'I could not believe it.' Statesman reporter learned of Kaitlin Armstrong escape during '20/20' interview
Tony Plohetski, a 24-year veteran of the Austin-American Statesman, was about two hours into the first of two half-day interviews with "20/20."
He had his phone on "Do Not Disturb" mode to give the producers his full attention, missing alerts and messages about news that was breaking in his own city. Then, a colleague stepped in and shared the breaking news with him just off-camera: Kaitlin Armstrong had escaped police custody.
"I could not believe it," Plohetski recounted months later. "I literally could not believe it."
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Tony Plohetski confirmed Kaitlin Armstrong escape details
Armstrong was charged with the May 2022 murder of professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson. After being questioned by police shortly after Wilson was killed, Armstrong fled the country. She was found and arrested in Costa Rica in early July.
Not only was he surprised by the development before her looming trial, but as a journalist, Plohetski, who also works for KVUE-TV, was frustrated he was behind on the news of a suspected murderer being on the run. The cameras cut, in part at his request, because he had to get to work.
"I did what I would do in any sort of situation like that," Plohetski said.
He got on the phone to get details of the escape with local authorities, including that Armstrong was apprehended less than a mile away and was wearing other clothes underneath her jail uniform. It was information that a viral video couldn't show, but details that a local reporter would verify and inform their community about.
"Before that day happened, there was already a lot of intrigue around Kaitlin Armstrong," Plohetski said. "When she fled, it was such a remarkable moment; it just fueled all of that."
'20/20' documentary on 'Mo' Wilson murder leans on Statesman reporting
Armstrong was found guilty of Wilson's murder and sentenced to 90 years last November. "20/20" is sharing the story in a documentary that Plothetski served as a consultant on. He introduced them to several sources and helped facilitate interviews as well as doing interviews with their producers for several hours.
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As a veteran local reporter, Plohetski said he appreciated that a national program utilized the "boots on the ground" to tell this story.
"I do think that it is a compliment to '20/20' that they see and appreciate the boots on the ground and incorporating those voices and that they work them into their own reporting rather than only parachuting in," Plohetski said.
The program will air on ABC at 8 p.m. Central Time Friday. It will also be available to stream on Hulu.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Kaitlin Armstrong escape: How Austin reporter Tony Plohetski reacted
