Kaitlin Marie Armstrong in the Travis County Jail.
The attorney for a Texas murder suspect has signaled his client’s defense strategy after pleading not guilty to killing a perceived romantic rival.
Lawyer Rick Cofer, who represents 34-year-old Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, claims police botched the case.
“Ms. Armstrong wants her day in court,” Cofer told reporters at a courthouse in Harris County, Texas, according to KGNS. “Simply put, there is a lot more to this story that has yet been heard.”
BREAKING: Kaitlin Armstrong entered the courtroom in a red top and striped gray pants, entered a plea of not guilty and her attorneys filed a motion for a speedy trial. Docket call will be Oct. 19, jury trial the week after that.
Armstrong’s attorney spoke after. @KXAN_News pic.twitter.com/tcTYbzaSHD
— Grace Reader (@GraceReaderTV) July 20, 2022
The story, as authorities tell it, is that Armstrong shot and killed professional cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, 25, on May 11 for having had a relationship with Armstrong’s boyfriend, another professional cyclist by the name of Colin Strickland. According to cops, Strickland said he and Wilson briefly got together while he was separated for a time from Armstrong. A friend of Wilson said that Armstrong later contacted Wilson so many times that Wilson blocked the phone number.
“‘Jane’ [a pseudonym] advised the last time Armstrong called Wilson, she told Wilson she was with Strickland and Wilson needed to stay away from him,” the affidavit said.
On May 14, an anonymous caller said that Armstrong was furious upon learning about the other relationship.
From the affidavit:
The caller refused to be identified but advised she was with Armstrong in January 2022. The caller advised Armstrong had just discovered Strickland was having a romantic relationship with Wilson even though Armstrong and Wilson were still dating. The caller advised Armstrong became furious and was shaking in anger. Armstrong told the caller Armstrong was so angry Armstrong wanted to kill Wilson. Armstrong then proceeded to tell the caller Armstrong had either recently purchased a firearm or was going to.
Armstrong sold her car two days after the shooting, fled from Texas to New York, and flew out of Newark, New Jersey, authorities said.
U.S. Marshals said they caught her in Costa Rica. She allegedly hid out in a hostel with a fake I.D. According to initial reporting from Inside Edition, a witness at the hostel said she left behind a receipt for plastic surgery under a different name.
Whatever the case, she definitely returned to the United States with a different face and hair color. Here are pictures authorities released during the search.
Kaitlin Marie Armstrong is seen in a driver’s license photo, left, and on video surveillance footage, right (images via U.S. Marshals Service).
“There is a big picture here,” Cofer said, according to KRON. “This is a beginning of a process that will play out in court and it should play out in court.”
He asserted Austin police apparently ignored a tip about an ex-boyfriend of Wilson. He also alleged someone vandalized Armstrong and Strickland’s home the night of Wilson’s death.
Cofer declined to answer any questions from reporters.
“There’s a lot more to this story” Attorney for cyclist murder suspect claim the home she shared with boyfriend Colin Strickland was vandalized the night of Moriah Wilson’s death.
They added “a lot” of the information reported is not “accurate.” pic.twitter.com/oN7Uwx87TC— Ricky (@RickyG_TV) July 20, 2022
The defense demanded a speedy trial, despite the state citing a backlog of murder cases.
Trial is set for October.
Armstrong is held at the Travis County Jail on a $3,500,000 for first-degree murder. She also faces a separate charge for theft of service between $100 and $750 dollars because she allegedly failed to pay for a Botox session in 2018.
[Booking photo via Travis County Jail; other images via U.S. Marshals]
