Texas woman wanted in fatal shooting of professional cyclist, US marshals say


A manhunt is underway for a Texas woman wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a professional cyclist who authorities say was once romantically linked to the suspect’s boyfriend.

Austin police issued a murder warrant Tuesday for Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, 35, for the murder of 25-year-old Anna Moriah Wilson, according to the US Marshals Service.

Wilson was in Austin last week for a race when she was found bleeding and unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds at a friend’s house on the night of May 11, police said. Rescuers carried out life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined the manner of death to be a homicide. Austin police said at the time that they had a person of interest in the incident and “the shooting does not appear to be a random act.”

US Marshals said they are currently searching for Armstrong, of Austin, who they said is a suspect in the fatal shooting.

“Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force are actively conducting a fugitive investigation and seeking leads as to Armstrong’s whereabouts,” the US Marshals Service said in a statement Friday.

According to the affidavit in Armstrong’s arrest warrant for a first-degree murder charge, Wilson was visiting Austin from San Francisco for a bike race when her friend came home to find Wilson lying alone on the covered bathroom floor. of blood. Armstrong’s 2012 Jeep Cherokee was captured on surveillance footage from a neighboring residence that stopped in front of the residence the night of the homicide, according to the affidavit.

Earlier that night, Wilson had met Colin Strickland, a professional cyclist from Austin, to go swimming, the friend told police, according to the affidavit.

When interviewed by police on May 12, Strickland, 35, confirmed that he had gone swimming with Wilson, according to the affidavit. Strickland told police that he and Armstrong live together and have been dating for about three years, according to the affidavit. During a brief breakup in their relationship in October 2021, he had a “romantic relationship” with Wilson, before dating Armstrong again, according to the affidavit.

Strickland has since told police that he had to change Wilson’s name on his phone and delete the text messages “to keep Armstrong from finding them,” the affidavit says. Text messages from the night Wilson was killed showed that Strickland lied to Armstrong about his whereabouts “to hide the fact that he was with Wilson all night,” the affidavit said.

A friend of Wilson’s who wanted to remain anonymous told police that Wilson and Strickland had an on-and-off relationship, according to the affidavit. Another anonymous caller said Armstrong had discovered in January that Strickland and Wilson were having a romantic relationship, at which point Armstrong “became furious and shaking with rage,” the affidavit said. “Armstrong told the person he called that Armstrong was so angry that Armstrong wanted to kill Wilson,” the affidavit said.

When police interviewed Armstrong on May 12, he “was confronted with video evidence from his vehicle” but “had no explanation as to why he was in the area and did not deny anything surrounding the statements,” the statement says. sworn. After further questioning, Armstrong asked to leave, according to the affidavit.

Armstrong has since deleted her social media accounts and “has not been seen or heard from since this time,” according to the affidavit. Strickland told police he last saw her on May 13, according to the affidavit.

Two firearms that Strickland told police he had purchased for himself and Armstrong were recovered at his and Armstrong’s home after the shooting, according to the affidavit. Based on shell casings found at the scene, the possibility that one of the weapons was involved in the homicide “is significant,” according to the affidavit.

In a statement to ABC News Austin affiliate KVUE, Strickland said he has “fully cooperated with investigators” and expressed “torture for my proximity to this horrific crime.”

He said that he had a “brief romantic relationship” with Wilson from late October to early November 2021, and that soon afterward he “reconciled and resumed” his relationship with Armstrong while maintaining a “platonic and professional” relationship with Wilson.

Wilson’s death shocked the cycling community. The athlete had won several gravel and mountain bike races in the past two seasons and had recently quit her job to focus on racing, according to VeloNews, who interviewed Wilson days before she competed in the 157-mile Gravel Locos in Hico. . Texas on May 14.

Wilson, known as “Mo” to friends and family, is survived by her parents and brother. Her family said in a statement to ABC News that they are “devastated at the loss of our beautiful daughter and sister.”

“Words cannot express the pain and suffering we are experiencing due to this tragic and senseless loss. Moriah was a talented, kind and loving young woman,” her family said. “Her life was taken from her before she had a chance to achieve everything she dreamed of.

His family also wanted to clarify that at the time of his death, Wilson was not romantically involved with anyone.

Wilson’s family hopes to establish a foundation in his memory to “share Moriah’s life story and legacy to inspire and enrich the lives of others.”

“With her visibility and presence in the world of cycling, she wanted to empower young female athletes, encourage people from all walks of life to find joy and meaning through sport and community, and inspire everyone to pursue their dreams.” dreams,” they said.

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