Kaitlin Marie Armstrong i s the person of interest in the murder of World-class gravel cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson who was tragically shot and passed away on May 11, 2022.
Her tragic death has left cycling enthusiasts and fans across the globe devastated. She was in Texas on May 11 for a competitive race.
While the police continue the investigation surrounding her death, here’s everything we know about Moriah.
Texas woman in love triangle accused of killing pro cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson
An arrest warrant in the fatal shooting of professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson details a love triangle that includes a male professional cyclist and the woman he lives with, according to Austin police.
Wilson, 25, was found dead May 11 in an East Austin home on Maple Avenue. She had traveled from San Francisco and was staying in town before riding in a gravel race in Hico, northwest of Waco, that coming weekend.
Authorities in Austin, Texas, have confirmed that world-class gravel cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson was fatally shot last week while in the area for a competitive race. Wilson, 25, was a former competitive skier from Vermont. According to a statement from Austin Police,😢 pic.twitter.com/ZP7U8WMWob
— Sumner (@Atimad101) May 17, 2022
Who Is Kaitlin Marie Armstrong?
Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, 34, of Austin, faces a murder charge in connection with the shooting. Police spoke with Armstrong on May 12 – the day after Wilson was killed – and confronted her with video surveillance that investigators say shows a vehicle matching one she drives pulling up to the residence where Wilson was staying. One minute earlier, Wilson had returned to the home after swimming with Armstrong’s boyfriend.
Armstrong, police said, nodded in agreement when detectives told her the video did not look good for her.
The affidavit reveals a romantic entanglement that began in October when Armstrong split with her longtime boyfriend, professional cyclist Colin Strickland. During a brief break in that relationship, Strickland met and became involved with Wilson, only to soon get back together with Armstrong.
Has Kaitlin Marie Armstrong Been Arrested?
Armstrong has not been arrested. Police say she deleted her social media accounts and that her boyfriend told them he has not seen her since May 13. Her account on Strava –an online cycling and fitness platform – remains public and shows that she last cycled on May 11, the day Wilson died.
On Friday, the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force announced it is conducting a “fugitive investigation” and asked for the public’s help in locating Armstrong.
According to police, a tipster assisting in the homicide investigation told detectives that Armstrong learned in January about Strickland’s relationship with Wilson and “became furious and was shaking in anger.” The tipster told police that Armstrong said she wanted to kill Wilson. Around that time, police say Strickland bought two firearms: a 9 mm handgun for himself, and another for Armstrong.
In searching the home where Armstrong lives with Strickland, investigators say they seized a 9 mm handgun belonging to Armstrong. In comparing shell cases fired from that gun to those found in the home where Wilson was killed, police say the potential that the same firearm was used is “significant.”
Colin Strickland describes relationship with Wilson
Strickland, a professional cyclist sponsored by Red Bull, issued a statement to the American-Statesman on Friday saying he had a brief relationship with Wilson after meeting her in Austin in October. He said that after that fling, which lasted about a week, his relationship with Wilson turned platonic and professional, and that he got back together with Armstrong. He said he was no longer romantically involved with Wilson.
“There is no way to adequately express the regret and torture I feel about my proximity to this horrible crime,” Strickland said. “I am sorry, and I simply cannot make sense of this unfathomable situation.”
Strickland said he has cooperated with authorities and will continue to do so.
His statement said: “It was not my intention to pursue along an auxiliary romantic relationship that would mislead anyone. Moriah and I were both leaders in this lonely, niche sport of cycling, and I admired her greatly and considered her a close friend. I am deeply grieving her loss.”
WHO WAS ANNA MORIAH WILSON?
Moriah “Mo” Wilson was 25 years old at the time of her death. Based in California, she was considered one of America’s top gravel and mountain cyclists.
Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson was found dead a friend’s home in East Austin. She rising star in gravel and mountain bike cycling, according to the cycling community. https://t.co/qwoLbonEGc
— FOX 7 Austin (@fox7austin) May 16, 2022
She grew up in East Burke, Vermont, and competed in skiing in her youth, according to Velo News. She also played soccer when she was at Dartmouth College. Moriah had a degree in engineering.
She had won several races and gained a reputation for herself as a dominant gravel and mountain bike racer.
Prior to her passing, she had reportedly planned a summer of racing, including a trip to East Africa for the Migration Gravel Race and Evolution Gravel.
Only recently, she had quit her job as a Demand Planner to fully focus on racing.