Kaitlin Armstrong’s trial begins after love rival cyclist’s murder - live
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 where she faces up to 99 years in prison for the May 2022 slaying.
Ms Armstrong, 35, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, remained emotionless as her murder trial got underway with explosive opening statements on Wednesday.
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.
Prosecutors said the jury will hear how Ms Armstrong allegedly tracked Wilson before the murder after the two were reportedly involved in a love triangle with Colin Strickland.
The case drew international headlines when Ms Armstrong fled the country after her initial meeting with police just three days after the shooting. She was on the run for 43 days before being captured.
Testimony continued Thursday with jurors viewing a slew of graphic crime scene photos. The trial is expected to last at least two weeks.
Key points
Who is pro-cyclist Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?
Prosecutors say the last thing Mo Wilson did was ‘scream in terror’
What we know about a murdered cyclist and a yoga teacher on trial for her slaying
Jurors played audio of alleged murder from doorbell cam
DNA evidence on victim’s bike revealed
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
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
What to expect from the trial of yoga instructor Kaitlin Armstrong
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
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.
Who was murder victim Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?
04:02 , 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.
In pictures: Kaitlin Armstrong in court for the first day of Texas trial
02:00 , Mike Bedigan
Jurors in Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial hear harrowing 911 call
00:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Moriah “Mo” Wilson’s family sobbed 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 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.
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.
“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.
Court proceedings wrap up for the day
22:09 , Mike Bedigan
Court proceedings in the trial of Kaitlin Armstrong, the yoga teacher who allegedly gunned down rising pro cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson and then fled the country, have finished for the day.
The trial will resume at 9am local time, in Austin, Texas, on Friday.
On the second day of the trial, jurors heard testimony from several residents from the neighbourhood in which Wilson’s body was found. They also saw video and audio footage from the time of the alleged incident.
In one piece of doorbell cam footage, a womans screams and gunshots could be heard.
Neighbours say they had not seen Kaitlin Armstrong before court appearance
21:44 , Mike Bedigan
Michael Donlin says that he had turned over his doorbell cam footage to police after seeing a post on social media platform Nextdoor requesting information and video.
He tells the court no police had come to his door to ask for the footage, and that he did not see the jeep in person on the night of the alleged incident.
Like Martha Palao, Mr Donlin says he has not seen Kaitlin Armstrong before, prior to her appearance in court.
Jurors played audio of alleged murder from doorbell cam
21:34 , Mike Bedigan
Jurors have been shown doorbell cam footage shared with police by former resident Michael Donlin. The footage contains audio.
A black jeep was also spotted in Mr Donlin’s footage around 8.26pm.
At 9:15pm a woman can be screaming as well as two consecutive gunshots. After a pause, a third gunshot is heard.
The sounds are distant, but audible.
As the footage is played to the court, Ms Armstrong stares ahead, mostly motionless – even as the gunshots ring out.
Caitlin Cash, Wilson’s friend who discovered her body bows her head, while another friend consoles her in the courtroom.
Black jeep captured near to crime scene on neighbour’s CCTV
21:08 , Mike Bedigan
The court next 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.
Landlord describes ‘whisking’ sound of a bicycle being moved on night of Mo Wilson’s murder
20:28 , Andrea Cavallier
David Harris, the landlord and neighbor of the apartment where Mo Wilson was killed, took the stand at Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial on Thursday.
He is describing what he heard on that night in May 2022 and says he went to the garage to take a marijuana bong hit before going on his walk for exercise.
When he went in to open the garage and smoke, that’s when he heard what sounded like someone rushing down stairs of the apartment and the “whisking” sound of a bicycle being moved.
“Immediately someone took off,” he added.
Prosecutors asked him, “If police came into your house and asked to search, would you have let them?”
He responded, “Absolutely.”
They then asked, “Mr. Harris, I hate to ask you this, but did you kill Moriah Wilson?”
“No, I did not,” he responded.
Who is pro-cyclist Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?
19:45 , Andrea Cavallier
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.
Kaitlin Armstrong emotionless as jury views photos of Mo Wilson’s bloodied face
19:44 , Andrea Cavallier
Graphic photos are being shown in court of the crime scene that show a close up of Mo Wilson’s shoes and blood stains.
Kaitlin Armstrong stares straight ahead, unflinching, according to News Nation’s Alex Caprariello who is in the courtroom.
The courtroom remains silent as jurors are shown Wilson’s injuries. One photo that has been blurred shows her bloodied face. Another is a close-up of her dress pulled up past her waist.
Mo Wilson’s family leaves courtroom as graphic crime scene photos are shown to jurors
19:30 , Andrea Cavallier
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.
ICYMI: Prosecutors say the last thing Mo Wilson did was ‘scream in terror’
19:20 , Andrea Cavallier
In explosive opening statements on Wednesday, Travis County prosecutor Rickey Jones told jurors that they would hear Wilson’s final screams and the shots that killed her.
“The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror,” adding that nearby surveillance equipment captured the screams.
“Those screams are followed by ‘Pop! Pop!’” Mr Jones said, smacking his hands together for emphasis. “You won’t hear any more screams after that.”
Seconds after those shots, Jones said, “Kaitlin Armstrong stood over Mo Wilson and put a third shot right into Mo Wilson’s heart."
A star cyclist was gunned down and a yoga teacher is on trial for her murder. Here’s what we know:
19:00 , Andrea Cavallier
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.
Andrea Cavallier reports…
Kaitlin Armstrong trial: What to know about cyclist Moriah Wilson’s murder
Kaitlin Armstrong’s trial is underway in Austin
18:52 , Andrea Cavallier
The murder trial of a Texas yoga teacher accused of gunning down her love rival and then fleeing the country began with explosive opening statements on Wednesday.
Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, is accused of killing 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 and faces up to 99 years in prison if convicted.
