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Murder of Moriah Wilson

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Murder of Moriah Wilson
An undated photo of Wilson
LocationAustin, Texas, U.S.
DateMay 11, 2022; 2 years ago (2022-05-11)
Attack type
Murder by shooting
WeaponsSIG Sauer P365
VictimMoriah Wilson
PerpetratorKaitlin Armstrong
MotiveRomantic jealousy
Criminal statusConvicted
Conviction(s)First-degree murder
Criminal chargeFirst-degree murder
Misuse of passport
Penalty90 years in prison (eligible for parole after 30 years)
Imprisoned atDr. Lane Murray Unit

On the night of May 11, 2022, professional cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson was fatally shot by Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, at a friend's home in Austin, Texas. Armstrong, a yoga instructor and licensed realtor, committed the crime out of jealousy triggered by Wilson's romantic encounter with her on-and-off boyfriend pro cyclist Colin Strickland. Prior to her conviction, Armstrong has had flight attempts both as a wanted person and a detainee: she had spent 43 days at large until her capture in Costa Rica, where authorities said she used different names and changed her appearance to set up a new life, and would attempt to flee from custody on the eve of her trial over a year later.

Background

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Victim

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Anna Moriah Wilson was born on May 18, 1996, in Littleton, New Hampshire, the daughter of Eric and Karen (née Cronin) Wilson and the sister of Matthew Wilson. She grew up in Kirby, Vermont. Wilson graduated from Burke Mountain Academy in 2014, and from Dartmouth College in 2019 with a Bachelor of Engineering (BE).

Raised in a family of athletes, Wilson developed a passion for cycling as a young girl.[1] She was a nationally ranked junior skier, but had become a gravel cyclist.[2] Before her full-time career as a professional cyclist, she had worked as a demand planner for Specialized.[1]

Perpetrator

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Kaitlin Armstrong (born November 21, 1987)[3] grew up in Livonia, Michigan.[4] She graduated from Stevenson High School in 2005, then attended Schoolcraft College and Eastern Michigan University. She has been described as a yoga teacher and licensed realtor.[4]

Armstrong was in a relationship with professional cyclist Colin Strickland. They briefly separated in the fall of 2021, by which point Strickland had met Wilson and began a brief romantic relationship with her. Armstrong and Strickland would later reconcile and resume their relationship.[5]

Death and investigation

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On May 11, 2022, Wilson was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds "shortly before 10 p.m." at a friend's residence in Austin, Texas, where Wilson had been staying to compete in a race in Hico.[6] Hours before her death, she had gone out with Strickland for a swim at Deep Eddy Pool and afterward ate dinner. Strickland denied ever going inside Wilson's friend's house after dropping Wilson off and was ruled out as a suspect following a police investigation.[5][6]

An autopsy ruled Wilson's death a homicide,[6] with three gunshot wounds—two in the head and one in the chest—that occurred "after she was already laying supine on the floor," according to a search warrant.[7] Police named Armstrong a person of interest after video surveillance showed her black Jeep Grand Cherokee arriving at the Austin residence moments before the killing.[6] She was taken into custody over an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for theft.[5][6] Armstrong made no statement to the police when confronted about the video evidence of her vehicle; however, investigators observed she "turned her head and rolled her eyes in an angry manner" when questioned about how Wilson was with Strickland. She was released on a technicality stemming from discrepancies between her date of birth in the police department's database and the one in the warrant.[4]

Police examined Wilson's phone and concluded that she was romantically tied to Strickland while he was still dating Armstrong. Strickland originally denied knowing the victim when first interviewed, but eventually admitted to the relationship and to keeping communication with Wilson hidden from Armstrong, going so far as to delete text messages from Wilson on his phone while saving her phone number under a pseudonym.[4] Armstrong reportedly became aware of the relationship and expressed a strong desire to kill Wilson, telling an anonymous tipster that she "had either recently purchased a firearm or was going to." Strickland revealed he had bought two handguns for Armstrong and himself. Through a search warrant, police recovered two firearms from the house Strickland shared with Armstrong. A spent shell casing from one weapon, a SIG Sauer P365 handgun belonging to Armstrong, yielded a "significant" match with one found in the crime scene.[4] The search warrant also revealed that Armstrong had visited a shooting range with her sister, Christine Armstrong, "to learn how to use a firearm".[7] On May 17, an arrest warrant for first-degree murder was issued for Kaitlin Armstrong.[4]

Arrest, trial and conviction

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Armstrong used her sister's passport to fly to Costa Rica. She assumed fake identities and changed her appearance through plastic surgery. U.S. Marshals located her by placing an ad on Facebook looking for a yoga instructor.[8] After spending 43 days at large, Armstrong was apprehended in a hostel in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, on June 29, 2022.[9][10] In a press conference about Armstrong's capture, the U.S. Marshals said that she had fled to Costa Rica and sought opportunities to teach yoga under a variety of aliases. They observed that her appearance had changed drastically; her hair had been dyed and cut short, her nose had been bandaged, and there was some discoloration around her eyes, which she reportedly said were caused by a surfboarding accident.[11]

Armstrong was arraigned on July 21, 2022, pleading not guilty to the murder charge. She was held on a $3.5 million bond in Travis County Jail. After suffering delays, the case went to trial on October 30, 2023.[12] Armstrong had lost her bid to suppress evidence of her custodial interrogation with the Austin Police Department, which she argued was illegally obtained because she was not apprised of her Miranda warning.[13] A federal charge of Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution against her was provisionally dismissed as well; legal experts said such a motion was "routine" since she had a constitutional right to a speedy trial.[14]

On October 12, 2023, Armstrong escaped from officers who had escorted her to a medical appointment outside of the jail. She was re-apprehended after a brief chase.[15] She was charged with escape causing bodily injury and the charges were later dropped.[16]

On November 16, 2023, Armstrong was found guilty of first-degree murder.[17] She was sentenced to 90 years in prison, with eligibility for parole after 30 years.[18][19] Armstrong filed an appeal, which was denied.[16][20] She is imprisoned at the Dr. Lane Murray Unit.

Civil lawsuit

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On May 6, 2024, Wilson's parents filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Armstrong, seeking $1 million in damages, but they will "ultimately ask that a jury determine the full value and extent of damages." The compensation will cover burial and funeral expenses as well as emotional damages they suffered as a result of Wilson's death. The lawsuit will also prevent Armstrong from profiting financially from her crime.[21][22] On June 17, 2024, the judge ordered Armstrong to pay $15 million to the Wilson family.[23]

Adaptation

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On June 15, 2024, Lifetime did a television movie called Yoga Teacher Killer: The Kaitlin Armstrong Story as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" feature films. The film stars Caity Lotz as Kaitlin Armstrong, Kyle Schmid as Colin Strickland, and Larissa Dias as Moriah Wilson.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Anna Moriah Wilson Obituary". Caledonian Record. May 19, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  2. ^ Levenson, Eric; Sarisohn, Hannah; Andone, Dakin (May 24, 2022). "Moriah Wilson came from a family of athletes. The 25-year-old elite cyclist was preparing for another race before she was killed". CNN. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  3. ^ Hood, Andrew; Welch, Betsy (June 30, 2022). "Kaitlin Armstrong, Wanted for the Murder of Moriah Wilson, Was Apprehended in Costa Rica". Outside. ISSN 0278-1433. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Pagones, Stephanie; Ruiz, Michael (June 29, 2022). "Texas murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong through the years: Love triangle fugitive seen in decades-old photos". Fox News. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Wolfe, Elizabeth; Sarisohn, Hannah (May 24, 2022). "US Marshals are looking for a fugitive yoga teacher suspected of killing an elite cyclist. Here's what the evidence shows". CNN. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e Tucker, Emma; Riess, Rebekah (June 23, 2022). "How events unfolded after the killing of cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson". CNN. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Ruiz, Michael (July 14, 2022). "Texas murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong had access to $450G, practiced shooting with sister, warrants reveal". FOX 7 Austin. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  8. ^ Gloria Oladipo (January 29, 2024). "US marshals lure fugitive killer of Texas cyclist out of hiding with yoga ad". The Guardian.
  9. ^ "Kaitlin Armstrong Captured in Costa Rica". www.usmarshals.gov. July 6, 2022.
  10. ^ Riess, Rebekah; Henderson, Jennifer; Yan, Holly (July 1, 2022). "After 43 days on the run, the woman accused of killing an elite cyclist was captured in Costa Rica". CNN. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  11. ^ Deliso, Meredith (July 8, 2022). "US Marshals detail hunt for murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong in Costa Rica". ABC News. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  12. ^ "Kaitlin Armstrong trial moved back 4 months to October". KVUE. May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Ruiz, Michael (November 9, 2022). "Kaitlin Armstrong trial date set as judge rejects defense motion to toss evidence in pro cyclist murder". Fox News. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  14. ^ Ruiz, Michael (July 11, 2022). "Texas murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong escapes charge for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution". Fox News. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  15. ^ "Accused Cyclist Killer Kaitlin Armstrong Had Escape Planned for Months: Cops". Daily Beast. October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Sather, Laura; Eubank, Britny (December 1, 2023). "Kaitlin Armstrong gives notice of appeal for murder conviction; DA drops escape charge". KVUE. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  17. ^ Deliso, Meredith (November 16, 2023). "Kaitlin Armstrong found guilty in murder of professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson". ABC News.
  18. ^ Glaser, Rebeccah; Li, David K. (November 17, 2023). "Kaitlin Armstrong is sentenced to 90 years in prison for the murder of elite cyclist Moriah 'Mo' Wilson". NBC News. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  19. ^ Taylor, Jessica (November 18, 2023). "A comprehensive recap of Kaitlin Armstrong's trial". KEYE. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  20. ^ "Kaitlin Armstrong's appeal for new trial has been denied". FOX 7 Austin. August 27, 2024.
  21. ^ Eubank, Britny (May 8, 2024). "Moriah Wilson's parents file civil wrongful death lawsuit against Kaitlin Armstrong". kvue.com.
  22. ^ Velez, Abigail (May 8, 2024). "Family of Anna 'Mo' Wilson files lawsuit against her convicted killer, Kaitlin Armstrong". KEYE.
  23. ^ "Judge orders Kaitlin Armstrong to pay $15 million to the family of murder victim Moriah Wilson". KXAN Austin. June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  24. ^ Hatchett, Keisha (April 15, 2024). "Caity Lotz and Kyle Schmid Team for Lifetime's Yoga Teacher Killer (Exclusive)". TV Line. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
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