Murderer of Pro Cyclist Found Guilty of Blind Jealousy
- Istimewa
Texas – Kaitlin Armstrong was found guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday in the death of Moriah Wilson, a professional cyclist who had briefly dated Armstrong's boyfriend.
Wilson killed while visiting Austin, Texas, for a bike race 18 months ago.
State District Judge Brenda Kennedy said that the jury delivered the guilty verdict against Armstrong after deliberating for about two hours.
After the verdict was announced, more witnesses were called to testify as the court sought to determine what the sentence will be before going into recess late in the afternoon.
Penembak Pesepeda Moriah Wilson
- Istimewa
It was unclear when Armstrong would be sentenced. Her lawyer declined to comment, citing a gag order in the case, which drew international attention as details about the investigation and Armstrong’s whereabouts slowly emerged.
Rickey Jones, a state prosecutor, said in his opening statement that Armstrong was “not happy” that her boyfriend at the time, Colin Strickland, had been communicating with Wilson.
Strickland and Armstrong had an “on-and-off-again” relationship and lived together, Jones said, though he had briefly dated Wilson during an off-period in October 2021.
Wilson was found unconscious and bleeding from gunshot wounds at a friend’s apartment on May 11, 2022, and was pronounced dead at the scene. She had gone swimming with Strickland hours before her death.
Jones said that Armstrong’s Jeep had been seen near the apartment less than an hour before gunshots were heard. Armstrong also owned a handgun that was used in the shooting, Jones said.
The Austin Police Department named Armstrong, now 35, as a suspect and issued a warrant for her arrest six days after Wilson, 25, was killed.
By then, Armstrong had left Texas for New York and would soon fly to Costa Rica, where she evaded the authorities for 43 days and tried to establish herself as a yoga teacher, according to the US Marshals Service.
