Kaitlin Armstrong Found Guilty of Murdering Moriah Wilson
This article originally appeared on Outside
Update: On Friday, November 17, Armstrong was sentenced to 90 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A Texas jury has found Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, guilty for the murder of professional cyclist Moriah Wilson.
The judgment was handed down Thursday afternoon at 2:50 P.M. Central Time. The 12-member jury deliberated for approximately two hours before Judge Brenda Kennedy delivered the verdict to a packed courtroom in Austin, Texas.
Armstrong, a former yoga instructor, stood before Judge Kennedy and appeared expressionless as the decision was read.
Wilson's parents, Eric and Karen, and brother, Matthew were also present in the courtroom, and they stood in the audience alongside Caitlin Cash. Cash, a friend of Wilson's, lived in the apartment where police say Armstrong shot and killed Wilson on the night of May 11, 2022. Wilson had been staying at the residence prior to the Gravel Locos race in Texas.
When the verdict was read, the Wilsons and Cash held hands. They remained silent until Judge Kennedy called a ten-minute recess, and then broke into tears and began embracing.
The verdict ends the nine-day trial, which saw prosecutors call 38 witnesses to the stand, among them Armstrong's ex-boyfriend, Colin Strickland, two of Armstrong's friends, Detective Richard Spitler, the lead homicide detective in the case, and several experts in forensics and ballistics. Prosecutors argued that Armstrong shot and killed Wilson after learning that she had briefly dated Strickland in late 2021. Police also testified they had found Armstrong's DNA on the handlebars and bicycle seat of Wilson's bicycle after she was killed. Prosecutors also showed video surveillance footage showing a black SUV similar to a jeep owned by Armstrong driving by the house just before Wilson was shot and killed.
Armstrong's defense attempted to poke holes in the prosecution's story, arguing that Armstrong's DNA may have gotten on the bicycle from a motorcycle helmet. She and her attorneys have the right to appeal the decision.
Closing arguments began Thursday morning and lasted until 12:15 P.M. Central Time.
The decision comes 615 days after Wilson was shot and killed in East Austin. At the time Wilson was 25 years old and a rising star on the U.S. cycling gravel cycling scene. A former ski racer, Wilson had won major U.S. races like the Belgian Waffle Ride and Sea Otter Classic. In the days after Wilson's murder, police narrowed the investigation onto Armstrong. Before they could arrest her, Armstrong then fled the country and spent 43 days on the run. Officers eventually apprehended her in Costa Rica.
On Friday, November 17, Wilson's family released the following statement:
"As a family, we believe justice has been served, and of course we have many people to thank, but first I want to thank God for giving us strength, comfort and a measure of peace through this trial process. We know many folks back home and around the country have been praying for us and we appreciate that very much.
We want to thank all our family and friends who attended the trial and gave us so much support during our time in Austin. This has meant the world to us. We thank the jury for their sacrifice and hard work. Three weeks is a long time and we appreciate their commitment and determination to do the right thing. We also thank the witnesses for their testimonies and cooperation with law enforcement and the prosecution.
We thank District Attorney Jose Garza, Raquel Pompey, and Jesse Hernandez from the DA's office who supported us through this trial, and Judge Kennedy who presided. We especially want to thank the Austin Police Department--Detective Spitler and all the detectives and forensic experts, and especially the prosecution team--Guillermo Gonzalez, Ricky Jones, Jean Sullivan, Allison Matous, and Cecily Walker. They put thousands of hours into this case and did an exemplary job, always with integrity and the utmost professionalism.
Other than the prosecution team, there really are no winners here. This sad story is a perfect example of why integrity and honesty are crucial in our personal relationships, and how dishonesty can often lead to unintended consequences. Selfish manipulation, jealousy and hatred never lead to good outcomes. Violence is never a good way to solve personal issues, in fact, violence doesn't solve anything but only leads to more suffering.
Our lives are changed forever, but with this challenging ordeal now behind us, we are ready to move forward and continue our healing, and will do so with Moriah's strong, determined, gentle and kind spirit, for we know this is what she would want us to do.
Moriah inspired everyone who knew her, and we are dedicated to preserving her legacy. She expressed a strong desire to serve others and contribute to her community, which we endeavor to do with the Moriah Wilson Foundation established in her honor."
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