Suspect in Murder of Off-Road Cyclist Is Arrested in Costa Rica

Jun 30, 2022
Suspect in Murder of Off-Road Cyclist Is Arrested in Costa Rica

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A lady who had been named as a suspect within the homicide of a rising off-road biking star in Texas final month has been arrested in Costa Rica, the authorities stated on Thursday, ending a 43-day search.

The U.S. Marshals Service stated that the suspect, Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, had been discovered at a hostel in Santa Teresa Seashore in Provincia de Puntarenas on Costa Rica’s west coast. She might be deported to the USA, the authorities stated.

Ms. Armstrong, 34, had been sought within the loss of life of Anna Moriah Wilson, who competed in gravel biking, a self-discipline that blends mountain biking and highway biking. Ms. Wilson, 25, died shortly after she was discovered unconscious and bleeding from a number of gunshot wounds at a good friend’s dwelling in Austin, Texas, on Might 11, the authorities stated.

The authorities in Costa Rica, the State Division’s Diplomatic Safety Service, Homeland Safety Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Workplace of Worldwide Operations labored collectively to find and arrest Ms. Armstrong, who the Marshals Service stated had used a fraudulent passport to fly from Newark to San José, Costa Rica, on Might 18.

A police affidavit revealed that Ms. Wilson and Ms. Armstrong had each been romantically concerned with one other biking star, Colin Strickland, 35.

The police stated that Ms. Wilson, who was referred to as Mo, had been shot a number of instances, and that the taking pictures didn’t seem like random.

The police questioned Ms. Armstrong on Might 13. She is believed to have boarded a flight to Houston the subsequent day earlier than touring to New York, the Marshals Service stated. On Might 18, a day after the Austin police obtained a warrant to arrest her on a first-degree homicide cost, Ms. Armstrong was seen at Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport, however there have been no outbound flights booked below her title.

The Marshals Service, which stated Ms. Armstrong was armed and dangerous, had provided a $5,000 reward for info resulting in her arrest. Moreover, Capital Space Crime Stoppers provided $1,000 and an nameless donor provided $15,000, making the overall reward $21,000.

On the evening Ms. Wilson was killed, she and Mr. Strickland had visited the Deep Eddy pool in Austin and had dinner collectively at a restaurant, in keeping with the police affidavit, posted by The Austin American-Statesman.

Mr. Strickland advised the police that he’d dropped Ms. Wilson off at her good friend’s home and didn’t go inside.

He advised investigators that he had been in a romantic relationship with Ms. Wilson final October throughout a one- or two-week break in his roughly three-year relationship with Ms. Armstrong, in keeping with the affidavit.

The affidavit stated an nameless caller advised the police that Ms. Armstrong had stated in January that she needed to kill Ms. Wilson after studying that Mr. Strickland was in a romantic relationship together with her.

A automobile much like Ms. Armstrong’s was seen in entrance of the house in Austin the place Ms. Wilson was staying an hour earlier than the police responded to her good friend’s 911 name, in keeping with the affidavit. Ms. Armstrong didn’t clarify why her automobile was close to the scene of the taking pictures, the police stated. In response to the Marshals Service, Ms. Armstrong offered the automotive, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, on Might 13 at a CarMax location in Austin for $12,200.

In December or January, Mr. Strickland bought two 9-millimeter handguns, one for himself and one for Ms. Armstrong, the affidavit stated. A police evaluation of Ms. Armstrong’s gun, which was recovered at Mr. Strickland’s dwelling, revealed that it had “vital” potential to be the one which was used to kill Ms. Wilson, the affidavit stated.

“There is no such thing as a method to adequately specific the remorse and torture I really feel about my proximity to this horrible crime,” Mr. Strickland stated in an announcement to The Austin American-Statesman. “I’m sorry, and I merely can not make sense of this unfathomable tragedy.”

Mr. Strickland stated that he had a quick romantic relationship with Ms. Wilson final fall “that spanned per week or so,” then reconciled with Ms. Armstrong. He stated that he and Ms. Wilson had not been in a romantic relationship after that, however had a platonic {and professional} relationship and would usually see one another at biking occasions.

“Moriah and I have been each leaders on this lonely, area of interest sport of biking, and I admired her tremendously and thought of her a detailed good friend,” Mr. Strickland stated in his assertion. “I’m deeply grieving her loss.”



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