AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas jury on Thursday convicted a woman of manslaughter in the May 2022 shooting death of professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson in a case that left investigators searching for an international killer for 43 days.
Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, faces up to life in prison when sentenced. Prosecutors said Armstrong shot and killed 25-year-old Wilson in a fit of jealousy. Wilson, also known as “Mo,” had briefly dated Armstrong’s boyfriend a few months earlier. Wilson had gone swimming and eating with him the day he was killed.
A Vermont native and former alpine skier at Dartmouth, Wilson is a rising star in pro gravel and mountain bike racing. He visited Austin before the race in Texas where he was among the favorites to win. Investigators say Armstrong tracked Wilson to the apartment where he was staying and shot him three times.
Armstrong briefly met with police before selling his vehicle and using his sister’s name and passport to fly to Costa Rica. Investigators say he spent more than $6,000 to get a nose job there and changed his hairstyle and hair color to evade authorities before he was arrested as a beachside sleeper.
Kaitlin Armstrong faces up to life in prison at sentencing.AP Texas state attorney Rickey Jones presents surveillance video that captured Anna Moriah Wilson’s screams.AP
Armstrong’s defense attorneys have urged jurors to find reasonable doubt in what they called an inadequate and sloppy investigation. They accused investigators of “tunnel vision” in quickly identifying Armstrong as a suspect.
Armstrong’s attorney stated that there were no witnesses to the shooting or video surveillance that captured it. They questioned why police did not strongly consider Colin Strickland, Armstrong’s boyfriend who was with Wilson the day she died, or two other male acquaintances as suspects.
Armstrong was convicted of killing cyclist Moriah Wilson.Instagram / Moriah Wilson Evidence showed a bullet wound to Wilson’s heart. AP
But investigators said they quickly eliminated Strickland and others and the evidence pointed only to Armstrong. Investigators said Armstrong tracked Wilson’s location through a fitness app, and they found a deleted digital map to the garage apartment where she was killed.
Armstrong’s Jeep was seen near the apartment around the time Wilson was shot and a bullet casing found near Wilson’s body matched Armstrong’s gun. Two of Armstrong’s friends testified that he had previously said he wanted, or could, kill Wilson.
Wilson’s bicycle was seen in the courtroom wrapped in a tarp.AP Armstrong’s defense attorney has urged jurors to find reasonable doubt in what they called a sloppy investigation.AP
After selling his Jeep for $12,000, Armstrong fled to Costa Rice where he tried to establish himself as a yoga instructor before federal authorities found him, investigators said.
Armstrong again tried to escape from authorities during a doctor’s appointment on October 11 outside the jail. He faces a separate felony escape charge.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
