Kaitlin Armstrong makes a pre-trial appearance at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, April 20, 2023. The murder trial for the woman charged in the shooting death of pro cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson is starting Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)
By Jim Vertuno
The murder trial of a woman accused of gunning down rising pro cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson and fleeing the country began Wednesday with Texas prosecutors telling jurors they would hear Wilson's final screams and the shots that killed her.
Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, has pleaded not guilty to murder and faces up to 99 years in prison in the May 2022 slaying of Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer. Wilson had been shot several times when she was found at a friend's home before a race that she was among the favorites to win.
“The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror," Travis County prosecutor Rickey Jones told jurors in opening statements.
He said nearby surveillance equipment captured the screams.
“Those screams are followed by ‘Pop! Pop!’” Jones said, punching his fist into his hand for emphasis. “You won’t hear any more screams after that.”
Seconds after those shots, Jones said, “Kaitlin Armstrong stood over Mo Wilson and put a third shot right into Mo Wilson’s heart."
In a short opening statement, defense attorney Geoffrey Puryear said Armstrong was caught in a “web of circumstantial evidence.”
No video evidence or witnesses can put Armstrong at the scene of the shooting, Puryear said.
Police have said Wilson, a 25-year-old Vermont native, had previously dated Armstrong’s boyfriend, Colin Strickland, who also was a competitive gravel racer, and had gone swimming with him earlier in the day. The trial began three weeks after authorities said Armstrong tried to escape from custody.
Prosecutors said they will show that Armstrong tracked Strickland’s communications with Wilson — as well as Wilson’s whereabouts — in the weeks and days before the shooting. Armstrong was able to track Wilson’s location because Wilson had not turned on a safety feature on a phone app.
Armstrong's SUV was seen at the apartment where Wilson was staying the night she was killed. Police also said shell casings found at the scene matched a gun found at Armstrong's home.
Investigators quickly cleared Strickland. Prosecutors said Wednesday that video and cellphone calls, texting, and location data will confirm that he was nowhere near the shooting.
The case drew international headlines when Armstrong fled the country after her initial meeting with police, leading to a 43-day search. Investigators said she sold her vehicle for $12,000 and fled the country using her sister's name, email, credit card and passport.
Federal authorities tracked Armstrong to Costa Rica, where prosecutors said she spent $6,425 for surgery to change her appearance and used several aliases while attempting to establish herself as a yoga instructor. She also had cut and darkened her hair, and had a bandage on her nose and discoloration under her eyes when arrested at a beachside hostel.
Armstrong told police when she was arrested that she was injured in a surfing accident.
Armstrong's attorney suggested the sudden flight out of the country was not an attempt to escape justice.
“She would have no reason to know about any (arrest) warrant, You will hear Kaitlin is passionate about travelling and passionate about yoga,” Puryear said.
The case took another turn when authorities said Armstrong tried to escape from two officers who escorted her to a medical appointment outside of the jail on Oct. 11.
Cellphone video recorded in the parking lot showed Armstrong, handcuffed and in striped jail clothes, running from an officer and trying to climb a fence. Authorities have said Armstrong appeared to plan her escape by complaining of an injury to get the outside medical appointment and have her leg restraints removed.
She faces an additional felony escape charge punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Melissa Gonzalez, CEO and Founder of The Lionesque Group, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she explains why she feels mixed about the Walmart's new initiative and what will make mass adoption of this offering difficult.
Exercise equipment maker Peloton is attempting to run away from a recent bout of controversy. CEO John Foley published an open letter to employees on Thursday after reports that said Peloton was pausing production of its Bike and Tread products, delaying the opening of a new U.S. factory, and considering job cuts. In the letter, Foley wrote that the information in the reports was 'incomplete,' 'out of context,' and not reflective of Peloton's strategy. Peloton's stock responded on Friday, with shares bouncing back after falling nearly 24% in the regular session on Thursday. CFRA Research's Director of Research Ken Leon joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Home essentials maker Outlines announced its launch at the beginning of 2022, along with $1 million in pre-seed funding led by Social Impact Capital. Outlines says it is re-imagining how we keep our homes clean while also reducing plastic waste. The company's debut product, the Shower Liner System, is made of long-lasting materials, including easy-to-recycle plastic. Outlines co-founder and CEO Luke Young and co-founder and COO Megan Ceryanec joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
eToro, the social trading platform that offers crypto, forex, and equities, recently announced that it's giving U.S. users the option to include stocks and ETFs as part of their investment portfolios. Lule Demmissie, CEO of eToro U.S., joined Cheddar to talk about the company’s expanded offerings. "We felt, although crypto is a fantastic asset class, that individuals benefit from having a broader access to different kinds of investments, and equities is definitely one of them," Demmissie noted.
Coming off of CES, Blink Charging announced a partnership with legacy automaker General Motors to provide charging stations for its newest electric cars. The company specializes in stations they own and operate that also accommodate residential and commercial locations. Michael D. Farkas, founder and CEO, noted that they "don’t discriminate” when it comes to locating their chargers while also taking the philosophy of seeing their hardware more like hot water heaters rather than smartphones constantly in need of upgrading. "We believe it's one of the reasons why we were selected by GM," Farkas said. "These dealerships have to invest in these locations and make sure that this hardware is workable for a very, very long period of time."
Simeon Siegel, managing director and senior analyst at BMO Capital Markets joins Cheddar News to discuss CNBC's report that Peloton plans to halt production, despite the company's CEO denying those claims.
Jackie Rotman, founder and CEO of the Center for Intimacy Justice joins Cheddar News to talk about why Facebook is banning ads by companies targeting women's sexual health but not ads catered to men.
TikTok recently announced that it is testing a paid subscription model. The news comes days after Instagram publicized a similar service. TikTok has made $2.3 billion from in-app purchases, but mostly through tips, in 2021, showing that its users may be open to spending money on the platform.
Netflix beat its earnings projections for Q4 — but the stock still plummeted as the streaming pioneer cut back on its forecast for future subscribers. Michael Robinson, the chief technology strategist at Money Map Press, joined Cheddar to discuss the report and what's driving the downward pressure on its shares. "It's the growth is really what's worrying people," he said. "'A' we have slowing economic growth, and 'B' we've got slowing growth for this company, as 'C' we have an increase in competition."
