U.S. Gravel Pro Colin Strickland's missing girlfriend wanted for Mo Wilson’s murder
Colin Strickland's partner Kaitlin Marie Armstrong to be charged with Mo Wilson's murder after arrest warrant issued
Photo: Missing 35 year-old Yoga teacher Kaitlin Marie Armstrong and partner U.S. Gravel Racer Colin Strickland
The U.S. Marshals Service said it was looking for 35 year-old Yoga Teacher Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, in the May 11 killing of Anna Moriah Wilson, 25.
She has not been seen since the attack on Wilson.
Wilson had earlier told a friend she was going swimming at the famous municipal swimming pool Deep Eddy with fellow cyclist Colin Strickland, 35. The cyclists then grabbed dinner together before he dropped her off .
Yoga instructor Kaitlin Armstrong, 34, learned in January about Wilson and Strickland's brief liaison, and was furious at the news. Her SUV was seen driving past the Austin apartment on the evening of May 11 after Strickland walked Wilson home.
On the day of the excursion, a Ring camera captured the moment Armstrong's black 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokkee was seen driving by the friend's home in the evening, and shortly after Strickland dropped off Wilson.
Moments after the car was spotted, Wilson's friend came home to find the cyclist dead with mulitple gun shot wounds.
According to investigators, Wilson was shot many times with a 9mm handgun. According to the affidavit, Strickland told officers that he and Armstrong both own 9mm pistols, but that he has never fired his.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Armstrong, who remains on the run and has deleted all her social media accounts.
Authorities are looking for a 2012 Black Jeep Cherokee with Texas License Plate LDZ5608.
VIDEO: Search for woman accused of murdering Austin cyclist
U.S. Gravel Pro Colin Strickland Issues Statement
Colin Strickland, a former criterium and cyclocross racer turned Red Bull-sponsored gravel rider, has expressed his shock at the murder of top gravel rider Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson. The 25-year-old was shot dead in an apartment in Austin, Texas, last Wednesday week, May 11th.
Colin Strickland is a well-known American bicycle racer who excels in both gravel racing and fixed gear criteriums. He triumphed in the Red Hook Crit series and won the 2016 Red Hook Barcelona Unbound Gravel, 2015 Red Hook Crit Milan, the 2016 Red Hook Crit Brooklyn, and the 2016 Red Hook Crit London.
He won the Dirty Kanza 200 in 2019, and started to build a name for himself as a top U.S. gravel racer.
Strickland’s partner 34 year-old Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, a Yoga teacher is suspected of the killing and a warrant has been issued for her arrest. Strickland also says in his statement he had a brief relationship with Wilson late last year when he and Armstrong had split up for a period. However, he added that at the time of her murder they were not in a romantic relationship.
“I am reeling from grieving Mo Wilson’s death and from the facts that have emerged during the investigation. I cannot begin to imagine the pain felt by Mo’s family and her close friends,” he said in a statement.
“There is no way to adequately express the regret and torture I feel about my proximity to this horrible crime. I am sorry and I simply cannot make sense of this unfathomable tragedy.
“Although it will be a matter of small consolation to anyone else who cared for Mo, I want you to know that I have cooperated fully with investigators ever since I learned the terrible news and I will continue to do so until some form of justice is served.
“As a point of clarification to facts previously reported, Moriah Wilson and I had a brief romantic relationship from late October-early November 2021 that spanned a week or so while Wilson was visiting Austin.
“At the time, she and I had both recently ended relationships. She returned to her home in California and about a month later, Kaitlin Armstrong and I reconciled and resumed our relationship.
“Since then I often saw Mo at cycling events, and always in public settings. We both competed in Bentonville, AR, Stillwater and Monterrey, CA. We also met for a 4-hour training ride in Santa Cruz after the Sea Otter Classic in Monterrey.
“After our brief relationship in October of 2021, we were not in a romantic relationship, only a platonic and professional one. It was not my intention to pursue along an auxiliary romantic relationship that would mislead anyone. Moriah and I were both leaders in this lonely, niche sport of cycling, and I admired her greatly and considered her a close friend. I am deeply grieving her loss.”
Conflicting Stories
Conflicting stories have surfaced, however, alleging that Armstrong discovered about Wilson and Strickland's ongoing involvement in January 2022, and that Armstrong had started threatening Wilson. Also, Strickland kept his meeting with Moriah on May 11th a secret from Armstrong, however Armstrong found out.
Investigators are also probing whether exercise app Strava led Armstrong to Wilson's location. It is used by runners and cyclists to share exercise routes, and Wilson's profile - which has now been deleted - was publicly visible.
She uploaded a cycle route beginning and ending at the Austin property where she was staying on May 11, the date of her death, disclosing her location.
APD tested Armstrong's handgun and found that the weapon was the same firearm used in Wilson's death based on ballistic evidence.
Armstrong did not arrive back at the house she shared with Strickland until 9:20pm, he told police.
Conflicting stories have surfaced that Wilson may have been under the impression that there was an ongoing romantic involvement between her and Strickland, despite him also dating and continuing to live with, Armstrong.
Kaitlin Armstrong is a yoga instructor in addition to her competitive cycling background.
As of Friday, May 20, the whereabouts of Armstrong are unknown and she's believed to be a fugitive. U.S. Marshalls sent out a press release urging anyone with information about Armstrong's whereabouts to contact 1-800-336-0102.
VIDEO: Community mourns murdered cyclist
Friends and family are still shocked after the murder of an up-and-coming cyclist last week in Austin. We're learning more about Moriah Wilson and the legacy she left behind.
About U.S. Gravel Pro Moriah "Mo" Wilson
The U.S. rider had risen to prominence in the North American gravel scene with several big results over the last few years. Wilson recently had become a full-time biker. In 2021, she was second at the iconic Leadville 100 marathon mountain bike race. Wilson started 2022 with a win at the Fuego 80k, the first event in the Life Time Grand Prix series, at Sea Otter one month ago.
Several other wins, at Big Sugar Gravel and the Belgian Waffle Ride, cemented Wilson’s status as one of the top off-road racers in the country.
In a statement released shortly after her death, Wilson’s family called her death “unfathomable.”
“At the same time we want everyone to join us in celebrating her life, accomplishments, and love for others,” they wrote. “Always pushing tirelessly to reach her goals, we knew she was pursuing that which she loved. We will miss her terribly and know that all mourn her with us.”
In her memory, Wilson's family is looking to raise $100,000 to help fund community organizations that help youth find self-confidence, strength, and joy through biking, skiing, and other activities that Moriah was passionate about.
