Kaitlin Armstrong trial hears of death threat before Moriah Wilson murder: Live updates

Attorneys for Kaitlin Armstrong, the yoga teacher who allegedly gunned down cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson, shocked the courtroom as they filed for a mistrial while the proceeding unfolded.

Prosecutors allege that Ms Armstrong targeted Wilson because the women were involved in a love triangle with the same man, Colin Strickland.

Ms Armstrong fled the country following the 11 May 2022 murder and was arrested five weeks later in Costa Rica.

On Wednesday, Nicole Mertz, a former friend of Ms Armstrong, testified that Ms Armstrong once told her that if Mr Strickland dated another woman, she “would kill her.”

“My first thought was that Kaitlin might have had something to do with it,” Ms Mertz said about the moment she found out Wilson had been killed.

The defence made a bold move when they motioned for a mistrial citing concerns that Mr Strickland had been cleared by investigators too soon. The request was quickly turned down by the judge.

Ms Armstrong’s attorneys suggested that a detective favoured Mr Strickland and had “tunnel vision” when investigating Ms Armstrong.

Det Spitler maintained he pursued other lines of investigation, but they all brought him back to Ms Arsmtrong.

Key points

• The key players in the deadly ‘love triangle’ at the centre of trial

• Former friend of Kaitlin Armstrong recalls death threats against Wilson

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

• Armstrong’s ex clashes with media at court

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

Interpreter translates Ms Armstrong’s messages with plastic surgeon

21:15 , Andrea Blanco

Interpreter Elizabeth Stoneking took the stand to translate documents in Spanish to the court. One of the documents is a receipt from the surgical procedure that Ms Armstrong underwent while on the run.

Authorities have previously said Ms Armstrong got a rhinoplasty.

In other messages shown in court, Ms Armstrong discusses a procedure described as “Juvederm” under the alias Allison Paige.

Court takes recess

19:24 , Andrea Blanco

The trial will resume following the lunch break.

Ms Armstrong was ‘friendly and polite’ when approached by undercover US Marshals agent

18:53 , Andrea Blanco

Under cross-examination by the defence, Mr Perez said that he could have probably looked “a little closer” into what agencies were involved in recovering Ms Armstrong’s belongings.

Mr Perez said that Ms Armstrong, who was using several aliases while hiding, had been very polite and friendly in their interaction.

Agent reveals details about moment Ms Armstrong was arrested

18:28 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Perez said he was tipped off about the hostel where Ms Armstrong was staying, according to NewsNation correspondent Alex Caprariello, who is in court following the procedure.

He arrived at the hostel and approached her under the guise that he needed information about the hostel.

The agent spoke to Ms Armstrong, who had a bandage on her nose, in Spanish. When she couldn’t continue the conversation in Spanish, he left and alerted the local authorities tasked with conducting the arrest.

US Marshals agent says he used ‘good, old-fashioned police work’ while searching for Ms Armstrong in Costa Rica

18:24 , Andrea Blanco

US Marshals deputy Emir Perez told the court that he flew to Costa Rica to assist local authorities in the manhunt for Ms Armstrong. He arrived on the Santa Teresa island, and began interviewing waiters, management staff, and hostel owners.

Secret Service agent takes the stand

18:01 , Andrea Blanco

Michael Allen, a cyber security expert with the Secret Service, takes the stand.

He was contacted by the Austin Police Department to assist in recovering data from a locked iPhone 11, because the local law enforcement agent did not have the tools to do so.

Mr Allen said that more than 100,000 attempts were made to access the phone before it was turned to him. He was able to extract all the data from the phone.

Ms Armstrong was not told not to travel following 30-minute interview

17:23 , Andrea Blanco

Det Conner tells the court that she did not tell Ms Armstrong to stay in Austin after she left the precinct on 12 May.

The prosecution then redirects and asks Det Conner whether she told Ms Arsmtrong to get her sister’s passport and flee to Costa Rica. The detective says no and is dismissed.

Detective admits warrant was good all along, police let Ms Armstrong go after 30 mins of questioning

17:11 , Andrea Blanco

When questioned by the defence, Det Conner admitted that the warrant she had earlier claimed had a DOB error was good all along and that ADP let Ms Arsmtrong free despite the outstanding active warrant on “theft of service charges,” and after just 30 minutes of questioning on Wilson’s murder.

Detective Conner under cross-examination by the defence

16:53 , Andrea Blanco

During cross-examination, Det Conner was asked by the defence why Ms Armstrong was not read her Miranda rights before she was questioned on 12 May 2022. The detective said that she planned to do so but she then learned that Ms Armstrong was no longer under arrest due to the records error.

Items found in Ms Arsmtrong’s hiding place in Costa Rica:

16:43 , Andrea Blanco

-A receipt for a $6,350 rhinoplasty procedure under the name of “Allison Paige”

-A boarding pass for a flight booked for “Christie Armstrong” from Newark to San Jose. Prosecutors have previously said it appears Ms Armstrong used her sister’s passport.

-Christine Elizabeth Armstrong’s passport

-US dollars, foreign currency and medication

-Credit cards, sim cards and phones

Detective recounts Ms Armstrong’s escape

16:26 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Arsmtrong continued refusing to speak and eventually left the police precinct.

Det Conner filed a warrant for DNA from Ms Armstrong and Mr Stricland. However, authorities were not able to locate Ms Armstrong.

Ms Armstrong’s next interview with ADP would take place more than a month later, following her arrest in Costa Rica.

Video of Kaitlin Armstrong’s May 2022 interrogation shown in court

16:11 , Andrea Blanco

Katy Conner, the detective who interviewed Armstrong, takes the stand. Det Conner was involved in helping track surveillance video that could be helpful, which led Austin Police to realise they needed to interview Ms Armstrong.

On 12 May, Ms Armstrong was arrested over a “theft of service warrant,” but when she was brought to the department for interrogation, Det Conner told her that she would also ask questions about a “separate incident.”

In footage of the interview, Det Conner eventually tells Ms Arsmtrong that she will be released due to an error with her date of birth in the warrant, but notes that they will discuss the separate incident first.

When told that she was probably upset because Mr Strickland had dated Wilson, Ms Armstrong said that characterization “was not accurate” and asked to leave.

Det Conner tried to persuade her to give “her side of the story,” but Ms Armstrong reiterated that she wanted to leave.

“I would like to leave if I am free to leave ... I would like to leave if I am free to leave,” Mr Armstrong is reportedly heard saying.

The detective goes on to tell her that Mr Strickland is sharing his side of the story and that she would also like to hear Ms Armstrong’s. Det Conner also confronts Ms Arsmtrong with information about surveillance video showing her black Jeep near the crime scene around the time of the murder.

Trial resumes

15:57 , Andrea Blanco

Brian Bell, the vice president of global communication for the app Strava, resumes his testimony.

Yesterday, the defence pushed against having Mr Bell testify before the jury, arguing that he had no expertise in the data pulled from Wilson, Mr Strickland and Ms Arsmtrong’s accounts.

The prosecution is trying to argue that Ms Arsmtrong tracked Wilson’s movements through the app, which allows users to log their physical activity and bike rides.

Mr Bell previously said that his company had changed its software since Wilson’s murder, so the satellite maps presented in court yesterday were not created within the app’s server but instead replicated with data pulled from the accounts.

Kaitlin Armstrong, Colin Strickland and Moriah Wilson: The key players in the deadly ‘love triangle’ at the centre of trial

15:00 , Andrea Blanco

Kaitlin Armstrong, a 35-year-old Austin yoga teacher, is facing trial over the May 2022 shooting death of Moriah Wilson.

While prosecutors have argued that jealousy was the motive behind the murder — Wilson and Mr Strickland, Ms Armstrong’s on-and-off boyfriend, had a brief romance —, the defence has pushed against characterizations that their client, Wilson and Strickland.

On Wednesday however, two former friends of Ms Armstrong testified that she made death threats against Wilson when she found out Mr Strickland had “cheated” on her with Wilson. Mr Stricland, who took the stand on Monday, told the court that he and Ms Armstrong were on a break when he dated Wilson and that the two had remained merely platonic since.

However, texts obtained by authorities last year show that Wilson was under the impression that she and Mr Strickland were more than friends at the time of her death.

As the second week of trial unfolds, here are the key players at the centre of the case:

Kaitlin Armstrong — Before fleeing the country last year in a desperate bid to evade charges of murder against Wilson, Ms Armstrong was a yoga teacher. She and Mr Strickland met online in the fall of 2019 and eventually started a relationship.

Ms Armstrong stayed over Mr Strickland’s home during the Texas freeze of 2021, and never left.

She became a pivotal part of his cycling business and acted as his manager. According to testimony heard in court, Ms Armstrong had access to all of Mr Strickland’s social media and financial accounts.

Jacqueline Chasteen, a friend of Strickland who also befriended Ms Armstrong, said during her testimony that Mr Strickland would openly say he didn’t have a girlfriend, despite being “head over heels” at the beginning of his relationship with Ms Armstrong.

Ms Chasteen went on to say that during a party in early 2022, Ms Armstrong confided in her that Mr Strickland had “cheated” on her with Wilson.

“She had described how Colin had cheated but while she was describing that, she had said in so many words that she wanted to kill her,” she said, per NewsNation. “That she had thought about it. But how she said it at the time I didn’t take it seriously...she said something to the effect that she had bought a gun... I do know the words kill and the words gun were used.”

Colin Strickland — Mr Strickland is a professional mountain and gravel cyclist. He is well-known in the Austin cycling community and it was his love for the sport that made him bond with Wilson, he told the court.

Mr Strickland and Wilson met in 2021 and had a short romance before he and Ms Armstrong reconciled. However, he continued seeing Wilson and going on rides with her — while hiding their encounters from Armstrong to avoid confrontation, he testified.

He described his relationship with Ms Armstrong as at time “tumultuous.”

On the night of Wilson’s murder on 11 May 2022, he and Wilson went out swimming and dined together. He then dropped off Wilson, who was visiting Austin, at her friend’s home where she was staying.

Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson — Wilson, 25, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer from Vermont, was found dead on 11 May 2022.

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.

Mr Strickland has reiterated that his relationship with Wilson in the months leading up to her death was just a friendship. But texts she sent around that time seemingly show that she was under a different impression.

“Sooo I would like to talk to you at some point. I had originally texted you on Friday but it appears my texts aren’t going through again,” Wilson texted Mr Strickland after an event they and Ms Armstrong had all attended. “This weekend was strange for me and I just want to know what’s going on. If you just want to be friends (seems to be the case) then that’s cool but I’d like to talk about it ’cause honestly my mind has been going circles and I don’t know what to think.”

‘The words kill and gun were used,’ former friend of Kaitlin Armstrong recalls about conversation

13:00 , Andrea Blanco

Jacqueline Chasteen took the stand on Wednesday.

Ms Chasteen and her friends with Mr Strickland and eventually also befriended Ms Armstrong.

The witness said that Mr Strickland would openly say he didn’t have a girlfriend, despite being “head over heels” at the beginning of his relationship with Ms Armstrong. Ms Chasteen went on to say that during a gathering in Bentonville, Ms Armstrong confided in her that Mr Strickland had cheated on her with Wilson.

“She had described how Colin had cheated but while she was describing that, she had said in so many words that she wanted to kill her,” she said, per NewsNation. “That she had thought about it. But how she said it at the time I didn’t take it seriously...she said something to the effect that she had bought a gun... I do know the words kill and the words gun were used.”

Timeline of Kaitlin Armstrong’s escape

11:30 , Andrea Blanco

Prosecutors are asking Det Spitler questions about Kaitlin Armstrong’s digital footprint on the days that followed the murder.

On 13 May, just two days after Wilson was killed, she received a receipt from Uber for a ride from her address to the airport. The Uber ride took place around 9.30pm that day.

An email from Southwest Airlines for a $397.28 flight is shown next. The trip was New York-bound but there was a layover in Nashville, Tennessee. The layover was eventually changed for Houston.

Another email shows a receipt from United Airlines for a $146 flight from Newark to San Jose, Costa Rica. on 18 May.

A prosecutor reportedly prompted laughs when he quipped that it was a “pretty good flight,” NewsNation correspondent Alex Caprariello reports.

Kaitlin Armstrong’s searches for murder details and pineapple burns revealed

10:00 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Armstrong was on the detectives’ radar in the aftermath of the murder and was briefly arrested on a separate standing warrant on 12 May, but she was ultimately released over an error with her birth date in police records. Just days after the murder, Ms Armstrong fled the country, prompting an international manhunt that ended 43 days later when she was arrested in Costa Rica.

On Tuesday, Austin police detective Richard Spitler testified for the prosecution about the timeline of Ms Armstrong’s escape and the online searches she made while on the run, according to NewsNation correspondent Alex Caprariello.

Read more:

Kaitlin Armstrong’s searches for murder details and pineapple burns revealed

Nothing indicated that Colin Strickland was implicated in the shooting, witness says

08:30 , Andrea Blanco

Det Sptiler told the court he was confident in his decision to clear Colin Strickland shortly after the murder.

Mr Strickland was speaking with a friend on the phone, his phone data did not place him at the scene.

The detective refused to entertain the defence’s speculative line of question, saying that he could “play what-ifs” all day, but he firmly believed that Wilson was not sexually assaulted

“There is no evidence to suggest that [Mr Strickland} would have committed a sexual offence in the time that she unlocked the door and his motorcycle is seen driving down the alley,” the detective said, according to NewsNation Correspondent Alex Caprariello.

Kaitlin Armstrong looked up ‘rhinoplasty’ while on the run

07:00 , Andrea Blanco

Searches by Ms Armstrong during the time that she was on the run included “can pineapples burn your fingerprints,” and searches for rhinoplasty. When she was found in Costa Rica on 30 June 2022, she had gotten a nose job.

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

05:30 , 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.

Colin Strickland’s many incidents with media members at court

04:00 , Andrea Blanco

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 in 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

Cyclist murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong denied mistrial after bid to cast suspicion on her ex

03:15 , Mike Bedigan

Defence attorneys in the ongoing murder trial against Kaitlin Armstrong shocked the courtroom after they motioned for a mistrial over claims that an investigator had cleared her ex-boyfriend from the crime too early.

Read the full story here:

Kaitlin Armstrong denied mistrial after bid to cast suspicion on her ex

Who was murder victim Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?

02:30 , Andrea Blanco

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.

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.

Detective says Ms Armstrong’s Jeep was found at a Carmax nearly a month after the murder

01:00 , Andrea Blanco

Det Richard Spitler told the court that he learned on 20 October that Ms Armstrong’s DNA had been found on Wilson’s bike. More than two dozen search warrants were issued for digital accounts, cellphone devices and residences.

Ms Armstrong allegedly fled the state on 14 May and nearly a month later, her white Jeep was found at a Carmax in North Austin.

The car was seized by authorities and information obtained from the vehicle’s system led detectives to an apartment across the street from the home that Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong shared before the murder.

Witness says he can’t tell for sure what device Ms Armstrong used to track Wilson’s rides

00:13 , Andrea Blanco

During cross-examination by the defence, Mr Bell said that the maps had to be recreated with the 2022 data because the original ones were lost when Strava changed its software.

That software change also prevents Mr Bell from determining what device Ms Armstrong was presumably using when checking Wilson’s ride.

Witness says he can’t tell for sure what device Ms Armstrong used to track Wilson’s rides

00:01 , Andrea Blanco

During cross-examination by the defence, Mr Bell said that the maps had to be recreated with the 2022 data because the original ones were lost when Strava changed its software.

That software change also prevents Mr Bell from determining what device Ms Armstrong was presumably using when checking Wilson’s ride.

Wilson’s Strava profile accessed several times before the murder

Wednesday 8 November 2023 23:42 , Andrea Blanco

Brian Bell, VP of Global Communications for Strava, took the stand after a sidebar on whether he should give his testimony.

Strava is an app that tracks physical exercise, mostly running and cycling, and incorporates it into a social profile.

The defence argued that Mr Bell does not have the expertise to discuss the data pulled from the Strava accounts of Wilson, Mr Strickland and Ms Arsmtrong.

The judge allowed Mr Bell to take the stand, and satellite images and spreadsheets using information from the app were shown to the court. In the days leading up to the murder, Wilson’s profile was accessed on at least six separate occasions.

Wednesday 8 November 2023 22:17 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Chasteen said that she contacted law enforcement upon finding out about Wilson’s death and told them about Ms Armstrong’s remarks.

Ms Chasteen first placed an anonymous call and later gave her name to authorities.

‘The words kill and gun were used,’ former friend of Kaitlin Armstrong recalls about conversation

Wednesday 8 November 2023 22:14 , Andrea Blanco

The defence sought to poke holes in Ms Mertz’s testimony by asking her several questions about Ms Arsmtrongs, which Ms Mertz struggled to answer.

Jacqueline Chasteen took the stand next.

Ms Chasteen and her friends with Mr Strickland and eventually also befriended Ms Armstrong.

The witness said that Mr Strickland would openly say he didn’t have a girlfriend, despite being “head over heels” at the beginning of his relationship with Ms Armstrong. Ms Chasteen went on to say that during a gathering in Bentonville, Ms Armstrong confided in her that Mr Strickland had cheated on her with Wilson.

“She had described how Colin had cheated but while she was describing that, she had said in so many words that she wanted to kill her,” she said, per NewsNation. “That she had thought about it. But how she said it at the time I didn’t take it seriously...she said something to the effect that she had bought a gun... I do know the words kill and the words gun were used.”

Kaitlin Armstrong’s friend takes the stand

Wednesday 8 November 2023 22:04 , Andrea Blanco

Nicole Mertz, a close friend of Ms Armstrong, is called to take the stand by the prosecution.

Ms Mertz said that her friend and Mr Strickland often broke up and got back together and that he referred to Ms Armstrong as “his lady friend.” Ms Mertz went on to recount that Ms Armstrong once said that if Mr Strickland dated another woman, she “would kill her.]”

“My first thought was that Kaitlin might have had something to do with it,” Ms Mertz said about the moment she found out about Wilson’s killing.

Detective says nothing implicated Strickland in the shooting

Wednesday 8 November 2023 21:16 , Andrea Blanco

Det Sptiler told the court he was confident in his decision to clear Colin Strickland shortly after the murder.

Mr Strickland was speaking with a friend on the phone, his phone data did not place him at the scene.

The detective refused to entertain the defence’s speculative line of question, saying that he could “play what-ifs” all day, but he firmly believed that Wilson was not sexually assaulted

“There is no evidence to suggest that [Mr Strickland} would have committed a sexual offence in the time that she unlocked the door and his motorcycle is seen driving down the alley,” the detective said, according to NewsNation Correspondent Alex Caprariello.

State doubled down on lack of evidence of sexual assault

Wednesday 8 November 2023 20:11 , Andrea Blanco

Prosecutors asked Det Spitler why he believed there was no evidence of sexual assault.

The detective said that Wilson was fully dressed and eating chocolate before she was killed.

Judge denies motion for mistrial

Wednesday 8 November 2023 18:58 , Andrea Blanco

The judge has denied the defence’s motion for mistrial.

Colin Strickland’s laptop was not analysed

Wednesday 8 November 2023 18:54 , Andrea Blanco

The defence criticised law enforcement’s failure to analyse Mr Strickland’s laptop, and Det Spitler’s hesitation to answer whether all the evidence collected at the scene had been reviewed - he is not sure, the detective said.

The laptop was returned to Mr Strickland on 19 May, eight days after the murder, at his insistence and because Det Spitler wanted him to cooperate.

Rape kit performed on Wilson was not analysed

Wednesday 8 November 2023 18:43 , Andrea Blanco

Det Spitler admitted that he called one of Wilson’s exes and told him he was not a suspect so he would cooperate with authorities.

When asked if he was trying to eliminate suspects or “simply trying to defeat defence arguments,” Det Spitler said: “Probably both.”

A rape kit that was performed on Wilson was also not analyzed, Det Spitler also said, noting that there was no evidence of sexual assault.

Defence begins cross examination of Det Spitler

Wednesday 8 November 2023 18:05 , Andrea Blanco

Defence attorneys highlighted that no residents in the vicinity of the crime scene heard the gunshots or saw Ms Armstrong.

When asked why Ms Armstrong was considered a suspect with no eyewitnesses placing her at the scene, Det Spitler said she thought of the defendant as a “possible witness.”

The detective also said that although there was a history of domestic violence between Wilson and her ex-partner Gunenr Shaw, he had an alibi.

Kaitlin Armstrong searched if pineapples ‘can burn your fingerprints'

Wednesday 8 November 2023 17:37 , Andrea Blanco

Other searches by Ms Armstrong during the time that she was on the run included “can pineapples burn your fingerprints,” and searches for rhinoplasty.

Yoga teacher’s internet searches while on the run

Wednesday 8 November 2023 17:13 , Andrea Blanco

Activity from Kaitlin Armstrong’s iCould accounts reportedly shows that she searched for her name online. Some of her searches led to articles about Wilson’s murder and her escape.

There was a long sidebar, NewsNation reports.

The court will take a short break.

Prosecutors say Ms Armstrong used sister’s passport to flee the country

Wednesday 8 November 2023 17:09 , Andrea Blanco

Information obtained through search warrants suggests that Ms Armstrong used her sister Christie Armstrong’s passport to book her flight from Newark to Puerto Rico.

Det sheds light on timeline of Kaitlin Armstrong’s escape

Wednesday 8 November 2023 17:06 , Andrea Blanco

Prosecutors are asking Det Spitler questions about Kaitlin Armstrong’s digital footprint on the days that followed the murder.

On 13 May, just two days after Wilson was killed, she received a receipt from Uber for a ride from her address to the airport. The Uber ride took place around 9.30pm that day.

An email from Southwest Airlines for a $397.28 flight is shown next. The trip was New York-bound but there was a layover in Nashville, Tennessee. The layover was eventually changed for Houston.

Another email shows a receipt from United Airlines for a $146 flight from Newark to San Jose, Costa Rica. on 18 May.

A prosecutor reportedly prompted laughs when he quipped that it was a “pretty good flight,” NewsNation correspondent Alex Caprariello reports.

Kaitlin Armstrong’s deleted note

Wednesday 8 November 2023 16:41 , Andrea Blanco

Information pulled from Ms Armstrong’s iCloud account reportedly shows that she deleted a note on 12 May.

The note included an address near the site of the crime scene, Det Spitler told the court.

Emails also obtained through search warrants show that Ms Armstrong created new accounts following the murder. One of those accounts received an offer of $12,000 for her Jeep.

Pictures of crime scene shown in court

Wednesday 8 November 2023 16:31 , Andrea Blanco

The prosecution is showing images of the crime scene where Wilson’s body was found.

A washer/dryer in the bathroom of the home had blood spatter and defects that appeared to be from ricochets from the bullets that killed Wilson.

Detective says Ms Armstrong’s Jeep was found at a Carmax nearly a month after the murder

Wednesday 8 November 2023 16:26 , Andrea Blanco

The detective told the court that he learned on 20 October that Ms Armstrong’s DNA had been found on Wilson’s bike. More than two dozen search warrants were issued for digital accounts, cellphone devices and residences.

Ms Armstrong allegedly fled the state on 14 May and nearly a month later, her white Jeep was found at a Carmax in North Austin.

The car was seized by authorities and information obtained from the vehicle’s system led detectives to an apartment across the street from the home that Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong shared before the murder.

Moriah Wilson’s ex boyfriend was considered suspect but cleared

Wednesday 8 November 2023 16:14 , Andrea Blanco

Det Spitler said in his testimony that he interviewed Wilson’s ex-boyfriend Gunner Shaw because her murder suggested it was a crime of passion and the detective wanted to interview anyone who had had a personal relationship with Wilson.

Mr Shaw was cooperative and had an alibi that placed him thousands of miles away from the scene of the crime.

Footage of Wilson and Strickland on their final night is shown in court

Wednesday 8 November 2023 16:11 , Andrea Blanco

Joan Gillcrist, the owner of a restaurant across Pool Burger, where Wilson and Mr Strickland spent her final night, has taken the stand.

Footage captured by Gillcrest’s surveillance cameras showed Wilson and Mr Strickland on his motorcycle.

Recap of Colin Strickland’s testimony

Wednesday 8 November 2023 15:03 , Andrea Blanco

Kaitlin Armstrong’s trial will resume today after the procedures were paused on Tuesday for “personal reasons,” according to NewsNation.

On Monday, we heard from Mr Strickland, who reminisced about the time he spent with Anna Moriah Wilson and about her promising talent.

Mr Strickland also admitted while being grilled by the defence that his relationship with Ms Armstrong was not quite as “tumultuous” as he had led on last week.

Ms Armstrong was jealous, he said, but she was never verbally, psychologically, or physically abusive to him.

He also shocked people in the courtroom when he said that he “didn’t know [Ms Armstrong] well], and was at the centre of several clashes with the media - one of which reportedly prompted a photographer to file charges against him.

Mr Strickland was dismissed as a witness but may be called back on the stand.

Who was murder victim Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?

Wednesday 8 November 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

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.

In pictures: Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial so far

Wednesday 8 November 2023 11:30 , Andrea Blanco

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

Wednesday 8 November 2023 10:30 , Andrea Blanco

“The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror,” Travis County prosecutor Rickey Jones told jurors in opening statements.

Caitlin Cash testified last week 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.

“She was covered in blood, lying on her back,” Ms Cash told the court as she began to cry. “I immediately bent down and tried to wake her up. Pretty quickly, I called 911.”

Prosecutors then played Ms Cash’s gut-wrenching 911 call where the court could hear crying as she told the dispatcher, “Her brain is leaking.” An emotional Ms Cash could be heard counting out loud as she follows the dispatcher’s instructions and delivers chest compressions to her friend.

“She is laying on the bathroom floor and there is blood everywhere. I can’t tell what happened,” she is heard telling the dispatcher. “She’s not awake. There is blood all over her face and the back of her head.”

As the 911 call was played in court, Ms Cash was visibly distraught on the stand and many of Wilson’s family left while others were seen weeping in court. The court later watched body camera footage from the first police officer who arrived and took over resuscitation efforts.

Kaitlin Armstrong’s sparks shock during testimony

Wednesday 8 November 2023 08:30 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland previously told the court that he and the yoga teacher loved each other and that she had been extremely helpful with his business affairs and finances. But his remarks took a turn on Monday after he seemingly tried to distance himself from Ms Armstrong during his second day of testimony.

“You know Kaitlin Armstrong very well, don’t you?” Ms Armstrong’s attorneys asked during cross-examination.

“No, I do not,” Mr Strickland answered, prompting an audible gasp in the court, according to NewsNation reporter Alex Caprariello, who was in the room.

Mr Strickland and his ex-girlfriend were together when Austin Police Department detectives arrived at his home on 12 May 2022. Last week, the court was shown bodycam footage of the couple’s reaction to news of Wilson’s murder.

Colin Strickland’s many incidents with media members at court

Wednesday 8 November 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco

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 in 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

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

Wednesday 8 November 2023 05:30 , 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.

The 35-year-old yoga teacher and realtor was brought back to the United States and charged with first-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty in July 2022 and has been held at the Travis County Correctional Complex in Texas on a $3.5m bond.

Now her trial is underway.

Read more:

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

DNA ‘highly likely’ from Kaitlin Armstrong was found on Mo Wilson’s bike

Wednesday 8 November 2023 04:00 , Andrea Blanco

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.

In court in Texas last week, jurors heard testimony from Sgt Timothy Price who responded to the scene of the murder.

He said that Wilson’s bike was found lying in the middle of bamboo a few yards from the apartment.

It was swabbed by another crime scene investigator, he said.

DNA found on the bike was “highly likely” to have come from Armstrong, prosecutors told the court during opening statements. But, during witness testimony, defence attorney Rick Cofer questioned crime scene specialist Katie Ferrara about why the bike had been taken to the police department without a protective covering.

She said police did not have a big enough bag for the bike. Ms Ferrara also testified that there were no track marks in the grass leading to where the bike was located, and that she did not know how the bike got there.

No signs of forced entry at home where Wilson was found dead

Wednesday 8 November 2023 02:30 , Andrea Blanco

Austin police detective Rolando Ramirez, another witness for the prosecution, testified last week that he thought Wilson’s killing was “more of a personal thing or more of anger type of shooting”.

His theory was based on the fact that there was no sign of forced entry and no signs of struggle.

Nothing appeared to have been stolen from her home, he added.

Alleged killer Kaitlin Armstrong confronted Moriah Wilson on the phone, ex-boyfriend Colin Strickland testified

Wednesday 8 November 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco

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.

WATCH: Kaitlin Armstrong appears in court for opening statements in murder trial

Tuesday 7 November 2023 23:30 , Andrea Blanco

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

Tuesday 7 November 2023 22:07 , 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.

Who was murder victim Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?

Tuesday 7 November 2023 19:35 , Andrea Blanco

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.

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

Tuesday 7 November 2023 18:28 , 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.

No court today for 'personal reasons’

Tuesday 7 November 2023 16:05 , Andrea Blanco

Yesterday we heard from Mr Strickland, who reminisced about the time he spent with Wilson and her promising talent.

Mr Strickland also admitted while being grilled by the defence that his relationship with Ms Armstrong was not quite as “tumultuous” as he had led on last week. She was jealous, he said, but was never verbally, psychologically, or physically abusive to him.

He also shocked people in the courtroom when he said that he “didn’t know [Ms Armstrong] well], and was at the centre of several clashes with the media - one of which reportedly prompted a photographer to file charges against him.

Mr Strickland was dismissed as a witness but may be called back on the stand.

At the end of the day, friends of Mr Strickland and law enforcement personnel testified about the days following Wilson’s murder.

There will be no court today. NewsNation correspondent Alex Caprariello said sources had cited “personal reasons.”

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

Tuesday 7 November 2023 14:20 , Andrea Blanco

The ex-boyfriend of a yoga teacher charged with the murder of an up-and-coming pro cyclist clashed with a member of the media multiple times as he appeared in 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.

Mr Strickland is the former partner of Kaitlin Armstrong, who is facing trial at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center in Austin, Texas, over the murder of cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson in May 2022.

Prosecutors have alleged that Ms Armstrong targeted Wilson because they were both involved in a love triangle with Mr Strickland.

Read more:

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

Kaitlin Armstrong’s ex Colin Strickland clashes with photographers

Tuesday 7 November 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco

After a lunch recess on Monday, Colin 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.

A similar incident took place on Friday when Mr Strickland was recorded leaving the court.

He appeared to walk at a fast pace while a photographer walked backwards in front of him.

The photographer did not seem to realise there was a barricade behind him and lost balance when he tripped on it, eventually falling to the ground.

Mr Strickland appeared unphased and stepped over him before entering a vehicle and leaving the courthouse.

Colin Strickland claims he ‘did not know his ex Kaitlin Armstrong well’

Tuesday 7 November 2023 11:30 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland previously told the court that he and the yoga teacher loved each other and that she had been extremely helpful with his business affairs and finances. But his remarks took a turn on Monday after he seemingly tried to distance himself from Ms Armstrong during his second day of testimony.

“You know Kaitlin Armstrong very well, don’t you?” Ms Armstrong’s attorneys asked during cross-examination.

“No, I do not,” Mr Strickland answered, prompting an audible gasp in the court, according to NewsNation reporter Alex Caprariello, who was in the room.

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

Tuesday 7 November 2023 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.