 — a circumstantial data point raised by commentators that is explicitly not an accusation against Merrell.
Interesting In This Area
- Michael Powell and Burton Romrell are the reported owners of the similarly named company.
- Spencer Cox is quoted only inside what Merrell says he was told.
- David Hull reportedly learned about the paving from news reports.
- Candace Owens carried the clip that made his account public.
Interesting In Other Areas
- Ten inches of dirt came out before any pavers went down.
- His full verbatim account sits with the video and the coordinator quotes.
- The pavers page and crime-scene paving frame the same four days differently.
- Site changes after the shooting list what else moved that week.
Other Pages In This Section
A serving officer whose name entered this record through a surname and nothing else — commentary calls him a relative of Blake Neff. Being related to somebody is not evidence, and the page says so plainly.
Read this
Utah's chief medical examiner, newly in the role. Her autopsy report reached the court through Agent David Hull rather than from her own mouth on the stand.
Read thisNamed in a citizen timeline as the CIA's new executive director from July 11, 2025. The date is the whole of the claim, and a coincidence in a date is not a connection.
Read thisThe podcaster placed in Bridgehampton by photograph in August 2025, who declined to comment when reporters asked. Placement in a photograph is the entire claim against her.
Read thisElsewhere In The Investigation
Daniel Merrell — Hardscape Utah
The contractor's own first-person account of the call, the emergency order, and the Sunday install. His crew was the second phase — by his account the ground had already been dug out before he arrived.
Read this
Ten inches of dirt reportedly taken out of the courtyard, and pavers laid over the ground where he fell. Whatever residue that soil held is gone.
Read this
Pavers — Dan Merrell's Account
The contractor describes on camera being called on a Sunday to pave the courtyard where Charlie Kirk was killed, and says the coordinators told him the order came from the top. His interview is the origin of the whole paving story.
Read this
The contractor says he was told "the governor and the FBI said they want this by Monday" and laid pavers four days after the killing. Doing pavers correctly means over-excavating — stripping the exact soil layer residue clings to.
Read thisSources
- Dan Merrell interview on the Jimmy Rex Show (clipped and circulated from ~May 2026).
- @ShadowofEzra on X (May 21, 2026).
- @ProjectConstitu on X.
- Investigation working notes, Charlie_Kirk.txt (private master file).
All on-the-record sourcing here is the contractor's own statements plus social-media commentary; none is an official or court record.
Status: Alive
This website's author is @HolonCitizen on X and YouTube/@HolonCitizen. Follow me there.
Interesting
- One staffer publicly answered Candace Owens' accusations rather than let them stand.
- A Cabinet-level VIP flight to Fort Huachuca landed 48 hours before the killing.
- A government jet reportedly flew into the Army's drone base two days prior.