The murder trial of Kaitlin Armstrong started on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Armstrong is accused of shooting and killing Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson in May 2022.
Armstrong was a yoga teacher and a realtor who was in a relationship with professional cyclist Colin Strickland. Strickland was alleged to have been having an affair with Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, who is also a professional cyclist. On May 11, 2022, Wilson was shot three times in her friend’s home in Austin, Texas, where she was preparing for an upcoming race. Wilson and Strickland had spent the evening together before her death.
Police quickly identified Armstrong as a suspect, as surveillance showed his vehicle arriving at the Austin home moments before the death of Wilson. Later, one of Wilson’s acquaintances apprised the police that Armstrong had reached out to her months before the murder and asked her to avoid Strickland. Also, an anonymous caller confided to the police that she was present with Armstrong in January when he found out about Wilson and Strickland’s romance. According to her, Armstrong stated that she wanted to kill Wilson at that time. Strickland stated that around January, he purchased guns for himself as well as Armstrong, as the latter sought them for protection. Ballistic examination on Armstrong’s Sig Sauer P365 9mm suggested “a potential for the same firearm being involved”.
Armstrong was taken into custody by Austin Police and questioned on May 12, 2022 on an old misdemeanor warrant, but was later released owing to a clerical error. The following day, she sold her Jeep Cherokee for cash to a CarMax dealership in the area, before jetting out from Austin Airport to Houston and then LaGuardia Airport in New York. On May 18th, airport surveillance footage showed her arriving at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Later on, U.S. Marshals found out that she had used her sister’s credentials to fly to Costa Rica.
On June 29th, the police arrested Armstrong at a hostel in Santa Teresa. She had changed her appearance by chopping and dyeing her strawberry-blonde hair black, and police discovered receipts linking her to a plastic surgeon’s office, suggesting she had gotten a nose job. In addition to being charged with permission of false documents, Armstrong is accused of attempting an escape from law enforcement custody while leaving an off-site medical appointment in October 2023 – sixteen months after her initial arrest. It’s believed that Armstrong had been planning the attempt for months.
According to KXAN, Assistant District Attorney Rickey Jones presented a timeline of the three individuals’ actions months before the murder took place, showing that Wilson and Strcikland were indeed having an affair. Jones was able to create a timeline of the night of Wilson’s murder using phone records.
- Wilson and Strickland leave Deep Eddy Pool. State said Strickland lied to Armstrong about where he was.
- 8:35 p.m.: Strickland drops Wilson off at her friend’s East Austin apartment
- 8:38 p.m.: Strickland texts Armstrong, goes home
- 9:13 p.m.: Wilson uses her phone
- 9:15 p.m.: Gunshots go off
The defense for Armstrong states that their primary argument is the lack of surveillance of the murder itself; there is no camera footage of Armstrong actually shooting Wilson.
The defense reminded the jury that in order to prove Armstrong was guilty, the State had to demonstrate his guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Martin Salinas, a former Austin police officer, spoke about his arrival at the Austin home after a 911 call was made by the friend with whom Wilson was staying, and who had found her lying on the floor, covered in blood. When officers arrived, the friend was in the process of CPR. She was also able to tell police that Wilson had been with Strickland prior to her returning to the Austin home. Wilson was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds at the scene.
Jury selection for Armstrong’s trial began on October 30. Strickland and the friend who found Wilson are both expected to testify, while Armstrong herself is not. If convicted, Armstrong could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The trial was originally set for October 2022, then pushed to June 2023, and finally, to October 2023. Since her arrest, Armstrong has remained in police custody with a bail bond set at $3.5 million.