On May 11, 2022, an assailant shot cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson three times in her friend’s home in Austin, Texas. The victim was preparing for an upcoming gravel race. Within days, the police identified Kaitlin Armstrong as a suspect.
As the investigation progressed, authorities found that Armstrong killed Wilson out of jealousy. The police charged Armstrong with stalking and killing Wilson, believing that the murder resulted from romantic jealousy sparked by Wilson’s casual encounter with her boyfriend and pro cyclist, Colin Strickland.
After 43 days on the run, Kaitlin Armstrong was apprehended at a hostel in Costa Rica, returned to the United States, and charged with first-degree murder. She vehemently denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. As the trial unfolds in Austin, Texas, here’s everything known about the case and the proceedings.
Kaitlin Armstrong reportedly killed Wilson out of jealousy
Sports enthusiasts considered Moriah Wilson a rising star and a future Olympian. However, things took a drastic turn when she started spending time with Colin Strickland. For the uninitiated, Armstrong was in a relationship with Strickland. In the fall of 2021, they briefly separated. During that time, Strickland met Wilson and initiated a brief romantic relationship with her. Armstrong and Strickland later reconciled, resuming their relationship.
Even after resuming their relationship, Strickland continued spending time with Wilson. Hours before the shocking murder, Wilson went out with Strickland for a swim at Deep Eddy Pool and afterwards had dinner. Later that night, someone killed Wilson at her friend’s house in Austin, Texas.
The authorities began their investigation and didn’t take much time in naming Kaitlin Armstrong a person of interest after video surveillance showed her black Jeep Grand Cherokee arriving at the Austin residence moments before the killing. Law enforcement took Armstrong into custody and interrogated her about her car at the crime scene. Although she made no statement, police officers observed her growing angry when they began questioning her about Wilson and Strickland. A technicality, which was rooted in differences between her date of birth in the police department’s database and the one in the warrant, led to her release.
As the investigation moved forward, police examined Wilson’s phone and uncovered the closeness between Wilson and Strickland. Reports also suggest that Armstrong, upon learning about the relationship, strongly expressed a desire to kill Wilson. She reportedly informed an anonymous tipster that she “had either recently purchased a firearm or was going to.” However, investigators later discovered that Strickland had bought two handguns for himself and Armstrong. Authorities recovered both firearms from the house Strickland shared with Armstrong.
On May 17, 2022, the police issued an arrest warrant against Kaitlin Armstrong after discovering that a spent shell casing from one weapon yielded a “significant” match with one found at the crime scene. After spending 43 days at large, Armstrong was apprehended in a hostel in Costa Rica. Later, it was revealed that she reached the aforementioned destination using a fake passport and also changed her appearance.
On July 21, 2022, police arraigned Armstrong, and she pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. However, things got out of hand in October 2023 when Armstrong allegedly attempted to escape from Travis County jail guards. She led them on a 10-minute foot chase before they captured her a mile away.
Armstrong’s friend reveals she expressed her desire to kill Wilson
The Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial began on October 30. Over the period of several days, prosecutors came forward with evidence that would prove that Armstrong was responsible for Wilson’s death. As per the prosecutors, Armstrong monitored Wilson’s whereabouts through Strava, a GPS-linked fitness app for cyclists and runners. They also noted that Armstrong had access to Strickland’s iPhone text messages through his iPad and Mac laptop. Additionally, nine days before the murder, she logged into his Gmail and Instagram accounts on her phone.
The trial also saw Armstrong’s friend Nicole Mertz admitting that Armstrong talked about killing Wilson. Later, she revealed that she called the police as soon as she got to know about Wilson’s murder.
Armstrong’s boyfriend, Colin Strickland, also took the stand for about three hours and opened up about their tumultuous relationship. He clarified that he and Kaitlin Armstrong dated on and off for years. He also noted that Armstrong never mentioned visiting Wilson on the day of the murder.
The trial will continue on Monday, November 13, 2023, and Strickland will once again be called to testify. Armstrong will face up to 99 years in prison if convicted for murder.
