- Moriah Wilson, a rising gravel and mountain cyclist, was tragically shot and killed by Kaitlin Armstrong in Austin, Texas, due to a mistaken belief that Wilson was involved with Armstrong’s boyfriend.
Moriah “Mo” Wilson was a 25-year-old accomplished gravel and mountain cyclist on her way to the top. She had won major races such as Big Sugar Gravel, the Sea Otter Classic and the Belgian Waffle Ride, competing at a high level and destined to be a star. Before her next competition, Wilson was shot and killed on May 11, 2022, inside her friend Caitlin Cash’s home in Austin, Texas. The convicted killer, Kaitlin Armstrong, believed Wilson and her longtime boyfriend were still involved, though the two were only friends—a tragedy now revisited in Netflix’s new documentary, The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson.
Details on Wilson’s death and how Armstrong was captured
Police identified Armstrong as a suspect within days of Wilson’s death. Armstrong, 36, was a yoga instructor, real estate agent and the girlfriend of Colin Strickland, a professional cyclist who briefly dated Wilson. The pair spent the evening together before dropping her off at Cash’s apartment around 8:30 p.m., and Armstrong fired shots at around 9:15 p.m. When Cash arrived back home at 10 p.m., she found Wilson on the floor, bleeding and unconscious, according to ESPN.
Authorities believed Armstrong had killed Wilson because she was jealous and thought Wilson was still seeing Strickland, but they were just friends. A 43-day nationwide manhunt for Armstrong ensued, with law enforcement later locating her in Costa Rica after using her sister’s (Christine Armstrong) passport. Christine was not charged with Wilson’s murder. On Nov. 16, 2023, Armstrong was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 90 years in prison, per NBC News.
Wilson’s death made national headlines. In Austin, the cycling community rallied in support of the rising cyclist, something film director and Emmy winner Marina Zenovich said the story represents. The new documentary, released on Friday, explores Wilson’s life, the manhunt for Armstrong and the publicized trial…