Kaitlin Armstrong discovered responsible in capturing demise of professional bike owner Anna “Mo” Wilson

The lady accused within the Could 2022 capturing demise of rising skilled bike owner Anna Moriah Wilson — often called “Mo” Wilson — has been discovered responsible of her homicide. Jurors reached the decision for Katilin Armstrong Thursday in courtroom on the Blackwell-Thurman Legal Justice Middle in Austin, Texas, concluding a felony trial that lasted simply over two weeks. 

Armstrong, 35, had pleaded not responsible to a cost of first-degree homicide in Wilson’s demise. She was additionally charged with escape inflicting bodily damage, which is a felony, for allegedly attempting to flee custody three weeks earlier than the trial started. Authorities stated Armstrong fled from officers as they escorted her to a physician’s appointment on Oct. 11, however solely ran for about half a block earlier than they caught up together with her. 

She may doubtlessly resist 99 years in jail for the homicide conviction, and as much as 20 years in jail for the second cost if convicted. There was additionally an impressive warrant for Armstrong’s arrest on a misdemeanor cost for theft of providers when she was questioned by police after Wilson’s demise.

When the decision was learn, Wilson’s household and pals have been overcome with feelings, embracing one another and crying, CBS affiliate KEYE-TV reported.

Armstrong appeared ahead when the decision was learn and didn’t show outward emotion, KEYE-TV reported. Armstrong’s sister, Christie Armstrong, started to cry after the decision was learn within the courtroom, earlier than protection legal professional Mark Pryor walked her out.

Wilson was discovered fatally shot on the ground of a pal’s toilet on Could 11, 2022, simply days earlier than she was slated to compete in a biking race that she was additionally favored to win. The up-and-coming athlete was 25 on the time of her demise.

Police have stated that Wilson beforehand dated Armstrong’s boyfriend, Colin Strickland, a fellow aggressive bike owner, with whom Wilson remained pals after their relationship ended. Wilson and Strickland had gone swimming at a neighborhood pool hours earlier than she was killed, in keeping with police. Strickland instructed them after the homicide that he had picked up Wilson earlier within the day on Could 11 for the swim, and dropped her off on the pal’s home, the place Wilson was staying forward of the race in Austin, that evening at round 8:30 p.m.

Armstrong labored as a yoga teacher and actual property agent in Austin, and likewise owned a enterprise with Strickland. They lived collectively. Throughout a interval of separation of their on-off relationship, Strickland briefly dated Wilson.

Prosecutors alleged that Armstrong had been utilizing the health app Strava to trace Wilson’s location, since Wilson used the app to handle her exercises. They instructed the jury throughout Armstrong’s trial that her automotive, a Jeep, had been seen close to the condo the place Wilson was staying together with her pal, Caitlin Money.

Money testified throughout the first week of the trial, describing how she arrived again at her house to seek out Wilson coated in blood, after the bike owner had been shot within the head and chest. Along with taking part in a recording of the 911 name from the evening of the homicide, when Money tried to revive Wilson after discovering her, prosecutors stated the jury could be proven surveillance footage the place Wilson might be heard screaming simply earlier than her demise.

“The very last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror. These screams are adopted by ‘pow! pow!'” stated Travis County Prosecutor Rick Jones in his opening assertion on the trial. He stated Armstrong shot Wilson once more, for the third time, seconds after that. 

Armstrong’s protection stated there have been no witnesses to the killing, neither is there video proof inserting Armstrong on the scene of Wilson’s demise. She was questioned by police and let go after the homicide, however a warrant was ultimately issued for Armstrong’s arrest on Could 19. Earlier than the warrant, authorities stated that Armstrong offered her Jeep for money and traveled from Austin to New York Metropolis, then from Newark, New Jersey, to Costa Rica, allegedly utilizing her sister’s passport as her personal for the journey.

Authorities stated that Armstrong taught yoga whereas in Costa Rica and underwent cosmetic surgery to vary her look, with prosecutors moreover telling the jury that Armstrong had reduce her hair and adjusted her hair coloration as nicely. Her legal professional, Geoffrey Puryear, addressed hypothesis about her time in Costa Rica throughout the trial, saying, ” “She would don’t have any motive to find out about any (arrest) warrant. You’ll hear Kaitlin is enthusiastic about touring and enthusiastic about yoga,” CBS Texas reported.

After virtually six weeks in Costa Rica, Armstrong was arrested by officers with the U.S. Marshals Service at a hostel on Santa Teresa Seaside in Provincia de Puntarenas, and returned again to the U.S. 

Strickland additionally testified at Armstrong’s trial, telling the jury about how their relationship started over a relationship app in 2019, and continued to this point on and off for greater than two years. He stated Armstrong had entry to his communications, the Austin American-Statesman reported, and that he had modified the identify of Wilson’s contact in his telephone to keep away from battle with Armstrong. He known as Wilson “an immense expertise” whereas addressing the jury.

In different testimonies, two of Amrstrong’s former pals took the stand. One in all them, Nicole Mertz, knew Armstrong via the biking group and stated she thought of her to be considered one of her closest pals, KEYE-TV reported. Mertz recalled as soon as being at an Austin restaurant known as The Meteor with Armstrong, the place Armstrong had stated she was upset as a result of Wilson had come to city and was visiting Strickland, in keeping with the station. 

Mertz additionally stated Armstrong turned “visibly indignant” seeing Wilson enter the restaurant, and, when Mertz requested what Armstrong would do if Strickland began relationship another person, Mertz testified that her former pal responded, “I’d kill her,” reported KEYE-TV.

– Allison Gualtieri contributed reporting.