Kaitlin Armstrong needs to be closely monitored if released from jail, judge says
AUSTIN, Texas - A Travis County judge decided 34-year-old Kaitlin Armstrong needs to be closely monitored if and when she is released from the Travis County Jail.
Armstrong is being held on $3.5 million bond, charged in the murder of pro-cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson.
"I think there's obviously an overarching concern that if she fled the country, what would keep her from trying to do it again?" said Sam Bassett, an Austin-based attorney not connected with this case.
Newly-released court documents reveal strict bond conditions set at a hearing late Tuesday night. If she is released, Armstrong must be fitted with a GPS bracelet before she leaves the Travis County Jail. She must also abide by a curfew between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., and surrender her passport.
These steps, Bassett says, would make it difficult for Armstrong to get very far.
"Even when somebody cuts their bracelet, it's hard for them to get away because there's an immediate alert and location as to where that bracelet was cut," said Bassett.
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Armstrong was extradited to Texas Saturday after being arrested in Costa Rica last Wednesday, following six weeks on the lam. Armstrong arrived home looking noticeably different due to cutting and dying her hair, and some speculate that she’d had plastic surgery.
Inside Edition reports a receipt for plastic surgery was found at Armstrong’s Costa Rican hostel, and that she had her sister’s passport with her. It’s unclear if that’s the passport she used to flee the U.S.
Bassett says all that can be used against Armstrong in court.
"Leaving the country and getting caught is something the prosecutors will use to their advantage, no question," said Bassett.
Moriah Wilson, a 24-year-old rising star cyclist was found dead at a home on Maple Avenue in East Austin May 11. Court documents suggest the killing may have stemmed from Wilson’s prior romantic involvement with Armstrong’s boyfriend, but Bassett points out plenty of questions still remain.
"If there was a shooting by the accused, why did the shooting take place? What happened in the context of the shooting taking place? Was she threatened or was there some sort of argument?" said Bassett.
On July 5, 2022, Kaitlin Marie Armstrong was booked into Travis County Jail for Murder, 1st Degree Felony, and Theft of Service. (Travis County Jail)
FOX 7 reached out to Armstrong’s lawyer Rick Cofer late Tuesday. His office sent the following statement:
"Kaitlin Armstrong is represented by the trial attorneys of Texas law firm Cofer & Connelly. Neither Cofer & Connelly nor Kaitlin Armstrong will be making any statements to the media at this time, and we ask for respect for the privacy of Kaitlin's family.
"I think it's a challenging case for the defense, from what I can tell. But obviously, there's a lot we don't know," said Bassett.
Armstrong is also charged with theft and faces a federal count of flight to avoid prosecution. The next court date in her case is a preliminary hearing on July 20, but Armstrong herself will not be appearing.