Federal authorities are searching for an Austin woman suspected of fatally shooting a professional cyclist who was apparently involved romantically with her boyfriend.
Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson, a 25-year-old gravel racer and Dartmouth graduate from Vermont, was found by a friend on May 11 lying on the bathroom floor of a home she was staying in. Wilson was covered in blood with multiple gunshot wounds. Her friend and, subsequently, police performed CPR on her, but she was pronounced dead shortly after. Wilson had traveled to Austin from San Francisco for a gravel race.
The US Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force said Friday that the agency was seeking the public's help in locating Kaitlin Armstrong, 34, who is suspected of fatally shooting Wilson.
A day after Wilson's death, Austin police interviewed Armstrong and asked her why a vehicle matching the one she drives was seen in surveillance footage pulling up to the home where Wilson was staying a minute after Wilson arrived. She offered no explanation and did not make any denials, according to an arrest warrant issued for her that was obtained by the Austin American-Statesman.
When police mentioned how Colin Strickland, who was in a relationship with Armstrong, had previously dated Wilson, she rolled her eyes in an angry manner.
Police told her it didn't look good and Armstrong nodded, according to the warrant. Armstrong asked to leave shortly after, and the interview was stopped.
Strickland, a 35-year-old professional cyclist sponsored by Red Bull, told authorities he had dated Armstrong for about three years and then dated Wilson during a break in his relationship last October.
On the day Wilson was killed, Strickland had gone swimming with her and had lied to Armstrong about where he was that evening, according to the arrest warrant. He'd told Armstrong that he had dropped flowers off for someone and his phone had died.
Strickland told police that while he was dating Wilson, Armstrong called her and told her she was the one who was dating him. Strickland told detectives he had to change Wilson's name in his phone so Armstrong wouldn't know who he was talking to as they continued their relationship.
A friend, who is referred to by the pseudonym "Jane" in the arrest warrant to prevent being targeted by Armstrong, told police that Wilson and Strickland had an "on-again, off-again" relationship. Jane also told police that Armstrong had previously called Wilson and told her to stay away from Strickland.
On May 14, an anonymous caller told the Austin Police Department that she was with Armstrong in January after Armstrong discovered that Strickland was having a relationship with Wilson while Armstrong was also dating him.
The caller said Armstrong became furious and was shaking in anger. Armstrong told the caller that she was so angry, she wanted to kill Wilson and that she had either recently purchased a firearm or was going to, the arrest warrant said.
Strickland told police that around that time, he had purchased a 9 mm gun for himself and another for Armstrong. Austin police recovered the gun belonging to Armstrong, stating in the arrest report that "the potential that the same firearm was involved [in Wilson's killing] is significant."
According to the arrest warrant, Strickland was cooperating with police.
In his interview with police, Strickland was full of praise for Wilson's gravel racing skills, calling her "the best female cyclist in the US and possibly the world."
Strickland told police that he had previously asked Armstrong, who was also a cyclist, not to ride with him because she "holds him back," the arrest warrant stated.
"In her short time here, Moriah inspired many, lived fully, and loved fiercely," Wilson's family said in a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for community organizations helping young people to find "self-confidence, strength, and joy through biking, skiing, and other activities that Moriah was passionate about."
Her mother, Karen Wilson, told the Boston Globe that Moriah had missed several gravel cycle races last summer so she could travel to Africa to help local cyclists develop skills to compete against elite athletes.
“She said that was the highlight of her summer,” Karen told the Globe. “Those are the things that mattered to her, more than her own personal goals."