Woman Who Killed Romantic Rival in Texas Got Plastic Surgery to Avoid Getting Caught
A yoga instructor from Texas has been convicted for killing her romantic rival after she found out about her relationship with her boyfriend.
Kaitlin Armstrong, murdered bicyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson, in Austin by shooting her, People reported.
Kaitlin Armstrong was in an on-again, off-again relationship with pro cyclist Colin Strickland, at the time of the murder, People reported. The pair met in 2019 and moved in together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Strickland's friend, Chris Tolley, shared that he never noted anything out of the ordinary in the duo's relationship, CBS News reported. "They had a pretty, like, normal relationship. They both ride bikes together. They would, you know, do fun stuff," he said.
The duo went their separate ways in the fall of 2021. The break-up was brief and they rekindled their relationship.
During their brief break, however, Wilson and Strickland got involved for a week, according to Tolley, CBS News reported. Strickland and Wilson remained friends even after the former got back together with Armstrong.
"He just wanted to be friends with, like, someone who was going to do great things in cycling," Tolley said.
Strickland saved Wilson's number in his phone under some other name, NBC reported. Strickland did this to maintain a friendship with Wilson and not have conflict with Armstrong.
"He did that because he knew his girlfriend Kaitlin had gone through his phone in the past,” shared Richard Spitler, an Austin homicide detective.
Wilson was found by Caitlin Cash, her friend, unresponsive and bleeding on May 11, 2022. She was shot in the head and chest, CBS News reported.
Cash tried to resuscitate Wilson, but the victim was later pronounced dead on the scene, the New York Times reported.
Hours before she was found dead, Wilson had gone swimming with Strickland. Rickey Jones, a state prosecutor, stated that Armstrong's jeep was seen in the area less than an hour before the gunshots were heard.
Armstrong had earlier contacted Wilson to stay away from Strickland, an anonymous tipster shared, People reported.
Armstrong reportedly had checked Wilson's location using the GPS feature on Strava Witness app while the latter was out with Strickland.
Police traced the jeep to Strickland and Armstrong's ownership and obtained a search warrant for the property, People reported.
Strickland had purchased two firearms, one for himself and another for Armstrong in January 2022, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Authorities found Armstrong's gun while searching the duo's home.
They compared its shell casings with those found in the murder scene, and concluded, that the possibility was "significant" it was the same firearm used in the murder.
On May 12, 2022, the police arrested Armstrong on an outstanding misdemeanor theft warrant, People reported. She was accused of going out of an Austin spa without paying for her Botox treatments.
Police questioned Armstrong but had to release her when it was revealed that the warrant got her date of birth wrong, CBS News reported. Detective Jonathan Riley shared that during the interview Armstrong seemed disinterested in "hearing what the detectives had to say."
The day after her interrogation Armstrong sold her jeep at a Carmax dealership, People reported.
On May 14, she flew to Houston and then to New York, where her sister was staying, CBS News reported. She then traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica, using her sister's passport.
Armstrong made significant changes to her looks in Costa Rica, People reported. She contacted Dr. Jorge Badilla using the alias Alison Page and underwent $6,000 worth of plastic surgery. Armstrong had procedures like fillers, rhinoplasty, and a brow lift.
In June 2022, U.S. Marshals got a tip that Armstrong was hiding in a village called Santa Teresa, People reported. Officials put up a fake job posting for a yoga instructor to lure her. Armstrong took the bait and asked to meet at Don Jon's, a hostel, to discuss the job.
Deputy Emir Perez went to the meeting and initially wasn't sure if the person in front of him was Armstrong, CBS News reported. Perez was confused because Armstrong had so drastically changed her appearance.
Perez began talking with her, and when he focused on her eyes, he realized they had Armstrong. "The eyes are the exact same ones that I saw in the picture. And this is her, 100 percent," he said.
On June 29, 2022, Armstrong was arrested and transported to a jail in Costa Rica, People reported. She was extradited to the USA and charged with first-degree murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
On October 11, 2023, she made another attempt to escape, KXAN reported. Armstrong ran from the Travis County corrections officers accompanying her on a medical appointment, the sheriff’s office said. They managed to apprehend her after chasing her for ten minutes.
Armstrong went to trial for her charges on November 1, 2023, People reported. Prosecutors claimed to the jury that Armstrong tracked Wilson's social media activity and had access to Strickland's email and Instagram accounts.
They alleged that Armstrong knew that Wilson and Strickland were still in touch with each other. Some of Armstrong's friends testified that she had allegedly shared her wish to kill Wilson with them, the outlet reported.
Armstrong's defense team claimed that there was only circumstantial evidence against their client, People reported.
On the issue of running to Costa Rica, the defense team claimed that Armstrong did so because she was afraid of Strickland, CBS reported. They stated that Strickland allegedly committed the murder and Armstrong felt shaken by the action and escaped to save her own life.
On November 16, 2023, the jury found Armstrong guilty of first-degree murder, People reported. The day after her conviction, she was sentenced to 90 years in prison. Currently, she is being held at a women's prison in Central Texas.
In December 2023, Armstrong's Defence team filed a request for another trial, Daily Mail reported. In documents obtained by the outlet, the team claimed that Armstrong was pregnant during the time of the arrest. They believe this information could have resulted in their client getting a more lenient punishment.
The filing read, "Kaitlin has also been pregnant twice, one occasion of which was during or near the time of her arrest. Considering the sentence here was for 90 years and a maximum fine, there should be no question that this mitigating evidence would have resulted in a more lenient punishment," Daily Mail reported.