Opening statements began Wednesday in the trial of Kaitlin Armstrong, the yoga instructor accused of killing elite cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson in 2022.
Prosecutors began laying out their case that Armstrong was motivated by jealousy when she shot and killed Wilson, who had previously dated Armstrong’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, Colin Strickland, a professional cyclist.
Prosecutors said Armstrong had access to Strickland’s email and Instagram accounts and was aware that he and Wilson remained in contact, noting that Strickland changed Wilson’s contact name to conceal the relationship. They also claimed she knew Wilson’s exact location at the time she was shot.
Yoga teacher accused of killing cyclist Mo Wilson may have used sister’s passport to flee US
Armstrong, who is accused of fleeing to Costa Rica after the shooting, paid for plastic surgery while in the South American country, according to prosecutors.
The prosecution also said it would play surveillance audio recorded of Wilson screaming in his final moments.
“The last thing Mo Wilson did on this Earth was scream in terror,” prosecutor Rickey Jones said during opening statements.
The defense, meanwhile, argued that prosecutors had no hard evidence against Armstrong, saying no body camera footage showed he was at the scene.
Her lawyer said Armstrong was “trapped in a nightmare of circumstantial evidence.”
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Authorities accuse Armstrong of shooting and killing Wilson in Austin, Texas, in May 2022 before she fled the country for Costa Rica, where she allegedly spent more than a month on the run, with a passport that authorities say belonged to her sister.
Police were able to find her through her yoga activities, PEOPLE reported at the time, and she was returned to Texas after 43 days on the run.
Wilson previously dated Strickland in 2021 while he and Armstrong were separated. Armstrong and Strickland reconciled, but he remained close to Wilson and the two went swimming together before the shooting, according to Austin American Statesman.
Wilson, in town to compete in a race, was found “bleeding and unconscious from multiple gunshot wounds” at the residence, authorities said at the time.
A Texas woman wanted for the alleged murder of a professional cyclist has been arrested by the feds in Costa Rica
Armstrong was identified as a person of interest after her vehicle was seen on surveillance footage near the scene of the murder.
Earlier this month, Armstrong was charged with allegedly trying to escape from custody while being escorted to a medical appointment, according to a CNN report, citing court documents.
Video obtained by NBC affiliate KXAN shows Armstrong running in striped clothing down a walking path next to what appears to be a parking lot as a police officer runs after her.
KXAN
The officer stumbles briefly and Armstrong is then seen trying to climb the wall before the video ends.
She was caught after a 10-minute chase, KXAN reports.
The trial is ongoing.
*Reporting by Kristen O’Brien
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education