A fatal love triangle that shook the professional cycling community
In short: In May 2022, 25-year-old professional cyclist Moriah Wilson was found dead in an Austin, Texas, residence. What began as a suspected crime of passion involving a complex romantic web quickly evolved into an international manhunt and a high-profile legal battle that captivated the public.
The investigation into Moriah Wilson's death, occurring shortly before 10 p.m. on May 11, 2022, focused on Kaitlin Marie Armstrong. Investigators linked Armstrong to the scene via surveillance footage and a spent shell casing from a SIG Sauer P365, a firearm registered to her. Post-mortem results showed Wilson sustained three gunshots—two hitting her head and one her chest—while positioned supine on the ground.
The motive was identified by prosecutors as jealousy. Armstrong had been in an on-and-off relationship with professional cyclist Colin Strickland, who had recently entered a short romantic relationship with Wilson. Although Strickland was ruled out as a suspect, investigators found that he had been concealing his communications with Wilson by saving her number under a pseudonym and deleting messages.
Following questioning by police, Armstrong fled to Costa Rica using her sister's passport. She remained at large for 43 days, during which she assumed multiple aliases and underwent plastic surgery to alter her appearance. She was eventually apprehended at a hostel in Santa Teresa on June 29, 2022. In November 2023, Armstrong was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 90 years in prison, with parole eligibility after 30 years.
The aftermath has seen significant legal and cultural ripples. A judge mandated that Armstrong pay the Wilson family $15 million in June 2024 after a wrongful death suit. The case has also been the subject of media dramatizations, including a Lifetime film and a 2026 Netflix documentary titled 'The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson'.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Murder of Moriah Wilson
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