Murder of Moriah Wilson

Murder of Moriah Wilson
Wilson in 2021
LocationAustin, Texas, U.S.
DateMay 11, 2022 (2022-05-11)
Attack type
Murder by shooting
WeaponsSIG Sauer P365
VictimMoriah Wilson
PerpetratorKaitlin Armstrong
MotiveRomantic jealousy
Criminal information
Criminal status
Convicted
ConvictionFirst-degree murder
Criminal charge
First-degree murder
Misuse of passport
Penalty
90 years in prison (eligible for parole after 30 years)
Imprisoned atDr. Lane Murray Unit

On May 11, 2022, Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson, a 25‑year‑old professional cyclist, was fatally shot at a friend's residence in Austin, Texas. Investigators identified Kaitlin Marie Armstrong as the suspect after surveillance footage placed her near the scene and evidence linked her to the murder.

According to police and prosecutors, Armstrong's actions were motivated by jealousy related to Wilson's prior romantic involvement with Colin Strickland, with whom Armstrong had been in an on‑and‑off relationship. After being questioned by police, she fled the United States using her sister's passport and remained at large for 43 days before being located and arrested in Costa Rica, where she had altered her appearance and used multiple aliases.

Armstrong was extradited to Texas and pleaded not guilty. Her trial began in October 2023, and on November 16, 2023, she was found guilty of murder. She was sentenced to 90 years in prison, with eligibility for parole after 30 years, and is incarcerated at the Dr. Lane Murray Unit.

Background

Victim

Anna Moriah Wilson was born on May 18, 1996, in Littleton, New Hampshire, to Karen (née Cronin) and Eric Wilson. She had one sibling, Matthew. 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 an athletic family, Wilson developed an early interest in cycling.[1] She was a nationally ranked junior skier before shifting her focus to gravel cycling.[2] Prior to becoming a full‑time professional cyclist, she worked as a demand planner for Specialized.[1]

Perpetrator

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. Prior to her criminal conviction, she had been described as a yoga teacher and a licensed realtor.[4]

Armstrong was in a relationship with professional cyclist Colin Strickland. They briefly separated in the fall of 2021, after which Strickland met Wilson and began a short romantic relationship with her. Armstrong and Strickland later reconciled and resumed their relationship.[5]

Death and investigation

On May 11, 2022, Wilson, age 25, was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds "shortly before 10 p.m." at a friend's residence in Austin, Texas, where she had been staying while preparing to compete in a race in Hico.[6] Earlier that day, she had met Strickland for a swim at Deep Eddy Pool and had dinner afterwards. Strickland denied entering the residence after dropping Wilson off and was ruled out as a suspect following a police investigation.[5][6]

An autopsy determined that Wilson's death was a homicide,[6] with three gunshot wounds – two to the head and one to the chest – that occurred "after she was already lying supine on the floor," according to a search warrant.[7] Police identified the 34-year-old Armstrong as a person of interest after surveillance footage showed her black Jeep Grand Cherokee arriving at the residence shortly before the killing.[6] She was taken into custody on an outstanding misdemeanor theft warrant.[5][6] Armstrong made no statement when questioned about the video evidence; investigators noted that she "turned her head and rolled her eyes in an angry manner" when asked about Wilson's contact with Strickland. She was released due to a technicality involving discrepancies between her date of birth in police records and the one listed on the warrant.[4]

Police examined Wilson's phone and concluded that she had been romantically involved with Strickland while he was still dating Armstrong. Strickland initially denied knowing Wilson when first interviewed, but later acknowledged the relationship and admitted to concealing his communications with her from Armstrong, including deleting messages and saving Wilson's number under a pseudonym.[4] According to an anonymous tipster, Armstrong had become aware of the relationship and expressed a desire to kill Wilson, stating that she "had either recently purchased a firearm or was going to." Strickland told investigators he had purchased two handguns for himself and Armstrong. Through a search warrant, police recovered two firearms from the home he shared with her. A spent shell casing from one of the weapons, a SIG Sauer P365 registered to Armstrong, showed a "significant" match to a casing found at the crime scene.[4] The warrant also stated that she had visited a shooting range with her sister, Christine, "to learn how to use a firearm".[7] On May 17, an arrest warrant for first-degree murder was issued for Armstrong.[4]

Arrest, trial and conviction

Armstrong used her sister's passport to fly to Costa Rica. While there, she assumed multiple false identities and altered her appearance through plastic surgery. U.S. Marshals located her after placing a Facebook advertisement seeking a yoga instructor.[8] After 43 days at large, she was apprehended at a hostel in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, on June 29, 2022.[9][10] At a press conference announcing her capture, U.S. Marshals stated that Armstrong had fled to Costa Rica and sought opportunities to teach yoga under various aliases. They noted that her appearance had changed significantly; her hair had been dyed and cut short, her nose was bandaged, and there was discoloration around her eyes, which she reportedly attributed to a surfboarding accident.[11]

Armstrong was arraigned on July 21, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. She was held on a $3.5 million bond in the Travis County Jail. After delays, the case proceeded to trial on October 30, 2023.[12] Armstrong had unsuccessfully sought to suppress evidence from her custodial interrogation with the Austin Police Department, arguing that it was illegally obtained because she had not been given a Miranda warning.[13] A federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was provisionally dismissed; legal experts described the dismissal as "routine" noting her constitutional right to a speedy trial.[14]

On October 12, 2023, Armstrong escaped from officers who had escorted her to a medical appointment outside the jail. She was recaptured after a brief chase.[15] She was charged with escape causing bodily injury, though the charge was later dropped.[16]

On November 16, 2023, following a trial before Judge Brenda Kennedy, Armstrong was found guilty of 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 incarcerated at the Dr. Lane Murray Unit.

Civil lawsuit

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

Three days after the wrongful death lawsuit was filed, Armstrong emptied her bank account and transferred her assets to her mother, sister, and Strickland, according to a nationwide asset search. In July 2024, Wilson's family filed an additional lawsuit against Armstrong's relatives and Strickland, alleging fraudulent transfer.[24]

On June 15, 2024, Lifetime released a television film titled Yoga Teacher Killer: The Kaitlin Armstrong Story as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" series. The film stars Caity Lotz as Kaitlin Armstrong, Kyle Schmid as Colin Strickland, and Larissa Dias as Moriah Wilson.[25]

In March 2026, The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson, a documentary about Wilson's life and murder, premiered at South by Southwest (SXSW) and was released on Netflix on April 3, 2026. The film was directed by American filmmaker Marina Zenovich and produced by Academy Award-winner Evan Hayes.[26][27][28] The New York Times gave the documentary an unfavorable review, describing it as "exploitative."[29]

The family of Moriah Wilson created the Moriah Wilson Foundation.[30]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 4 5 Tucker, Emma; Riess, Rebekah (June 23, 2022). "How events unfolded after the killing of cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson". CNN. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  7. 1 2 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. Archived from the original on May 12, 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. 1 2 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. ↑ Brolley, Tara (July 12, 2024). "Family of Mo Wilson suing Kaitlin Armstrong and family for fraudulent transfer". KEYE.
  25. ↑ Hatchett, Keisha (April 15, 2024). "Caity Lotz and Kyle Schmid Team for Lifetime's Yoga Teacher Killer (Exclusive)". TV Line. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  26. ↑ Psencik, Katey (March 23, 2026). "This Austin murder case is back in the spotlight on Netflix". Austin American-Statesman.
  27. ↑ "SXSW 2026 Schedule | Film & TV Project". SXSW 2026 Schedule.
  28. ↑ Wandermurem, Isadora (April 3, 2026). "The Story Behind 'The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson'". Time.
  29. ↑ Kenigsberg, Ben (April 2, 2026). "'The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson' Review: Behind a Cyclist's Death". The New York Times.
  30. ↑ "About the foundation". Moriah Wilson Foundation. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
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