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The Murder of Moriah Wilson: Pro-cyclist allegedly killed by yoga teacher in jealous rage

The suspect Kaitlin Armstrong's boyfriend, professional cyclist Colin Strickland, had a brief intimate encounter with Wilson in October 2021

A 34-year-old yoga instructor, Kaitlin Armstrong, has been accused of shooting and killing Moriah Wilson, a leading US gravel rider, nicknamed the 'winningest woman in America'. Armstrong was allegedly jealous about her boyfriend having a short fling with Wilson while they were 'on a break'. The suspect had been missing since May 13, Friday, two days after Moriah Wilson, 25, was found murdered at a friend's home in East Austin.

Armstrong, who has an active arrest warrant out against her, has removed all of her social media profiles. Armstrong's boyfriend, professional cyclist Colin Strickland, had a brief intimate encounter with Wilson in October when he and his girlfriend were on a break. Armstrong and he reconnected quickly after his one-week affair with Wilson, but the suspect got to know about the short fling in January. According to the affidavit, Wilson was discovered dead and shot many times with a 9mm pistol at an East Austin house the day before a race. In a statement to local media, Strickland said he and Wilson had a one-week relationship in late 2021 while Wilson was visiting Austin. Wilson was regularly spotted at competitive events, he added, and they trained together on occasion.

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“[W]e were not in a romantic relationship, only a platonic and professional one,” he stated. “It was not my intention to pursue along an auxiliary romantic relationship that would mislead anyone.” In the course of the inquiry, Strickland has cooperated with the authorities. He has not been charged with any misconduct.

According to a tipster who talked with police, Armstrong "became furious and was shaking in anger," stated the Austin American Statesman. According to the affidavit obtained by Fox 7 Austin, Armstrong reportedly informed the tipster that she wanted to kill Wilson and that she had just acquired or planned to purchase a pistol. Around this time, Strickland informed police he bought two 9mm pistols for himself and Armstrong. Wilson had traveled from California to Texas and was staying with a buddy in Hico, northwest of Waco, for a race. Based on ballistic data, APD evaluated Armstrong's pistol and determined that it was the same weapon used in Wilson's killing.

What happened on the day of Wilson's death?

The cycling world was stunned when Anna Moriah Wilson's companion returned home to her Austin flat, late on May 11, Wednesday, to discover Wilson unconscious and soaked in blood. The cycling star, also known as Mo, a 25-year-old Vermont native, had only arrived in Texas the day before to compete in the Gravel Locos, a 150-mile gravel bike event, she was predicted to win that weekend. According to VeloNews, she had resigned her job just weeks before to race full-time, and was described as “the winningest woman in the American off-road scene.”

According to the affidavit, the friend who hosted Wilson at her East Austin apartment departed at 5:30 pm on May 11 and subsequently received a text from Wilson saying she was going swimming with a male friend. Wilson used a key code to access the residence just before 6 pm. The code was accessed again at 8:36 pm, according to the affidavit, and a neighbor's surveillance camera caught an SUV coming up to the apartment at that time. Wilson's buddy returned home at 10 pm to find her "covered in blood" on the bathroom floor. Armstrong, who lives with Strickland, is accused of owning the SUV, according to police. It led police to examine Armstrong's house in South Austin this week, although it's unclear what other evidence has been discovered.