Current:Home > reviewsHow a yoga ad caught cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson's killer, Kaitlin Armstrong -WealthMindset Learning
How a yoga ad caught cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson's killer, Kaitlin Armstrong
Benjamin Ashford View
Date:2025-04-09 03:15:15
Kaitlin Armstrong was successfully hiding in Costa Rica for weeks when she responded to an ad for a yoga teacher – a mistake authorities say led to her arrest and eventual conviction for the murder of professional cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson.
Armstrong, 36, was convicted and sentenced to 90 years in prison in 2023 after the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Wilson over a love triangle involving Armstrong's boyfriend, Colin Strickland, another pro cyclist. Wilson's body was discovered on May 11, 2022.
Shortly after the killing, Armstrong used a fake passport to flee to Costa Rica where she was believed to be hiding in one of the country's many hostels, detectives with the U.S. Marshals Service told CBS’s “48 Hours” in a first-time interview over the weekend.
Just before Marshals leave for US, Armstrong replies to yoga ad
For weeks, the search yielded nothing. Detectives made friends with locals in Provincia de Puntarenas and attended various yoga classes, hoping to spot Armstrong. They'd later learn that she went by different names, had dyed her hair and had gotten a nose job. Hoping to use her love of yoga against Armstrong, investigators told "48 Hours" they placed an ad on Facebook that said "We're at this hostel, we're looking for a yoga instructor as soon as possible."
After a week and no answer, the Marshals were set to return to the U.S. Then, they got an email: A woman identifying herself as a yoga instructor wanted to meet at a hostel near Santa Teresa Beach, "48 Hours" reported. When one of the Marshals met the woman face-to-face on June 29, 2022, he confirmed she was the fugitive and took her into custody, ending a weekslong manhunt in the case that drew international attention and shocked the cycling community.
Why did Kaitlin Armstrong kill Anna Moriah 'Mo' Wilson?
Wilson was a rising star in the gravel and mountain cycling world. Prosecutors said Armstrong was jealous of Wilson for dating her boyfriend for a few weeks when they had broken up briefly in October 2021. Wilson was found dead of apparent gunshot wounds inside her friend's home in Austin, Texas.
Investigators spotted an SUV matching the description of Armstrong's Jeep Cherokee outside the home where Wilson's body was discovered. The day after the killing, police brought Armstrong in for questioning but released her. She soon made her escape to Costa Rica.
After the yoga ad and Armstrong's arrest, she was held in the Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle, Texas, where she made another attempt at escape. Two deputies were escorting her into a patrol car following a doctor's appointment when she broke free and ran away. She made it about a block before she was picked up by local police.
Contributing: Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman
veryGood! (16)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Taliban free Afghan activist arrested 7 months ago after campaigning for girls’ education
- Trump called to testify in gag order dispute, fined $10,000 by judge in New York fraud trial
- Victim's sister asks Texas not to execute her brother's killer
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Kate Middleton's Brother James Middleton Welcomes First Baby With Wife Alizee Thevenet
- Why TikToker Alix Earle Says She Got “Face Transplant” in Her Sleep
- Halloween alert: Test finds many chocolates contain concerning levels of metals
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Five NFL teams that should be sellers at trade deadline: What will Commanders, Broncos do?
Ranking
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Why Leslie Fhima Briefly Considered Leaving The Golden Bachelor
- Ohio woman indicted on murder charges in deaths of at least four men, attorney general says
- New York Republicans to push ahead with resolution to expel George Santos from House
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Jeep maker Stellantis plans to invest 1.5 billion euros in Chinese EV manufacturer Leapmotor
- Who is Mike Johnson, the newly elected House speaker?
- Trump called to testify in gag order dispute, fined $10,000 by judge in New York fraud trial
Recommendation
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
The rise of the four-day school week
Stock market today: World shares slide after Wall St rout driven by high yields, mixed earnings
New York Republicans to push ahead with resolution to expel George Santos from House
Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
Turbocharged Otis caught forecasters and Mexico off-guard. Scientists aren’t sure why
South Africa begins an inquiry into a building fire that killed 76 people in Johannesburg in August
Stock market today: World shares slide after Wall St rout driven by high yields, mixed earnings