Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial - updates: Alleged killer’s ex clashes with court photographer

Kaitlin Armstrong, the yoga teacher who allegedly gunned down rising pro cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson and then fled the country, is on trial in Texas.

Ms Armstrong’s ex-boyfriend Colin Strickland took the stand for the second day on Monday and testified about their tumultuous relationship. Prosecutors have alleged that she targeted Wilson because both women were involved in a love triangle with Mr Strickland.

Mr Strickland told the court that Ms Armstrong’s jealousy escalated to the point that she confronted Wilson on the phone.

In one instance, Ms Arsmtrong even told him to “send [her] love to Mo” after he posted a video with Wilson in the background, he testified.

After a lunch recess on Monday, Mr Strickland appeared to clash with photographers, according to NewsNation reporters in court. He reportedly tried to knock the photographer’s camera, causing the latter to lose his grip.

Video later showed Mr Strickland appearing to go out of his way to step on a photographer’s foot.

Key points

• Kaitlin Armstrong confronted Moriah Wilson on the phone, ex-boyfriend Colin Strickland says

• ‘The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror’

• Who was pro-cyclist Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?

• Armstrong’s ex clashes with media at court

Alleged cyclist killer’s ex clashes with media member at court

00:24 , Mike Bedigan

The ex-boyfriend of a yoga teacher charged with the murder of an up-and-coming pro cyclist has clashed with members of the media multiple times since appearing at court to give evidence.

In footage captured by reporters who attended the trial on Monday, Colin Strickland appeared to purposefully go out of his way to stamp on a photographer’s foot. He reportedly also tried to knock the camera out of the man’s hands earlier in the day.

Mr Strickland also had a negative interaction with the media on Friday. A cameraman fell over while walking backwards filming him.

Mr Strickland stepped over him and kept walking.

Read the full story here:

Alleged cyclist killer’s ex clashes with media member at court

Watch: Colin Strickland seen stamping on photographer’s foot

Monday 6 November 2023 23:50 , Mike Bedigan

Colin Strickland appeared to purposefully go out of his way to stamp on a photographer’s foot, as he left court on Monday.

Mr Strickland, the ex-boyfriend of Kaitlin Armstrong, was followed by a pack of journalists as he finished his second day of giving evidence at the trial.

In the video , shot by NewsNation correspondent Alex Caprariello, Mr Strickland takes what seems to be a deliberate step to he left and comes into contact with a man hold a vide camera.

The man lets out a shout of pain, but Mr Strickland carries on walking and says nothing.

According to Mr Caprariello, the photographer has pressed charges over the incident. The man said Mr Strickland had also tried to known down his camera during the lunch recess.

Detective says he realised jealousy was the motive behind Wilson’s killing less than 24 hours after she was murdered

Monday 6 November 2023 23:34 , Andrea Blanco

Det Spitler said that considered jealousy a motive in Wilson’s murder after learning from Mr Strickland that he had changed Wilson’s name in his phone to avoid confrontation with Ms Armstrong. The detective said that he did not interview Ms Armstrong but another detective did, and she was released.

He said that the firearms seized from Ms Armstrong and Mr Stricklan’s shared home were important because they were the same calibre as the casings found at the crime scene.

Det Spitler said he contacted Wilson’s family and began pulling information from her cellphone and digital accounts.

During the next few days, the detective reviewed surveillance video from homes in the vicinity of the home where Wilson was killed, as well as of the poolside bar that Mr Strickland and Wilson visited the night of the murder.

A warrant for Ms Armstrong’s arrest was issued on 17 May 2022.

Detective Richard Spitler takes the stand

Monday 6 November 2023 22:45 , Andrea Blanco

The detective says that he interviewed Caitlin Cash, who was upset during their exchange, and learned that Mr Strickland was the last person to have seen Wilson alive.

Mr Spitler said that Mr Strickland was being surveilled before detectives arrived at his home to question him on 12 May.

Ms Armstrong seemed shocked by news of Wilson’s murder, witness says

Monday 6 November 2023 22:41 , Andrea Blanco

Lance Tindall, a friend of Mr Strickland, said during his testimony that he arrived at his home the morning he was informed about Wilson’s murder to collect some bike wheels.

Mr Tindall said he had a brief conversation with Ms Armstrong while Mr Strickland drove to the police station to give his statement.

Mr Tindall recalled Ms Arsmtrong discussing Austin potentially becoming more dangerous, and seemed “as shocked” as he was, according to reporters in the courtroom.

Mr Strickland ‘wasn’t that into Kaitlin Armstrong,’ witness says

Monday 6 November 2023 21:33 , Andrea Blanco

Kenneth Alan Burrows, a friend of Mr Strickland, takes the stand.

Mr Burrows says that he met Mr Strickland in 2020 and that although the two are not very close, Mr Strickland is a “great guy.”

On the day of the murder, Mr Burrows stopped by Mr Strickland’s home to borrow some bike parts from him. He left shortly after because Mr Strickland and Ms Arsmtrong looked tired.

When asked by prosecutors about what he thought of his friend’s relationship with the defendant, Mr Burrows answered: “They were dating. I didn’t think he was that into her.”

Mr Burrows says that he can’t say for sure whether Mr Strickland was actually in his garage looking for the bike parts during their call on 11 May 2022, because it wasn’t a FaceTime. Mr Burrows is dismissed.

Colin Strickland dismissed for the day

Monday 6 November 2023 21:23 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland could be called again by the defence or the prosecution as needed.

Mr Strickland explains why he continued talkinf with Wilson after Armstrong voiced her disapproval

Monday 6 November 2023 21:21 , Andrea Blanco

“I wanted to be able to connect with Moriah and maintain a communication without triggering old wounds that the defendant was carrying,” Mr Strickland told the court, according to NewsNation.

Mr Strickland says he was shocked to hear vehicle resembling Kaitlin Armstrong’s was spotted near crime scene

Monday 6 November 2023 20:47 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland said that he was surprised when he first heard that information during an interview with police a day after the murder.

“I don’t know how to respond to that. That is intense information,” he reportedly said.

Court takes recess

Monday 6 November 2023 19:15 , Andrea Blanco

The procedure will resume shortly.

Mr Strickland asked to demonstrate how gun lock works

Monday 6 November 2023 19:15 , Andrea Blanco

Several bags of evidence were brought to Mr Strickland after he was asked to put on surgical gloves.

Among the evidence presented in court were Mr Strickland’s Springfield 9mm, Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, gun lock and magazine.

Mr Strickland was asked to demonstrate how the gun lock works, but he said he was not very familiar with how to operate it, according to NewsNation.

Defence questions Mr Strickland about his initial interview with ADP detectives

Monday 6 November 2023 19:07 , Andrea Blanco

The defence also brought up Mr Strickland’s interview with detectives on 12 May 2022, in which he described Ms Armstrong as “sweet and gentle” and seldom times jealous.

Ms Armstrong’s attorneys argued that their client was not jealous about Mr Strickland’s relationships with other women, and that one of the women that he had dated even attended a birthday celebration for Ms Armstrong.

Mr Strickland also said that Ms Armstrong did not force him to buy the weapon and that he had suggested the idea because he believed that all women should carry one - a belief he no longer holds, he adds.

Mr Strickland admits ‘tumultuous’ may not be the right word to describe his relationship with Kaitlin Armstrong

Monday 6 November 2023 18:59 , Andrea Blanco

The defence honed in on Mr Strickland’s usage of the word “tumultuous” to describe his relationship with their client.

Mr Strickland admitted that the relationship was not physically, emotionally, psychologically or verbally abusive.

The defence also asked Mr Strickland if he had tried to take advantage of Wilson in 2021 when they had a “fling.” At the time, Wilson, who was 10 years younger than Mr Strickland, had just ended a relationship.

Mr Strickland denied having done so.

Defence attorneys also questioned Mr Strickland about his many break-ups with Ms Armstrong. He said he couldn’t recall whether he had had sex with other women during those periods, but that he was faithful when they were together.

Mr Strickland said he remembers having sex with Wilson while he was broken up but Ms Armstrong, who was using dating apps at the time, was still living at his home.

Mr Strickland when he finally decided to separate from Kaitlin Armstrong

Monday 6 November 2023 17:52 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland told the court that he broke ties with Ms Armstrong for good on 13 May 2022, after consulting with a defence attorney.

The following day, Ms Armstrong fled Austin.

Mr Strickland says he ‘does not know’ Kailtin Armstrong very well

Monday 6 November 2023 17:28 , Andrea Blanco

The defence has so far tried to argue that other people had access to Mr Strickland’s home and that DNA from their client might have transferred to Wilson when she rode with Mr Strickland and used a helmet on the night of her murder.

In a loaded exchange with defence attorneys while on the stand, Mr Strickland claimed he apparently didn’t know Ms Armstrong as he thought he did.

“You know Kaitlin Armstrong very well, don’t you?” the defence asked.

“No, I do not,” Mr Strickland answered, prompting an audible gasp from people in the courtroom, according to reporters.

Mr Strickland says it is possible he shared home security passcode with others

Monday 6 November 2023 17:23 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strikland said it was ‘possible” she shared the passcode to gain access to his home up to “33 times,” when asked by the defence.

The defence also tried to suggest that DNA from Ms Armstrong could have transferred from Mr Strickland’s jacket when she rode with him on the night of the murder.

Defence begins cross examining Mr Strickland

Monday 6 November 2023 17:01 , Andrea Blanco

“I have no fu***** idea,” Mr Strickland told defence attorneys when asked if he had discussed Wilson’s murder with any other than law enforcement personnel.

The defence asked Mr Strickland about periods in which Ms Armstrong was not jealous, and about the many cars that were always at Mr Strickland’s home and business headquarters, one of which was similar to Ms Armstrong’s black Jeep.

That car was sold years before the murder.

The defence then asked Mr Strickland about having Wilson’s contact blocked - noting that the defence had not been made aware of that information.

“You got me,” he said, according to NewsNation reporter Alex Caprariello, who is in the courtroom.

The defence is now trying to discredit the prosecution’s case that Mr Strickland did not receive certain messages from Wilson because Ms Armstrong had blocked her without his knowledge. Ms Armstrong’s attorneys said they reviewed a spreadsheet with more than 60 blocked contacts.

“Would you sometimes get messages from people and act like you didn’t receive them?” the defence attorney asked.

‘Send my love to Mo’ text brought up again

Monday 6 November 2023 16:37 , Andrea Blanco

The prosecution has now moved on to texts between Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong in early 2022.

Last week, we learned that Ms Armstrong texted Mr Strickland to “send [her] love to Mo,” after he posted a video with Wilson in the background.

“Can you please stop,” he texted back.

Mr Strickland texted Amstrong ‘Can you please be an adult?’ after she asked him not to go to a bar with Wilson

Monday 6 November 2023 16:35 , Andrea Blanco

In October 2021, Ms Armstrong texted Mr Srickland: “I know you know better than to show up at meteor [a popular cycling bar] with that girl.”

Mr Strickland, who testified “that girl” was Wilson.

Mr Strickland then asked Ms Armstrong to “please be an adult” but ultimately texted her that he wouldn’t go to Meteor because he was trying to respect her. Later that day, Ms Armstrong confronted him about “calling Mo.”

Mr Strickland refused to answer the phone.

In December 2021, Mr Strickland asked Ms Armstrong for a receipt of the gun they had purchased because he wanted to buy a new one that better fit his hand. The court is then shown a video of Ms Armstrong firing the weapon at a shooting range.

Court is shown text messages between Wilson and Mr Strickland the day before her murder

Monday 6 November 2023 15:57 , Andrea Blanco

On 10 May 2022, just a day before the murder, Wilson reportedly texted: “hey hey ... Are you back in Austin?”

She then proceeded to tell him that she was visiting Caitlin Cash, the friend who would find her body the next day, before a race.

Mr Strickland and Wilson arranged to meet the next day.

Wilson was saved in his phone as “Christine Wall.” He said last week that he had created the pseudonym to avoid confrontation with Ms Armstrong.

Prosecutors suggest Mr Strickland was not aware Wilson’s contact had been blocked from his phone

Monday 6 November 2023 15:52 , Andrea Blanco

Prosecutors asked Mr Strickland whether he was familiar with phone numbers that had been blocked from his phone.

Four of those blocked contacts, including Wilson’s, Mr Strickland did not recall blocking himself. Last week, prosecutors laid out that Ms Armstrong had control of Mr Strickland’s social media and financial accounts because she was acting as his manager at the time.

In January 2022, Mr Strickland seemingly realised that Wilson had been blocked and proceeded to text her.

Prosecutors confront Mr Strickland about texts sent by Wilson before murder

Monday 6 November 2023 15:46 , Andrea Blanco

On his second day on the stand, Mr Strickland was asked about a text sent to him by Wilson, in which she asked about their relationship status.

Mr Strickland had previously told the court that neither he nor Wilson wanted their brief romance to become more serious and that in order for that to happen, they had to spend more time together.

However, he admitted that he and Wilson continued going on bike rides together and seeing each other after he reconciled with Ms Armstrong. Mr Strickland insisted that their relationship at that point was merely platonic, but that Ms Armstrong’s fits of jealousy anytime he texted Wilson continued.

Mr Strickland told prosecutors today that he did not recall Wilson’s message asking about their relationship status, according to CBS.

Colin Strickland’s testimony resumes

Monday 6 November 2023 15:41 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland continues his testimony on the fourth day of trial.

Missed signs of plans to fee in foreign currency and ‘visiting healer’ alibi

Monday 6 November 2023 15:26 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong were told about Wilson’s murder by Austin Police detectives on 12 May 2022, just a day after the murder. Bodycam footage shown to the court reportedly showed that the two seemed shocked after learning the tragic news.

Mr Strickland later joined investigators at the police station, where he gave a statement for nearly six hours. The following day, authorities served a search warrant and seized weapons from his home.

Crime scene specialist Mirezha Guevara testified on Friday (November 3) that while she was taking pictures of the firearms evidence and Ms Armstrong’s black Jeep, she also noticed Ms Armstrong’s passport and foreign currency inside the home.

An attorney representing both Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong was present while the warrant was served, but investigators did not ask to interview Ms Armstrong.

However, they did ask Mr Strickland about her black Jeep, the same model of car seen on surveillance footage near the home where Wilson was found. The car had also been spotted near the swimming pool bar that Mr Strickland and Wilson had been at just hours before she was killed.

Ms Strickland suggested during his testimony that investigators knew it belonged to Ms Armstrong.

Mr Strickland said that after he was interviewed and the warrant was served, he and Ms Armstrong were exhausted. He asked her to write a timeline of her activities on the day and reportedly said she went to yoga and visited a “healer” but made no mention of seeing Wilson.

He then went to his business’ headquarters in Lockhart and did not see Ms Armstrong again.

On 14 May, Ms Armstrong took a flight from Austin to Houston. She was found in Costa Rica 43 days later.

Kaitlin Armstrong ex-boyfriend to continue testimony in Texas murder trial

Monday 6 November 2023 14:00 , Mike Bedigan

The trial of Kaitlin Armstrong is set to resume at 9am, the fourth day of the Texas murder trial.

Former yoga teacher Ms Armstrong is accused of gunning down Moriah “Mo” Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain cyclist.

Prosecutors have alleged that she targeted Wilson after the two were reportedly involved in a love triangle with her on-and-off boyfriend Colin Strickland.

The court has already heard from law enforcement officials, neighbours as well as Mr Strickland, who gave testimony on Friday.

Mr Strickland described his relationship with Ms Armstrong as “tumultuous”, recounting having had fights with Ms Armstrong over fits of jealousy and invasion of his privacy.

While on the stand, Mr Strickland recalled buying two guns with Ms Armstrong because she had been paranoid about road rage incidents, being alone on her bike in the woods and the massive homeless population near their Austin home.

Mr Strickland will continue his testimony on Monday morning.

Who was murder victim Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?

Monday 6 November 2023 12:30 , Mike Bedigan

On May 11 2022, 25-year-old Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson was found dead by a friend whose Texas apartment she had been staying at. She had multiple gunshot wounds.

Wilson was a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer from Vermont, was found dead on 11 May in her friend’s Austin, Texas apartment.

A month before her death, she beat 30 of the top gravel racing cyclists in the United States to claim the Fuego 80k at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California.

Wilson followed up that victory with a win at the Belgian Waffle Ride in San Diego on 30 April 2022 and arrived in Austin on 10 May as the favourite to win the Gravel Locos in Hico, a few days later.

She was staying at her friend Caitlin Cash’s apartment on Maple Avenue, East Austin, and on 11 May arranged to meet fellow pro-cyclist Colin Strickland, who according to a police affidavit she had an on-again, off-again relationship with when he and his then-girlfriend Kaitlin Armstrong were on a hiatus.

Texts between Mr Strickland and Wilson showed that she was under the impression they were still dating.

WATCH: Opening statements in Kaitlin Armstrong trial

Monday 6 November 2023 11:03 , Mike Bedigan

A star cyclist was gunned down in Texas. Now her yoga instructor love rival is on trial for murder

Monday 6 November 2023 07:00 , Mike Bedigan

Nearly a year and a half after Kaitlin Armstrong made international headlines for allegedly killing her romantic rival and then going on the run for 43 days, her murder trial is underway.

The Texas woman found herself at the centre of a love triangle with her boyfriend Colin Strickland and professional cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, who was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds at a friend’s house on 11 May 2022.

Ms Armstrong was questioned by police just three days after the killing but once freed, she fled to Costa Rica leading the authorities on an intensive manhunt that ultimately ended in her capture despite her effort to disguise her identity with dyed hair and plastic surgery.

Here’s everything we know about the case:

Kaitlin Armstrong trial: What to know about cyclist Moriah Wilson’s murder

In pictures: week one of Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial

Monday 6 November 2023 03:00 , Mike Bedigan

WATCH: Witness testimony from Kaitlin Armstrong trial

Sunday 5 November 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Kaitlin Armstrong was on the run for 43 days following Moriah Willson’s murder

Sunday 5 November 2023 19:00 , Andrea Blanco

The day after her 14 May 2022 police interview, Ms Armstrong sold her Jeep Grand Cherokee to a dealership for $12,200 before flying from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Houston Hobby and then taking a connecting Southwest flight to LaGuardia in New York.

An arrest warrant was issued for her on 17 May, and the next day she turned up at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Authorities did not see her boarding an outbound flight.

Brandon Filla, Deputy US Marshal Western District of Texas, told The Independent agents later tracked Ms Armstrong to Costa Rica after learning she had obtained a valid US passport in another person’s name and checking flight records.

They tipped off authorities in the Central American country, who began combing likely tourist hangouts for any sign of the fugitive.

They eventually caught up with her at Don Jon’s, a $17-a-night hostel and yoga retreat in the popular surf resort of Santa Teresa, 170 miles (275km) west of the capital San Jose on the Nicoya Peninsula.

Ms Armstrong reportedly gave police an alias, which did not show up when traced the name through the country’s immigration service. She then provided her real surname, which officers matched to her international arrest warrant.

She had cut and dyed her hair in an effort to change her appearance, and had a bandage on her nose.

A staff member at Don Jon’s confirmed to The Independent that Ms Armstrong had been staying there at the time of her arrest.

“She looked much different than her older photos,” a person who claimed to be with Ms Armstrong when she was arrested commented on an online forum.

“She did have a bandage on the nose she told me was a surf accident. I was about to ask how exactly it happened because if a surfboard did that to her nose she should be dead in the water. I think she had surgery done.”

Sources also told Velonews Ms Armstrong had undergone plastic surgery.

Ms Armstrong had been “trying to set up another type of lifestyle” in the town, Mr Filla told The Independent.

She was then deported to the US, where she was charged with first-degree murder and could be liable for the death penalty.

In a statement after her arrest, Ms Wilson’s family said at the time: “We’re relieved to know this phase of uncertainty is now behind us, and we trust that justice will prevail.”

Armstrong’s Black Jeep captured near crime scene on neighbour’s CCTV, prosecutors say

Sunday 5 November 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco

On Thursday, the court heard testimony from Martha Palao, who lives around 100m from where Wilson was found dead.

Jurors were shown two pieces of CCTV footage, in which a black jeep with a bike rack could be seen passing in front of her house and later in her back alley.

Ms Palao said that although she was awake at the time of the alleged murder, she did not hear any gunshots. Police arrived in the neighbourhood around 10pm, she said.

Kaitlin Armstrong confronted Moriah Wilson on the phone, ex-boyfriend Colin Strickland says

Sunday 5 November 2023 07:00 , Mike Bedigan

Mr Strickland said that at one point, Armstrong called Wilson to confront her on the phone, which Wilson found “ strange and unnerving.”

He looked very sad and defeated as he testified, according to reporters in the courtroom.

Wilson then left for a different cycling event but maintained communication with Mr Strickland, although the two were not very serious about moving on with a formal relationship, Mr Strickland said. The pair saw each other at different events

During that period, Ms Armstrong is said to have dated two other men, while still living at Mr Strickland’s home.

Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong eventually reconciled and travelled together to a championship in Arkansas in January 2022.

Mo Wilson’s family left courtroom as graphic crime scene photos are shown to jurors

Sunday 5 November 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Witness testimony continued on Thursday with a homicide detective and a crime scene analyst each taking the stand.

The courtroom was shown graphic photos of the crime scene which triggered crying from several of Mo Wilson’s loved ones. Some of her family left the room.

Wilson’s competitive bicycle was brought out for the jury to see shortly before court took a recess for lunch.

‘The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror’

Saturday 4 November 2023 22:00 , Andrea Blanco

In a bold opening statement on Wednesday, Travis County prosecutor Rickey Jones told jurors that they would hear the moment in which Moriah “Mo” Wilson was fatally shot, which was captured on nearby surveillance equipment.

“The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror,” Mr Jones said.

“Those screams are followed by ‘Pop! Pop!’” he added, smacking his hands together for emphasis. “You won’t hear any more screams after that.”

Seconds after those shots, Mr Jones said, “Kaitlin Armstrong stood over Mo Wilson and put a third shot right into Mo Wilson’s heart.”

In a short opening statement, defense attorney Geoffrey Puryear said Ms Armstrong was caught in a “web of circumstantial evidence.”

IN PICTURES: First week of Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial

Saturday 4 November 2023 18:00 , Andrea Blanco

Who was pro-cyclist Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?

Saturday 4 November 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco

Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, 25, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer from Vermont, was found dead on 11 May in her friend’s Austin, Texas apartment.

A month before her death, Ms Wilson beat 30 of the top gravel racing cyclists in the United States to claim the Fuego 80k at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California.

Ms Wilson followed up that victory with a win at the Belgian Waffle Ride in San Diego on 30 April 2022 and arrived in Austin on 10 May as the favourite to win the Gravel Locos in Hico, a few days later.

She was staying at her friend Caitlin Cash’s apartment on Maple Avenue, East Austin, and on 11 May arranged to meet fellow pro-cyclist Colin Strickland, who according to a police affidavit she had an on-again, off-again relationship with when he and his then-girlfriend Kaitlin Armstrong were on a hiatus.

The pair went swimming at the Deep Eddy Pool public aquatic centre in Austin before going for a meal at nearby Pool Burger, Mr Strickland, 35, told investigators. He dropped Ms Wilson off at her friend’s home at around 8.30pm.

One minute later, a neighbour’s surveillance camera captured Ms Armstong’s Cherokee SUV outside the address.

Later that night Ms Wilson was found bleeding and unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds by the friend she was staying with. Despite attempts to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to a police affidavit, Mr Strickland told detectives in a 12 May interview that Ms Armstrong had returned to their home in her SUV around 9.20pm.

Mr Strickland said he struck up a relationship with Ms Wilson in October 2021 when he and Ms Armstrong were on a brief hiatus. Texts between him and Ms Wilson showed that she was under the impression they were still dating.

According to the affidavit, a friend called police on 14 May to say that Ms Armstrong had learned of the “on again, off again” relationship in January.

Another caller, identified by the pseudonym Jane to shield her identity from Ms Armstrong, said she “became furious and was shaking in anger” and stated that she wanted to kill Ms Wilson. She began calling Ms Wilson and ordering her to stay away from her boyfriend, according to the affidavit.

In an interview with police, Mr Strickland said around that time he purchased 9mm handguns for himself and Ms Armstrong. He spoke in glowing terms about Ms Wilson’s prospects as a pro-cyclist, describing her as the best gravel cyclist in the United States, and possibly the world.

He was not nearly as flattering about his girlfriend Ms Armstrong, also a “competitive” cyclist, telling officers he had asked her not to ride with him because she “holds him back”.

Mr Strickland has cooperated with investigators and is not a suspect.

WATCH: Gunshots heard on video shown in Kaitlin Armstrong trial

Saturday 4 November 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco

Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, was found dead at her friend’s home with gunshot wounds to her head and chest back in May 2022.

Her bike was found in the middle of bamboo a few yards from the apartment, with DNA “highly likely” to have come from Armstrong, prosecutors said.

A star cyclist was gunned down in Texas. Now her yoga instructor love rival is on trial for murder

Saturday 4 November 2023 06:00 , Andrea Blanco

Nearly a year and a half after Kaitlin Armstrong made international headlines for allegedly killing her romantic rival and then going on the run for 43 days, her murder trial is underway.

The Texas woman found herself at the centre of a love triangle with her boyfriend Colin Strickland and professional cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, who was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds at a friend’s house on 11 May 2022.

Ms Armstrong was questioned by police just three days after the killing but once freed, she fled to Costa Rica leading the authorities on an intensive manhunt that ultimately ended in her capture despite her effort to disguise her identity with dyed hair and plastic surgery.

Here’s everything we know about the case:

Kaitlin Armstrong trial: What to know about cyclist Moriah Wilson’s murder

Kaitlin Armstrong’s DNA found on cyclist murder victim’s bike, trial hears

Saturday 4 November 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Dramatic courtroom testimony has revealed that DNA evidence found on slain professional cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson likely ties her accused killer to the crime scene.

Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, is on trial for the May 2022 murder of Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer who was found dead at her friend’s East Austin home with gunshot wounds to her head and chest.

The Independent’s Andrea Cavallier has more:

Kaitlin Armstrong’s DNA found on cyclist murder victim’s bike, trial hears

Court is adjourned for the day

Friday 3 November 2023 23:04 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland asked Ms Armstrong to write a timeline of the day before. She reportedly said she went to yoga and visited a “healer.”

He then went to his businesses’ headquarters in Lockhart and did not see Ms Armstrong again.

The court is adjourned.

Kaitlin Armstrong seemed ‘shocked’ after learning about Wilson’s murder, Mr Strickland says

Friday 3 November 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland said he texted Ms Armstrong after dropping off Wilson at her friend’s home.

Ms Armstrong did not immediately answer, but later arrived at the home she shared Mr Strickland.

The following day, detectives with the Austin Police Department arrived at the home.

Mr Strickland said that Ms Armstrong seemed shocked to hear about news of Wilson’s murder. He went to the station with detectives and confirmed to them that Ms Armstrong owned a black Jeep, the same model that was seen driving off near the home where Wilson was found.

Colin Strickland recounts last night he spent with Wilson

Friday 3 November 2023 22:42 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Armstrong and Mr Strickland returned to Texas on 9 May, just two days before Wilson’s murder.

He deleted conversations with Wilson on his phone to avoid confrontation with Ms Armstrong, and saved Wilson’s number as “Christine Wall.”

On the day of the murder, Mr Strickland said that he picked up Wilson at her friend Caitlin Cash’s apartment, where she was staying.

Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong went out swimming at a Pool Bar that night. He received calls and messages from Ms Armstrong but did not answer.

Mr Strickland says he bought gun along with Armstrong because she was scared of roadrage

Friday 3 November 2023 22:23 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland told the court that the decision to buy a weapon with Ms Armstrong in October 2021 had been prompted by her concerns about a potential incident of road rage, the homeless population in Austin and fears she had when biking alone.

Ms Armstrong reportedly became more jealous in early 2022, and at one point even told Mr Strickland to “send [her love to Mo” after he posted an Instagram video at the end of a race with Wilson in the background. Mr Strickland told the court that he “felt it was extremely passive-aggressive.”

During the next few months, Mr Strickland continued texting with Wilson on different apps. He previously told the court that Ms Armstrong had access to his passwords because he was acting as his manager.

Mr Strickland and Wilson rode together before he left for Arizona to prepare for a race. He travelled to the event with Ms Armstrong and their relationship was “very smooth.”

Colin Strickland recounts phone confrontation between Kaitlin Armstrong and Moriah Wilson

Friday 3 November 2023 22:04 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland said that at one point, Armstrong called Wilson to confront her on the found, which Wilson found “ strange and unnerving.”

He looked very sad and defeated as he testified, according to reporters in the courtroom.

Wilson then left for a different cycling event but maintained communication with Mr Strickland, although the two were not very serious about moving on with a formal relationship, Mr Strickland said. The pair saw each other at different events

During that period, Ms Armstrong is said to have dated two other men, while still living at Mr Strickland’s home.

Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong eventually reconciled and travelled together to a championship in Arkansas in January 2022.

Ex testifies about ‘tumultuous’ relationship with Kaitlin Armstrong at cyclist murder trial

Friday 3 November 2023 23:11 , Andrea Blanco

A famed cyclist at the centre of an alleged love triangle who was with Moriah “Mo” Wilson the night she was killed took the stand in an Austin, Texas courtroom on Friday at the murder trial of his ex-girlfriend Kaitlin Armstrong.

Colin Strickland described his relationship with Ms Armstrong as “tumultuous” and said that they were on and off for a long period of time.

“I wasn’t sure we were compatible as long-term, life partners,” Mr Strickland told the court, per NewsNation.

Read more:

Ex testifies about ‘tumultuous’ relationship with Kaitlin Armstrong at murder trial

Mr Strickland says Wilson was ‘most exceptional female racer'

Friday 3 November 2023 21:50 , Andrea Blanco

According to NewsNation reporter Alex Capriello, Colin Strickland told the court that after meeting Wilson at a race, he thought she was the “most exceptional female racer and an obvious immense talent.”

Mr Stickland said he, Wilson, and other cyclists joined a race following a 2021 competition in Arkansas that Wilson had won.

Ms Armstrong, who was not invited, reportedly felt left out.

Ms Armstrong and Mr Strickland had an argument on their way back to Texas over that. He then broke up with her.

Five or six days later, Wilson visited Austin and texted Mr Strickland that she had just ended her relationship.

Colin Strickland tells the court about arguments with Ms Armstrong

Friday 3 November 2023 20:12 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland tells the court that he met a woman in 2020, whom he later visited in Colorado the following year. When he told Armstrong that he was in Colorado with a friend, she sent him a semi-nude picture of the woman, which Armstrong had pulled from Mr Strickland’s private texts.

Mr Strickland said that he became angry and didn’t trust Armstrong in the aftermath of the incident - but insisted that he and the Colorado woman did not have a romantic or sexual relationship of any kind.

Colin Strickland testifies about ‘tumultuous’ relationship with Kaitlin Armstrong

Friday 3 November 2023 20:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland described his relationship with Ms Armstrong as “tumultuous.”

“I wasn’t sure we were compatible as long-term, life partners,” Mr Strickland told the court, per NewsNation.

He said that they were on and off for a long period of time, but Ms Armstrong, who had moved in with him after the 2021 Texas freeze and was staying indefinitely, did not move out during the breakups.

Bar manager where Wilson and Colin Strickland were seen takes the stand

Friday 3 November 2023 19:52 , Andrea Blanco

Kaeli Arhelge, a manager at a bar where Wilson was seen shortly before her death, took the stand following a recess.

Ms Arhelge said that she provided footage to authorities of the night that Wilson and Colin Strickland were seen at the bar.

In the video, Mr Strickland and Wilson are seen together before she gets up to answer the phone. Another video from a different camera shows a Black Jeep driving by the business.

Court to return from recess

Friday 3 November 2023 18:59 , Andrea Blanco

The proceedings will resume shortly.

Crime scene specialist takes the stand

Friday 3 November 2023 17:45 , Andrea Blanco

Crime scene specialist Mirezha Guevara, who worked in the search warrant served at Mr Strickland’s residence on 12 May 2022, takes the stand, reports CBS journalist Jessica Taylor, who is in the courtroom.

Ms Guevara says that she took pictures of the firearms evidence seized during the search and also took DNA.

The crime scene investigators said she took photographs of a black Jeep with a bike rack at the scene and noticed Armstrong’s passport and foreign currency inside the home.

Sergeant is cross examined by the defence

Friday 3 November 2023 16:32 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Armstrong’s attorneys questioned Sgt Ayers about his involvement in the case, with the officer saying he only worked on the murder investigation the day that Mr Strickland was questioned.

At the time, authorities at Mr Strickland’s home chose not to question Armstrong - but they were aware of who she was and knew that an attorney at the scene represented both her and Mr Strickland, Sgt Ayers told the court.

Sgt Ayers testifies about serving search warrant at Colin Strickland’s home

Friday 3 November 2023 16:28 , Andrea Blanco

Sgt Ayers tells the court that he was suspicious of Colin Strickland because he had been the last to see Mo Wilson alive before her murder.

Mr Strickland followed detectives to the station, where he gave a formal statement. Detectives served a search warrant at his residence later that day and seized two MacBooks, two cellphones, DNA swabs of Mr Strickland’s car’s steering wheel, and two 9mm handguns.

Kaitlin Armstrong was with her attorney on the driveway of Mr Strickland’s home.

Jury now watches redacted bodycam

Friday 3 November 2023 16:05 , Andrea Blanco

Sergeant Jason Ayer’s bodycam video will be shown to the jury but will be muted at times, as some of what Sgt Ayer said in the footage leads to hearsay.

Jusge watches bodycam of detectives informing Colin Strickland of Wilson’s death

Friday 3 November 2023 15:25 , Andrea Blanco

Sergeant Jason Ayers, who interviewed Colin Strickland the day after Mo Wilson’s death, takes the stand.

Sgt Ayers’s bodycam was also played with the jury out of the room, per NewsNation Alex Caprariello, who is in court.

“There’s no easy way to put this, but last night, she passed away,” another detective tells Mr Strickland.

In the background of the bodycam, an “emotionless Armstrong is seen, according to Caprariello.

Mr Strickland appears to be surprised and tells detectives he doesn’t know the address of Wilson’s mother. He also admits to having dropped her off the night before but says he did not enter the house with her.

Mr Strickland then tells detectives that he had a “brief relationship” with Wilson while on a break with Armstrong, but that he had stopped being intimate with Wilson since October 2021 and was now back together with Armstrong.

However, Mr Strickland said he maintained a “professional” relationship with Wilson.

When asked if Armstrong was aware of his relationship with Wilson, Strickland said no.

First witness takes the stand and surveillance video is played

Friday 3 November 2023 15:04 , Megan Sheets

The first witness to take the stand is Daniel Sheer, who lives near the residence where Wilson was found dead on 11 May, 2022.

Footage from Sheer’s camera on the night of the murder is shown in court. In the video, Sheer is seen exiting his home and walking towards the vehicle. In the background, a motorcycle is seen for a split second.

The night of the murder, Wilson was picked up and dropped off by Colin Strickland, the then boyfriend of the woman now accused of her murder, at the home where she was killed.

Day three of witness testimony about to start

Friday 3 November 2023 14:37 , Andrea Blanco

This week the court has listened to witnesses in the case, including Mo Wilson’s friend, who found the body of the rising pro cyclist on the floor of her bathroom.

The trial is not being televised but closing arguments will.

WATCH: More from the Kaitlin Armstrong trial

Friday 3 November 2023 14:01 , Rachel Sharp

Kaitlin Armstrong’s trial hears harrowing 911 call from night of star cyclists murder

Friday 3 November 2023 12:56 , Rachel Sharp

Devastated family members of slain professional cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson sobbed in a Texas courtroom and at one point walked out as a harrowing 911 call and graphic police body cam footage were played for jurors on the first day of witness testimony.

Kaitlin Armstrong, a 35-year-old Texas yoga teacher, has pleaded not guilty to murder in the May 2022 slaying of Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, in what prosecutors say was a jealous rage over a love triangle.

Wilson had been shot in the head and chest when she was found at a friend’s home before a race that she was among the favourites to win.

Caitlin Cash testified on the stand on Wednesday that she had found her friend covered in blood and not breathing when she returned home from dinner. Her voice cracked as she recalled seeing her feet and thought she was just lying on the bathroom tile floor to cool off. But when she announced her arrival, there was no response.

Read on...

Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial hears harrowing 911 call

‘The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror’ - prosecutor

Friday 3 November 2023 12:00 , Mike Bedigan

In a bold opening statement on Wednesday, Travis County prosecutor Rickey Jones told jurors that they would hear the moment in which Moriah “Mo” Wilson was fatally shot, which was captured on nearby surveillance equipment.

“The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror,” Mr Jones said.

“Those screams are followed by ‘Pop! Pop!’” he added, smacking his hands together for emphasis. “You won’t hear any more screams after that.”

Seconds after those shots, Mr Jones said, “Kaitlin Armstrong stood over Mo Wilson and put a third shot right into Mo Wilson’s heart.”

In a short opening statement, defense attorney Geoffrey Puryear said Ms Armstrong was caught in a “web of circumstantial evidence.”

Proceedings will begin again on Thursday at 9am CT.

DNA evidence on victim’s bike revealed

Friday 3 November 2023 10:38 , Rachel Sharp

In court on Thursday, jurors heard how bombshell DNA evidence tied the accused killer to the crime scene.

Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, was found dead at her friend’s Texas home with gunshot wounds to her head and chest back in May 2022.

Her bike was found lying in the middle of bamboo a few yards from the apartment.

DNA found on the bike was “highly likely” to have come from Armstrong, prosecutors told the court.

Kaitlin Armstrong shot pro-cyclist love rival in the heart, trial hears

Friday 3 November 2023 10:06 , Mike Bedigan

Kaitlin Armstrong has been accused of gunning down her love rival and then fleeing the country after being questioned by police.

The murder trial of the Texas yoga teacher began with explosive opening statements on Wednesday as the prosecution told jurors how they would hear the professional cyclist’s final screams and the shots that killed her.

Ms Armstrong, 35, is accused of killing Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, in May 2022 in a jealous rage over a love triangle involving her boyfriend, Colin Strickland. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Andrea Cavallier reports:

Kaitlin Armstrong shot pro-cyclist love rival in the heart, trial hears

WATCH: Gunshots heard on video shown in Kaitlin Armstrong trial

Friday 3 November 2023 20:26 , Andrea Blanco

Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, was found dead at her friend’s home with gunshot wounds to her head and chest back in May 2022.

Her bike was found in the middle of bamboo a few yards from the apartment, with DNA “highly likely” to have come from Armstrong, prosecutors said.

What to expect from the trial of yoga instructor Kaitlin Armstrong

Friday 3 November 2023 08:03 , Mike Bedigan

Kaitlin Armstrong evaded police for 43 days after being named a suspect in the murder of Moriah Wilson. Her murder trial began on Wednesday, with explosive opening statements and harrowing doorbell cam audio.

Andrea Cavallier explains what to expect:

Kaitlin Armstrong trial: What to know about cyclist Moriah Wilson’s murder

Kaitlin Armstrong trial: Day one recap

Friday 3 November 2023 06:11 , Mike Bedigan

Proceedings in the trial of Kaitlin Armstrong are due to begin again at 9am CT on Friday.

Day one saw explosive opening statements from both sides, with the prosecution telling jurors how they would hear the final screams of pro cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson and the shots that killed her.

The opening statements were livestreamed from the courtroom, though witness testimony will not be.

The court heard from homicide detective and crime scene analysts as well as several residents from the neighbourhood where Wilson’s body was discovered.

Shortly before jurors were sent home, the court was shown doorbell cam footage from a neighbour, in which a woman’s screams could be heard, as well as several gunshots.

In pictures: Kaitlin Armstrong in court for the first day of Texas trial

Friday 3 November 2023 02:00 , Mike Bedigan