Nearly eighteen months after Kaitlin Armstrong made global headlines for allegedly murdering her romantic rival and evading authorities for 43 days, her trial for murder has begun. The Texas woman became entangled in a love triangle with her boyfriend Colin Strickland and professional cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, who was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds at a friend’s house on May 11, 2022. Armstrong was questioned by the police shortly after the incident but managed to escape to Costa Rica, where she was eventually captured despite altering her appearance through plastic surgery and dyeing her hair. The 35-year-old yoga teacher and realtor was extradited back to the United States and charged with first-degree murder. She entered a plea of not guilty in July 2022 and has since been held on a $3.5 million bond at the Travis County Correctional Complex in Texas. The jury consisting of eight women and six men for her trial has been seated, and the opening statements are scheduled to begin on Wednesday morning in Austin, Texas. The judge has allowed cameras in the courtroom solely for the opening statements, closing arguments, and the announcement of the verdict. As the trial begins this week, let’s delve deeper into the details of the case.
The victim, Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, was a 25-year-old competitive gravel and mountain bike racer from Vermont, whose life was tragically cut short on May 11 in her friend’s apartment in Austin, Texas. Just a month before her death, Wilson triumphed over thirty of the top gravel racing cyclists in the United States to win the Fuego 80k at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. Following this victory, she also emerged victorious at the Belgian Waffle Ride in San Diego on April 30, 2022. Wilson arrived in Austin on May 10 as the favorite to win the Gravel Locos in Hico a few days later. She was residing at her friend Caitlin Cash’s apartment in East Austin on Maple Avenue when she made plans to meet her fellow professional cyclist Colin Strickland.
On the day of the incident, Wilson and Strickland went swimming at the Deep Eddy Pool public aquatic center in Austin and then dined at nearby Pool Burger, after which Strickland dropped her off at her friend’s house at approximately 8:30 pm. Just one minute later, a neighbor’s surveillance camera captured Armstrong’s Cherokee SUV outside the residence. Later that night, Wilson’s friend discovered her bleeding and unconscious inside the apartment, with multiple gunshot wounds. Unfortunately, attempts to revive her were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Strickland’s statement to the police, Armstrong returned home in her SUV around 9:20 pm that evening. Strickland admitted to having a relationship with Wilson while he and Armstrong were on a break, and text messages revealed that Wilson believed they were still together. The police affidavit also detailed a friend’s call to the police on May 14, reporting that Armstrong had learned of the on-off relationship in January and had become furious and threatening towards Wilson. Armstrong had been persistently contacting Wilson and warning her to stay away from her boyfriend. During the investigation, Strickland revealed that he and Armstrong had purchased 9mm handguns around the same time as these incidents.
Following the murder, Armstrong was briefly taken into custody on an unrelated outstanding warrant, but the police soon released her when they realized the warrant was invalid. When Armstrong was questioned by the Austin detectives investigating the murder three days after her release, she displayed anger and evasion. In response to questions about Strickland spending time with Wilson on the day of her murder, Armstrong turned her head and rolled her eyes in an angry manner. During the interrogation, Armstrong was shown video footage of her black Jeep Cherokee parked outside the house where Wilson was shot. Although she initially remained guarded, Armstrong eventually nodded in acknowledgment of the possibility that she was upset and in the vicinity of the crime scene. However, the detectives later discovered that the arrest warrant for Armstrong was not valid, so they were unable to detain her further. Authorities did not encounter Armstrong for another 43 days until her arrest in Costa Rica at the Don Jon’s Surf and Yoga Hostel in Santa Teresa by the tourist police division.
Following her interrogation, Armstrong wasted no time in attempts to evade capture. On May 15, 2022, she sold her Jeep Grand Cherokee to a dealership for $12,200 before boarding a flight from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Houston Hobby and then taking a connecting flight with Southwest Airlines to LaGuardia in New York. An arrest warrant was issued for Armstrong on May 17, but she managed to elude law enforcement at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Deputy US Marshal Brandon Filla revealed that investigators tracked Armstrong to Costa Rica after discovering that she had obtained a valid US passport under a false identity. They then alerted authorities in Costa Rica, who diligently searched popular tourist spots until they located Armstrong at Don Jon’s, a budget hostel and yoga retreat in the renowned surf town of Santa Teresa. Armstrong had altered her appearance through hair dyeing and had a bandage on her nose. Sources mentioned that she might have undergone plastic surgery as well. After positively identifying her through an international arrest warrant match, the authorities deported Armstrong back to the United States. She now faces charges of first-degree murder, a first-degree felony, and theft of service.
In response to Armstrong’s arrest, Wilson’s family released a statement expressing relief and trust in the justice system. The trial will now proceed, and the verdict will determine Armstrong’s fate. However, Armstrong’s journey doesn’t end here. On October 11, 2023, she made a second attempt to escape custody while being transported to a medical appointment, but the details of this incident remain undisclosed. The case continues to captivate the public’s attention as the trial unfolds, shedding light on the mysterious circumstances surrounding Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson’s tragic murder.
