Kaitlin Armstrong trial: Jurors shown full APD interview with Armstrong before she was released
AUSTIN, Texas - A lot happened in the days directly following Moriah Wilson’s death as law enforcement immediately zoned in on Colin Strickland and Kaitlin Armstrong.
APD soon learned that Armstrong had an outstanding warrant for a past minor theft.
She was arrested on that outstanding warrant and brought in to be questioned about Moriah Wilson by Det. Katy Conner.
However, in the middle of the interview, Det. Conner was told that the date of birth on the warrant did not appear to be accurate. That invalidated the warrant and Det. Conner made it clear to Armstrong that she was free to go.
In the full interview video, played to jurors on Thursday morning, Armstrong said multiple times, "I would like to leave," yet doesn’t.
During questioning by the State, Det. Conner said she believed Armstrong was trying to stay and see what police knew.
The defense asked if Det. Conner or anyone from APD told Armstrong after that not to leave Austin or even the state or country. Det. Conner said no one told her that.
Armstrong did leave shortly after.
Jurors heard from the man who found Armstrong in Costa Rica after a 40-plus day manhunt.
Through working with the local authorities and "old-fashioned police work," U.S. Marshals were able to track Armstrong to a hostel in Santa Teresa.
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Deputy Marshal Emir Perez said when he arrived at the hostel, he saw a woman in the lobby sitting and talking with a man. She looked similar to Armstrong, but she had a bandage over her nose, swollen lips and darker hair.
Perez started speaking to her in Spanish. She took out her phone to use Google Translate. Perez was able to get closer to her and said, "I was able to confirm it was her based on her eyes."
He notified local authorities and she was arrested.
Perez described Armstrong as polite and cooperative in his interactions with her. During State questioning of Perez, he admitted that when first asked her name by local authorities, Armstrong said it was "Ari Martin."
Some of the items later found in her belongings included a receipt for cosmetic surgery under the name "Alisson Paige," Christine Armstrong’s passport with a Costa Rica stamp on May 18 and Kaitlin Armstrong’s passport with no stamp.
The trial will resume on Monday due to Veterans Day.