A Texas woman accused of fatally shooting a professional cyclist after becoming enraged over the woman’s previous relationship with her live-in boyfriend was arrested in Costa Rica 43 years later. runaway day.
Kaitlin Marie Armstrongamateur cyclist and yoga teacher, faces charges over the May 11 death of a 25-year-old Anna Moriah Wilson, a Vermont native is in Austin for an upcoming race. On Wednesday, after more than a month on the run, Armstrong was arrested at the Santa Teresa Beach motel in Provincia de Puntarenas, officials said.
Her arrest marks the end of a coordinated, multi-agency effort to track down the 34-year-old man, who authorities say carefully orchestrated a scheme to get off the grid. . Armstrong will now be deported and returned to the US to face charges in connection with Wilson’s death.
Authorities say that two days after Wilson was found shot dead In an Austin apartment, Armstrong sold his black Jeep Grand Cherokee to a CarMax dealer in south Austin for $12,200.
“Armstrong was provided with a check from the dealer one day after being questioned by Austin authorities,” the US Marshalls earlier said in a statement. “She left Austin Airport on May 14.”
Investigators believe Armstrong boarded a flight from Austin Bergstrom International Airport that afternoon to Houston, before boarding a connecting flight from Southwest to LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Armstrong was last seen at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 18 — a day after Austin police issued a murder warrant for her arrest in connection with Wilson’s murder.
Authorities say that “using a fraudulent passport,” Armstrong boarded a United Airlines flight from Newark to San Jose, Costa Rica.
“The police department elevated the Kaitlin Armstrong investigation to a major case at the outset of this investigation, potentially playing a key role in her arrest after 43 days of racing,” said US Chief of Police. United States for the West County of Texas Susan Pamerleau said Thursday. “This is an example of combining the resources of local, state, federal and international authorities to capture a violent fugitive, end the fugitive, and hopefully a sense of closure towards the victim’s family.”
Authorities say the grim story began on May 11, when police received a call around 10 p.m. from one of Wilson’s friends, who discovered her with multiple gunshot wounds. bullets fired. Officers declared Wilson dead shortly afterwards.
Before her death, Wilson is said to have gone swimming and having dinner with Colin Strickland, whom she briefly dated. Wilson is said to have returned home after hanging out with Strickland around 8:36pm
Footage from a neighbor’s security camera obtained by Fox 7 shows a “dark SUV” driving past a friend’s house at 8:37 p.m.
“The dark SUV then slowed down, seemingly stopping, right next to it [the friend’s] residence,” according to an affidavit probable cause for Armstrong’s arrest. “The SUV appears to have a large bike rack mounted on the trailer’s tow bar, a roof mounted luggage rack and what appears to be chrome around the windows. No other vehicles were observed on surveillance video until emergency vehicles were marked for arrival. “
The next day, authorities arrived at Strickland’s home and found a 2012 Jeep Cherokee “with a large bike rack mounted on the trailer’s tow bar, a roof mounted luggage rack, and chrome surrounds around the windows. seems to be of the same vehicle. observed on surveillance footage. “
In an interview with police, Strickland said he and Armstrong had been together for about three months. He also admitted to briefly dating Wilson in October 2021. Armstrong was briefly interviewed by police after they discovered she had a misdemeanor subpoena for service charge theft. .
“Armstrong was confronted with video evidence of her car, [and] she has no explanation as to why it is in the area and has not made any denial around the claims presented to her,” the affidavit said of the interview, noting that ultimately She was released after detectives determined that the warrant was “not valid”.