Kaitlin Armstrong sentenced to 90 years in death of elite cyclist Moriah Wilson

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A Texas woman who fled the country to evade capture was sentenced to 90 years in prison in the jealousy-fueled homicide of an elite cyclist.

Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, was sentenced Friday after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the May 11, 2022, death of Moriah Wilson, a professional cyclist who briefly dated Armstrong's boyfriend. Armstrong fled the country to Costa Rica, leading law enforcement on a 43-day manhunt. The prosecution had asked for a minimum of 40 years. Armstrong will be eligible for parole in 30 years.

Wilson's family said the sentence does little to ease their pain.

"Other than the prosecution team, there really are no winners here," the victim's father, Eric Wilson, said. "This is not a time for celebration but a time for prayer, a time to pray for our family, her friends and the Armstrong family and their friends."

During closing arguments in the Friday sentencing phase, prosecutor Guillermo Gonzalez said Armstrong was "a sophisticated adult who had time to think about and calculate her actions, as well as the consequences."

"Ultimately, that calculation really comes from an age-old, beginning-of-time motive, and I'm talking about jealousy," he said.

Armstrong's attorney, Rick Cofer, said after the trial, "the loss of Moriah Wilson is a tragedy, and our hearts go out to the Wilson family and to the family of our client, Kaitlin Armstrong."

During the trial, witnesses testified Armstrong was jealous that Wilson dated her boyfriend, professional cyclist Colin Strickland, briefly when they had broken up. She fled to Costa Rica using her sister's passport and got a nose job before being captured.