Kaitlyn Armstrong, 35, was convicted of murdering professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson, 25. Now 90 are waiting behind bars.
Last May, Anna Moriah Wilson was found murdered at a friend’s home in Texas, three days before she was to participate in a bike race, which she was among the favorites to win.
According to police documents, which have been reproduced by media outlets such as Watchman And The New York TimesShe was found unconscious and bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds in a friend’s apartment. Empty shell casings were scattered around.
The verdict came down Thursday — Kaitlyn Armstrong was sentenced to 90 years in prison — practically.
The Associated Press wrote that the jury did not need more than three hours to agree on the verdict.
He killed in angry jealousy
The investigation revealed that Wilson had briefly been in a relationship with Armstrong’s boyfriend, Colin Strickland, a few months earlier, according to the news agency. AP.
On the night the 25-year-old cyclist was killed, she allegedly went swimming and had a meal with Strickland.
The investigation into the case revealed that Armstrong followed Wilson to the apartment where she lived, where she fired three shots that killed Wilson.
Prosecution evidence showed Armstrong’s Jeep Cherokee driving around Wilson’s apartment the night she was killed, and weapons tech evidence revealed that it was her gun that was used in the killing.
The police therefore concluded that Armstrong shot Wilson out of extreme jealousy.
On the other hand, Armstrong’s defenders believe that their client was “trapped in a nightmare of evidence.”
Defense attorney Rick Cofer says the prosecution had to paint Armstrong as a “jealous psychopath” in order to create a motive, so they got “tunnel vision” and dropped out of following other leads.
Armstrong was missing for more than 40 days. When she was found and arrested in Costa Rica, she tried to change her appearance and establish herself as a yoga instructor.
The prosecution asked rhetorically at the closing hearing why Armstrong traveled to Costa Rica under a false name in her passport, and why she attempted to undergo plastic surgery to change her appearance.
– These are all indicators of guilt, ladies and gentlemen, said Prosecutor Guillermo Gonzalez.
Armstrong has pleaded not guilty to voluntary manslaughter throughout.
-The worst moment of my life
Wilson’s family issued a joint statement after her death.
“No words can express the pain and suffering we are experiencing due to this tragic and senseless loss,” the family said in a statement.
She describes them as a “talented, kind and caring” young woman.
Her life was taken from her before she had the opportunity to achieve everything she dreamed of.
The mother was asked in court about the moment she learned of her daughter’s death. She answered in court, choking on tears:
– It was the worst moment of my life. My life has never been the same since then. Everything has changed and will never be the same again
“Organizer. Social media geek. General communicator. Bacon scholar. Proud pop culture trailblazer.”