Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial: Ex Colin Strickland reveals eerie message to love rival – live

Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial: Ex Colin Strickland reveals eerie message to love rival – live

Kaitlin Armstrong, the yoga teacher who allegedly gunned down rising pro cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson and then fled the country, is now on trial in Texas charged with her murder.

In court on Friday, Ms Armstrong’s ex-boyfriend Colin Strickland testified about their tumultuous relationship. Prosecutors have alleged that Ms Armstrong targeted Wilson after the two were reportedly involved in a love triangle with Mr Strickland.

Ms Armstrong’s jealousy became more evident in early 2022, and at one point she even told Mr Strickland to “send [her] love to Mo” after he posted an Instagram video with Wilson in the background. Mr Strickland told the court that he “felt it was extremely passive-aggressive,” per NewsNation.

Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, was found dead at her friend’s home with gunshot wounds to her head and chest back in May 2022.

Her bike was found in the middle of bamboo a few yards from the apartment, with DNA “highly likely” to have come from Armstrong, prosecutors said.

Ms Armstrong fled the country and was on the run for 43 days before being captured and charged with murder.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Key points

  • Jurors hear harrowing 911 calls and witness testimony

  • DNA evidence on victim’s bike revealed

  • Kaitlin Armstrong allegedly shot pro-cyclist love rival in the heart

  • Explosive opening statements give conflicting version of May 2022 murder

  • Kaitlin Armstrong’s ex testifies about their ‘tumultuous’ relationship

Court is adjourned for the day

Friday 3 November 2023 23:04 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland asked Ms Armstrong to write a timeline of the day before. She reportedly said she went to yoga and visited a “healer.”

He then went to his businesses’ headquarters in Lockhart and did not see Ms Armstrong again.

The court is adjourned.

Kaitlin Armstrong seemed ‘shocked’ after learning about Wilson’s murder, Mr Strickland says

Friday 3 November 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland said he texted Ms Armstrong after dropping off Wilson at her friend’s home.

Ms Armstrong did not immediately answer, but later arrived at the home she shared Mr Strickland.

The following day, detectives with the Austin Police Department arrived at the home.

Mr Strickland said that Ms Armstrong seemed shocked to hear about news of Wilson’s murder. He went to the station with detectives and confirmed to them that Ms Armstrong owned a black Jeep, the same model that was seen driving off near the home where Wilson was found.

Colin Strickland recounts last night he spent with Wilson

Friday 3 November 2023 22:42 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Armstrong and Mr Strickland returned to Texas on 9 May, just two days before Wilson’s murder.

He deleted conversations with Wilson on his phone to avoid confrontation with Ms Armstrong, and saved Wilson’s number as “Christine Wall.”

On the day of the murder, Mr Strickland said that he picked up Wilson at her friend Caitlin Cash’s apartment, where she was staying.

Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong went out swimming at a Pool Bar that night. He received calls and messages from Ms Armstrong but did not answer.

Mr Strickland says he bought gun along with Armstrong because she was scared of roadrage

Friday 3 November 2023 22:23 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland told the court that the decision to buy a weapon with Ms Armstrong in October 2021 had been prompted by her concerns about a potential incident of road rage, the homeless population in Austin and fears she had when biking alone.

Ms Armstrong reportedly became more jealous in early 2022, and at one point even told Mr Strickland to “send [her love to Mo” after he posted an Instagram video at the end of a race with Wilson in the background. Mr Strickland told the court that he “felt it was extremely passive-aggressive.”

During the next few months, Mr Strickland continued texting with Wilson on different apps. He previously told the court that Ms Armstrong had access to his passwords because he was acting as his manager.

Mr Strickland and Wilson rode together before he left for Arizona to prepare for a race. He travelled to the event with Ms Armstrong and their relationship was “very smooth.”

Colin Strickland recounts phone confrontation between Kaitlin Armstrong and Moriah Wilson

Friday 3 November 2023 22:04 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland said that at one point, Armstrong called Wilson to confront her on the found, which Wilson found “ strange and unnerving.”

He looked very sad and defeated as he testified, according to reporters in the courtroom.

Wilson then left for a different cycling event but maintained communication with Mr Strickland, although the two were not very serious about moving on with a formal relationship, Mr Strickland said. The pair saw each other at different events

During that period, Ms Armstrong is said to have dated two other men, while still living at Mr Strickland’s home.

Mr Strickland and Ms Armstrong eventually reconciled and travelled together to a championship in Arkansas in January 2022.

Ex testifies about ‘tumultuous’ relationship with Kaitlin Armstrong at cyclist murder trial

Friday 3 November 2023 23:11 , Andrea Blanco

A famed cyclist at the centre of an alleged love triangle who was with Moriah “Mo” Wilson the night she was killed took the stand in an Austin, Texas courtroom on Friday at the murder trial of his ex-girlfriend Kaitlin Armstrong.

Colin Strickland described his relationship with Ms Armstrong as “tumultuous” and said that they were on and off for a long period of time.

“I wasn’t sure we were compatible as long-term, life partners,” Mr Strickland told the court, per NewsNation.

Read more:

Ex testifies about ‘tumultuous’ relationship with Kaitlin Armstrong at murder trial

Mr Strickland says Wilson was ‘most exceptional female racer'

Friday 3 November 2023 21:50 , Andrea Blanco

According to NewsNation reporter Alex Capriello, Colin Strickland told the court that after meeting Wilson at a race, he thought she was the “most exceptional female racer and an obvious immense talent.”

Mr Stickland said he, Wilson, and other cyclists joined a race following a 2021 competition in Arkansas that Wilson had won.

Ms Armstrong, who was not invited, reportedly felt left out.

Ms Armstrong and Mr Strickland had an argument on their way back to Texas over that. He then broke up with her.

Five or six days later, Wilson visited Austin and texted Mr Strickland that she had just ended her relationship.

Colin Strickland tells the court about arguments with Ms Armstrong

Friday 3 November 2023 20:12 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland tells the court that he met a woman in 2020, whom he later visited in Colorado the following year. When he told Armstrong that he was in Colorado with a friend, she sent him a semi-nude picture of the woman, which Armstrong had pulled from Mr Strickland’s private texts.

Mr Strickland said that he became angry and didn’t trust Armstrong in the aftermath of the incident - but insisted that he and the Colorado woman did not have a romantic or sexual relationship of any kind.

Colin Strickland testifies about ‘tumultuous’ relationship with Kaitlin Armstrong

Friday 3 November 2023 20:00 , Andrea Blanco

Mr Strickland described his relationship with Ms Armstrong as “tumultuous.”

“I wasn’t sure we were compatible as long-term, life partners,” Mr Strickland told the court, per NewsNation.

He said that they were on and off for a long period of time, but Ms Armstrong, who had moved in with him after the 2021 Texas freeze and was staying indefinitely, did not move out during the breakups.

Bar manager where Wilson and Colin Strickland were seen takes the stand

Friday 3 November 2023 19:52 , Andrea Blanco

Kaeli Arhelge, a manager at a bar where Wilson was seen shortly before her death, took the stand following a recess.

Ms Arhelge said that she provided footage to authorities of the night that Wilson and Colin Strickland were seen at the bar.

In the video, Mr Strickland and Wilson are seen together before she gets up to answer the phone. Another video from a different camera shows a Black Jeep driving by the business.

Court to return from recess

Friday 3 November 2023 18:59 , Andrea Blanco

The proceedings will resume shortly.

Crime scene specialist takes the stand

Friday 3 November 2023 17:45 , Andrea Blanco

Crime scene specialist Mirezha Guevara, who worked in the search warrant served at Mr Strickland’s residence on 12 May 2022, takes the stand, reports CBS journalist Jessica Taylor, who is in the courtroom.

Ms Guevara says that she took pictures of the firearms evidence seized during the search and also took DNA.

The crime scene investigators said she took photographs of a black Jeep with a bike rack at the scene and noticed Armstrong’s passport and foreign currency inside the home.

Sergeant is cross examined by the defence

Friday 3 November 2023 16:32 , Andrea Blanco

Ms Armstrong’s attorneys questioned Sgt Ayers about his involvement in the case, with the officer saying he only worked on the murder investigation the day that Mr Strickland was questioned.

At the time, authorities at Mr Strickland’s home chose not to question Armstrong - but they were aware of who she was and knew that an attorney at the scene represented both her and Mr Strickland, Sgt Ayers told the court.

Sgt Ayers testifies about serving search warrant at Colin Strickland’s home

Friday 3 November 2023 16:28 , Andrea Blanco

Sgt Ayers tells the court that he was suspicious of Colin Strickland because he had been the last to see Mo Wilson alive before her murder.

Mr Strickland followed detectives to the station, where he gave a formal statement. Detectives served a search warrant at his residence later that day and seized two MacBooks, two cellphones, DNA swabs of Mr Strickland’s car’s steering wheel, and two 9mm handguns.

Kaitlin Armstrong was with her attorney on the driveway of Mr Strickland’s home.

Jury now watches redacted bodycam

Friday 3 November 2023 16:05 , Andrea Blanco

Sergeant Jason Ayer’s bodycam video will be shown to the jury but will be muted at times, as some of what Sgt Ayer said in the footage leads to hearsay.

Jusge watches bodycam of detectives informing Colin Strickland of Wilson’s death

Friday 3 November 2023 15:25 , Andrea Blanco

Sergeant Jason Ayers, who interviewed Colin Strickland the day after Mo Wilson’s death, takes the stand.

Sgt Ayers’s bodycam was also played with the jury out of the room, per NewsNation Alex Caprariello, who is in court.

“There’s no easy way to put this, but last night, she passed away,” another detective tells Mr Strickland.

In the background of the bodycam, an “emotionless Armstrong is seen, according to Caprariello.

Mr Strickland appears to be surprised and tells detectives he doesn’t know the address of Wilson’s mother. He also admits to having dropped her off the night before but says he did not enter the house with her.

Mr Strickland then tells detectives that he had a “brief relationship” with Wilson while on a break with Armstrong, but that he had stopped being intimate with Wilson since October 2021 and was now back together with Armstrong.

However, Mr Strickland said he maintained a “professional” relationship with Wilson.

When asked if Armstrong was aware of his relationship with Wilson, Strickland said no.

First witness takes the stand and surveillance video is played

Friday 3 November 2023 15:04 , Megan Sheets

The first witness to take the stand is Daniel Sheer, who lives near the residence where Wilson was found dead on 11 May, 2022.

Footage from Sheer’s camera on the night of the murder is shown in court. In the video, Sheer is seen exiting his home and walking towards the vehicle. In the background, a motorcycle is seen for a split second.

The night of the murder, Wilson was picked up and dropped off by Colin Strickland, the then boyfriend of the woman now accused of her murder, at the home where she was killed.

Day three of witness testimony about to start

Friday 3 November 2023 14:37 , Andrea Blanco

This week the court has listened to witnesses in the case, including Mo Wilson’s friend, who found the body of the rising pro cyclist on the floor of her bathroom.

The trial is not being televised but closing arguments will.

WATCH: More from the Kaitlin Armstrong trial

Friday 3 November 2023 14:01 , Rachel Sharp

Kaitlin Armstrong’s trial hears harrowing 911 call from night of star cyclists murder

Friday 3 November 2023 12:56 , Rachel Sharp

Devastated family members of slain professional cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson sobbed in a Texas courtroom and at one point walked out as a harrowing 911 call and graphic police body cam footage were played for jurors on the first day of witness testimony.

Kaitlin Armstrong, a 35-year-old Texas yoga teacher, has pleaded not guilty to murder in the May 2022 slaying of Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, in what prosecutors say was a jealous rage over a love triangle.

Wilson had been shot in the head and chest when she was found at a friend’s home before a race that she was among the favourites to win.

Caitlin Cash testified on the stand on Wednesday that she had found her friend covered in blood and not breathing when she returned home from dinner. Her voice cracked as she recalled seeing her feet and thought she was just lying on the bathroom tile floor to cool off. But when she announced her arrival, there was no response.

Read on...

Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial hears harrowing 911 call

‘The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror’ - prosecutor

Friday 3 November 2023 12:00 , Mike Bedigan

In a bold opening statement on Wednesday, Travis County prosecutor Rickey Jones told jurors that they would hear the moment in which Moriah “Mo” Wilson was fatally shot, which was captured on nearby surveillance equipment.

“The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror,” Mr Jones said.

“Those screams are followed by ‘Pop! Pop!’” he added, smacking his hands together for emphasis. “You won’t hear any more screams after that.”

Seconds after those shots, Mr 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 Ms Armstrong was caught in a “web of circumstantial evidence.”

Proceedings will begin again on Thursday at 9am CT.

DNA evidence on victim’s bike revealed

Friday 3 November 2023 10:38 , Rachel Sharp

In court on Thursday, jurors heard how bombshell DNA evidence tied the accused killer to the crime scene.

Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, was found dead at her friend’s Texas home with gunshot wounds to her head and chest back in May 2022.

Her bike was found lying in the middle of bamboo a few yards from the apartment.

DNA found on the bike was “highly likely” to have come from Armstrong, prosecutors told the court.

Kaitlin Armstrong shot pro-cyclist love rival in the heart, trial hears

Friday 3 November 2023 10:06 , Mike Bedigan

Kaitlin Armstrong has been accused of gunning down her love rival and then fleeing the country after being questioned by police.

The murder trial of the Texas yoga teacher began with explosive opening statements on Wednesday as the prosecution told jurors how they would hear the professional cyclist’s final screams and the shots that killed her.

Ms Armstrong, 35, is accused of killing Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, in May 2022 in a jealous rage over a love triangle involving her boyfriend, Colin Strickland. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Andrea Cavallier reports:

Kaitlin Armstrong shot pro-cyclist love rival in the heart, trial hears

WATCH: Gunshots heard on video shown in Kaitlin Armstrong trial

Friday 3 November 2023 20:26 , Andrea Blanco

Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, was found dead at her friend’s home with gunshot wounds to her head and chest back in May 2022.

Her bike was found in the middle of bamboo a few yards from the apartment, with DNA “highly likely” to have come from Armstrong, prosecutors said.

What to expect from the trial of yoga instructor Kaitlin Armstrong

Friday 3 November 2023 08:03 , Mike Bedigan

Kaitlin Armstrong evaded police for 43 days after being named a suspect in the murder of Moriah Wilson. Her murder trial began on Wednesday, with explosive opening statements and harrowing doorbell cam audio.

Andrea Cavallier explains what to expect:

Kaitlin Armstrong trial: What to know about cyclist Moriah Wilson’s murder

Kaitlin Armstrong trial: Day one recap

Friday 3 November 2023 06:11 , Mike Bedigan

Proceedings in the trial of Kaitlin Armstrong are due to begin again at 9am CT on Friday.

Day one saw explosive opening statements from both sides, with the prosecution telling jurors how they would hear the final screams of pro cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson and the shots that killed her.

The opening statements were livestreamed from the courtroom, though witness testimony will not be.

The court heard from homicide detective and crime scene analysts as well as several residents from the neighbourhood where Wilson’s body was discovered.

Shortly before jurors were sent home, the court was shown doorbell cam footage from a neighbour, in which a woman’s screams could be heard, as well as several gunshots.

In pictures: Kaitlin Armstrong in court for the first day of Texas trial

Friday 3 November 2023 02:00 , Mike Bedigan

 (AP)
(AP)
 (AP)
(AP)

Jurors in Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial hear harrowing 911 call

Friday 3 November 2023 00:00 , Andrea Cavallier

Moriah “Mo” Wilson’s family sobbed and at one point walked out as a harrowing 911 call and graphic police body cam footage were played for jurors on the first day of witness testimony.

Kaitlin Armstrong has pleaded not guilty to murder in the May 2022 slaying of Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, in what prosecutors say was a jealous rage over a love triangle.

Caitlin Cash testified on the stand on Wednesday that she had found her friend covered in blood and not breathing when she returned home from dinner.

Her voice cracked as she recalled seeing her feet and thought she was just lying on the bathroom tile floor to cool off. But when she announced her arrival, there was no response.

“She was covered in blood, lying on her back,” Ms Cash told the court as she began to cry. “I immediately bent down and tried to wake her up. Pretty quickly, I called 911.”

Prosecutors then played Ms Cash’s gut-wrenching 911 call where the court could hear crying as she told the dispatcher, “Her brain is leaking.”

An emotional Ms Cash could be heard counting out loud as she follows the dispatcher’s instructions and delivers chest compressions to her friend.

“She is laying on the bathroom floor and there is blood everywhere. I can’t tell what happened,” she is heard telling the dispatcher. “She’s not awake. There is blood all over her face and the back of her head.”

As the 911 call was played in court, Ms Cash was visibly distraught on the stand and many of Wilson’s family left while others were seen weeping in court.

Caitlin Cash, right, is embraced during the first day of Kaitlin Armstrong’s trial (AP)
Caitlin Cash, right, is embraced during the first day of Kaitlin Armstrong’s trial (AP)

Court proceedings wrap up for the day

Thursday 2 November 2023 22:09 , Mike Bedigan

Court proceedings in the trial of Kaitlin Armstrong, the yoga teacher who allegedly gunned down rising pro cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson and then fled the country, have finished for the day.

The trial will resume at 9am local time, in Austin, Texas, on Friday.

On the second day of the trial, jurors heard testimony from several residents from the neighbourhood in which Wilson’s body was found. They also saw video and audio footage from the time of the alleged incident.

In one piece of doorbell cam footage, a womans screams and gunshots could be heard.

Neighbours say they had not seen Kaitlin Armstrong before court appearance

Thursday 2 November 2023 21:44 , Mike Bedigan

Michael Donlin says that he had turned over his doorbell cam footage to police after seeing a post on social media platform Nextdoor requesting information and video.

He tells the court no police had come to his door to ask for the footage, and that he did not see the jeep in person on the night of the alleged incident.

Like Martha Palao, Mr Donlin says he has not seen Kaitlin Armstrong before, prior to her appearance in court.

Jurors played audio of alleged murder from doorbell cam

Thursday 2 November 2023 21:34 , Mike Bedigan

Jurors have been shown doorbell cam footage shared with police by former resident Michael Donlin. The footage contains audio.

A black jeep was also spotted in Mr Donlin’s footage around 8.26pm.

At 9:15pm a woman can be screaming as well as two consecutive gunshots. After a pause, a third gunshot is heard.

The sounds are distant, but audible.

As the footage is played to the court, Ms Armstrong stares ahead, mostly motionless – even as the gunshots ring out.

Caitlin Cash, Wilson’s friend who discovered her body bows her head, while another friend consoles her in the courtroom.

Black jeep captured near to crime scene on neighbour’s CCTV

Thursday 2 November 2023 21:08 , Mike Bedigan

The court next heard testimony from Martha Palao, who lives around 100m from where Wilson was found dead.

Jurors were shown two pieces of CCTV footage, in which a black jeep with a bike rack could be seen passing in front of her house and later in her back alley.

Ms Palao said that although she was awake at the time of the alleged murder, she did not hear any gunshots. Police arrived in the neighbourhood around 10pm, she said.

Landlord describes ‘whisking’ sound of a bicycle being moved on night of Mo Wilson’s murder

Thursday 2 November 2023 20:28 , Andrea Cavallier

David Harris, the landlord and neighbor of the apartment where Mo Wilson was killed, took the stand at Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial on Thursday.

He is describing what he heard on that night in May 2022 and says he went to the garage to take a marijuana bong hit before going on his walk for exercise.

When he went in to open the garage and smoke, that’s when he heard what sounded like someone rushing down stairs of the apartment and the “whisking” sound of a bicycle being moved.

“Immediately someone took off,” he added.

Prosecutors asked him, “If police came into your house and asked to search, would you have let them?”

He responded, “Absolutely.”

They then asked, “Mr. Harris, I hate to ask you this, but did you kill Moriah Wilson?”

“No, I did not,” he responded.

Who is pro-cyclist Anna Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson?

Thursday 2 November 2023 19:45 , Andrea Cavallier

Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, 25, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer from Vermont, was found dead on 11 May in her friend’s Austin, Texas apartment.

A month before her death, Ms Wilson beat 30 of the top gravel racing cyclists in the United States to claim the Fuego 80k at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California.

Ms Wilson followed up that victory with a win at the Belgian Waffle Ride in San Diego on 30 April 2022 and arrived in Austin on 10 May as the favourite to win the Gravel Locos in Hico, a few days later.

She was staying at her friend Caitlin Cash’s apartment on Maple Avenue, East Austin, and on 11 May arranged to meet fellow pro-cyclist Colin Strickland, who according to a police affidavit she had an on-again, off-again relationship with when he and his then-girlfriend Kaitlin Armstrong were on a hiatus.

The pair went swimming at the Deep Eddy Pool public aquatic centre in Austin before going for a meal at nearby Pool Burger, Mr Strickland, 35, told investigators. He dropped Ms Wilson off at her friend’s home at around 8.30pm.

One minute later, a neighbour’s surveillance camera captured Ms Armstong’s Cherokee SUV outside the address.

Later that night Ms Wilson was found bleeding and unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds by the friend she was staying with. Despite attempts to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to a police affidavit, Mr Strickland told detectives in a 12 May interview that Ms Armstrong had returned to their home in her SUV around 9.20pm.

Mr Strickland said he struck up a relationship with Ms Wilson in October 2021 when he and Ms Armstrong were on a brief hiatus. Texts between him and Ms Wilson showed that she was under the impression they were still dating.

According to the affidavit, a friend called police on 14 May to say that Ms Armstrong had learned of the “on again, off again” relationship in January.

Another caller, identified by the pseudonym Jane to shield her identity from Ms Armstrong, said she “became furious and was shaking in anger” and stated that she wanted to kill Ms Wilson. She began calling Ms Wilson and ordering her to stay away from her boyfriend, according to the affidavit.

In an interview with police, Mr Strickland said around that time he purchased 9mm handguns for himself and Ms Armstrong. He spoke in glowing terms about Ms Wilson’s prospects as a pro-cyclist, describing her as the best gravel cyclist in the United States, and possibly the world.

He was not nearly as flattering about his girlfriend Ms Armstrong, also a “competitive” cyclist, telling officers he had asked her not to ride with him because she “holds him back”.

Mr Strickland has cooperated with investigators and is not a suspect.

Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson was one of the top gravel racing cyclists in the world (Instagram/Mo Wilson)
Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson was one of the top gravel racing cyclists in the world (Instagram/Mo Wilson)

Kaitlin Armstrong emotionless as jury views photos of Mo Wilson’s bloodied face

Thursday 2 November 2023 19:44 , Andrea Cavallier

Graphic photos are being shown in court of the crime scene that show a close up of Mo Wilson’s shoes and blood stains.

Kaitlin Armstrong stares straight ahead, unflinching, according to News Nation’s Alex Caprariello who is in the courtroom.

The courtroom remains silent as jurors are shown Wilson’s injuries. One photo that has been blurred shows her bloodied face. Another is a close-up of her dress pulled up past her waist.

Mo Wilson’s family leaves courtroom as graphic crime scene photos are shown to jurors

Thursday 2 November 2023 19:30 , Andrea Cavallier

Witness testimony continued on Thursday with a homicide detective and a crime scene analyst each taking the stand.

The courtroom was shown graphic photos of the crime scene which triggered crying from several of Mo Wilson’s loved ones. Some of her family left the room.

Wilson’s competitive bicycle was brought out for the jury to see shortly before court took a recess for lunch.

ICYMI: Prosecutors say the last thing Mo Wilson did was ‘scream in terror’

Thursday 2 November 2023 19:20 , Andrea Cavallier

In explosive opening statements on Wednesday, Travis County prosecutor Rickey Jones told jurors that they would hear Wilson’s final screams and the shots that killed her.

“The last thing Mo did on this earth was scream in terror,” adding that nearby surveillance equipment captured the screams.

“Those screams are followed by ‘Pop! Pop!’” Mr Jones said, smacking his hands together 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."

Kaitlin Armstrong enters the courtroom during the first day of her trial (AP)
Kaitlin Armstrong enters the courtroom during the first day of her trial (AP)

A star cyclist was gunned down and a yoga teacher is on trial for her murder. Here’s what we know:

Thursday 2 November 2023 19:00 , Andrea Cavallier

Nearly a year and a half after Kaitlin Armstrong made international headlines for allegedly killing her romantic rival and then going on the run for 43 days, her murder trial is underway.

The Texas woman found herself at the centre of a love triangle with her boyfriend Colin Strickland and professional cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, who was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds at a friend’s house on 11 May 2022.

Ms Armstrong was questioned by police just three days after the killing but once freed, she fled to Costa Rica leading the authorities on an intensive manhunt that ultimately ended in her capture despite her effort to disguise her identity with dyed hair and plastic surgery.

Andrea Cavallier reports…

Kaitlin Armstrong trial: What to know about cyclist Moriah Wilson’s murder

Kaitlin Armstrong’s trial is underway in Austin

Thursday 2 November 2023 18:52 , Andrea Cavallier

The murder trial of a Texas yoga teacher accused of gunning down her love rival and then fleeing the country began with explosive opening statements on Wednesday.

Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, is accused of killing Moriah “Mo” Wilson, a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, in May 2022 in a jealous rage over a love triangle involving her boyfriend, Colin Strickland.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges and faces up to 99 years in prison if convicted.