A Texas woman killed her romantic rival in a jealous rage. Now, she will never walk free again.
Latterly, a Travis County judge handed Kaitlin Armstrong a 90-year sentence in prison for the shooting death of rising professional cyclist Anna "Mo" Wilson. After two hours of deliberation, Armstrong was found guilty and convicted by a jury of first-degree murder.
On May 11, 2022, officers responded to an apartment on Maple Avenue, East Austin, where the victim had been staying with a long-time friend on her visit to participate in the Gravel Locos in Hico. Upon arrival, they found Wilson with two gunshot wounds to the head and one to the chest. Despite several attempts to save her life, the 25-year-old was declared dead at the scene.
During the investigation, authorities recovered a neighbor’s security camera footage that captured Armstrong’s Jeep Grand Cherokee outside the residence. According to prosecutors, the defendant’s boyfriend, Colin Strickland, who had been in an on-and-off relationship with Wilson, had been with her hours before the fatal incident. The duo had gone swimming and had dinner together at a restaurant before dropping the victim off at the residence. Soon after, Armstrong shot Wilson to death.
Investigators discovered Armstrong had access to her boyfriend's email and text messages. Then, she tracked Wilson to the location using a fitness app. In addition, bullet casings found at the crime scene matched the gun owned by the defendant.
According to the Independent, authorities brought in the defendant with a warrant for her arrest on unrelated charges three days after the incident. However, they discovered the warrant was invalid and had to let her go. The next day, the 35-year-old Yoga Instructor sold her Jeep Grand Cherokee to a local dealership and absconded to Costa Rica.
For 43 days, authorities searched for Armstrong, who had spent about $8,000 for plastic surgery on her nose, changed her hairstyle and color to disguise her identity while using false identification to evade authorities. However, agents at a seaside tourist area found the defendant at Don Jon’s Surf and Yoga Hostel in Santa Teresa. Later, Armstrong was deported to the United States and charged for Wilson’s murder.
During the trial, witnesses testified the defendant was outraged after she found out about the affair between the victim and Strickland. In addition, they heard her threaten to kill Wilson.
"When you shot Moriah in the heart, you shot me in the heart. .... all the people who loved her, pierced their hearts," said the victim’s mother, Karen Wilson, during the victim’s impact statement, reported NPR.
Wilson had attempted to escape a second time while incarcerated during a trip to a medical facility. However, prosecutors recently filed a motion to dismiss the escape charges.
The defendant has filed a notice of appeal.
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