Kaitlin Armstrong manhunt: Vehicle registered to Texas cyclist murder suspect located
Wanted poster for alleged murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong (U.S. Marshal Service)
AUSTIN, Texas - The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force says it has located the black Jeep Grand Cherokee that was registered to homicide suspect Kaitlin Armstrong.
Officials say that task force investigators learned that Armstrong sold the vehicle on May 13 to a CarMax dealership in South Austin for $12,200. Armstrong received a check from the dealership the day after being questioned by authorities in Austin.
Armstrong left the Austin airport on May 14 and was last known to have been dropped off at the Newark Liberty International Airport on May 18, a day after Austin police issued a homicide warrant for her arrest.
A source told investigators that Armstrong was provided transportation and investigators searched outbound flights at the Newark Liberty. No flight reservations have been found under Kaitlin Armstrong.
The U.S. Marshals have elevated the case to a "Major" case and is offering up to a $5,000 reward in addition to a $1,000 cash reward by the Capital Area Crime Stoppers for information leading to the arrest of Armstrong. An anonymous donor is contributing up to $15,000 bringing the total combined reward of up to $21,000.
Armstrong is white, stands 5 feet 8 inches, and weighs approximately 125 pounds. She has light brown long, curly hair and hazel eyes and was last seen on surveillance video wearing a blue denim jacket, black shirt with a pink design on the chest, white jeans, black and white tennis shoes, a black COVID mask, and a possible yoga mat carrier on her shoulders.
Anyone with information on Armstrong’s whereabouts is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102 or submit a tip using the USMS Tips app. Tips may also be sent to the Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 1-800-893-8477.
Who is Kaitlin Armstrong?
Armstrong is the prime suspect in the death of 25-year-old cycling star Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson who was found shot dead at a friend’s apartment in East Austin on Maple Avenue near East 7th Street on May 11.
Wilson, a rising cyclist star, had flown from Colorado to Texas earlier that week in preparation for the Gravel Locos race in Hico, where she was a favorite to win. A few weeks earlier, she won the Belgian Waffle Ride in California.
Law enforcement has not been able to locate Armstrong since police briefly detained and mistakenly released Armstrong on an unrelated charge.
"Armstrong was mistakenly released from custody on the misdemeanor warrant because her date of birth in our report management system did not match the date of birth on the warrant," said Detective Richard Spitler, with Austin police in a press conference on May 25.
Further investigation revealed Armstrong had dated star cyclist Colin Strickland for a few years. Last year, Strickland was romantically involved with Wilson while Strickland and Armstrong were on a brief break.
Investigators believe Wilson was shot and killed over a love triangle since Wilson and Strickland went out the day of the murder and Armstrong’s car was seen driving around where Wilson was killed.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
- Kaitlin Armstrong manhunt: What to know about Texas cyclist shooting suspect's sister, Christie Armstrong
- Kaitlin Armstrong manhunt: Texas cyclist slaying suspect could be hiding in NYC, former fugitive says
- Kaitlin Armstrong manhunt: New York campsite linked to suspect in Austin cyclist love triangle slaying
Where could Kaitlin Armstrong be hiding?
A former fugitive, who is now a filmmaker and writer, told FOX News Digital that he believes Armstrong could be hiding in plain sight.
Investigators have determined Armstrong was at the Austin International Bergstrom Airport on May 14 at approximately 12:30 p.m. She boarded Flight #WN2262 from ABIA to Houston Hobby Airport and then boarded a connecting Southwest Airlines Flight #WN30 to New York LaGuardia Airport.
Armstrong was last seen at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 18, according to the U.S. Marshals. That’s about 2 and a half hours south of the campground where she may have met her sister.
On May 17, the sister may have applied for a New York state driver’s license, according to Jason Jensen, a private investigator who has been following the case. The address she used leads to a campground in Livingston Manor, New York, where a camper told Fox News Digital he spotted Kaitlin Armstrong "before the whole thing blew up" a month ago.