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Kaitlin Armstrong's brief escape from custody
FOX 7 has obtained evidence never seen before outside the courtroom in the Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial. In this report, FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis detailed Armstrong's brief escape and then being brought into the courtroom.
AUSTIN, Texas - FOX 7 has obtained evidence never seen before outside the courtroom in the Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial. U.S. Marshals tracked Armstrong in Costa Rica, and she was brought back to Texas.
Armstrong is in prison for the death of Anna Moriah Wilson in East Austin in 2022.
"Ms. Armstrong wants her day in court, she wants a trial," Armstrong’s defense attorney, Rick Cofer, said.
Nineteen days before Armstrong’s trial, a short-lived race for freedom was caught on camera.
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Kaitlin Armstrong: 43-day long manhunt
FOX 7 has obtained evidence that has never been seen outside the courtroom. U.S. Marshals tracked Kaitlin Armstrong after she fled the country and tried to change her appearance to avoid capture.
Travis County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Officers were supposed to escort Armstrong from a doctor’s appointment in South Austin back to the correction complex, but Armstrong had other plans and darted as they left the doctor’s office.
The chase lasted about 10 minutes before she was caught, taken back to jail, and eventually brought into the courtroom.
"We’re going to ask you to find Kaitlin Armstrong guilty of murdering ‘Mo’ Wilson," Assistant District Attorney Rickey Jones said.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial: Videos and photos of evidence provided at trial
- Kaitlin Armstrong: 911 call reporting Anna Moriah Wilson's murder
- VIDEO: Moment Colin Strickland found out about Anna Moriah Wilson's murder
- VIDEO: Kaitlin Armstrong's interrogation interview at APD headquarters
- Detailing the 43-day-long manhunt of Kaitlin Armstrong
"How do you plead?" the judge asked Armstrong.
"Not guilty," Armstrong responded.
But, the text messages, GPS tracking data and surveillance footage putting her black Jeep at the scene of the crime, and DNA evidence led to Armstrong’s conviction.
"This court hereby sentences you to 90 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and a $10,000 fine," the judge said.
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Kaitlin Armstrong's interrogation interview
FOX 7 has obtained evidence never before seen outside the courtroom which includes video of Kaitlin Armstrong’s interrogation at Austin police headquarters.
The woman who first found Wilson after she had been shot left Armstrong with a message.
"I'm angry at you, at the utter tragic nature, at the senselessness, at not being able to hear Mo's voice again," Anna Moriah Wilson’s friend, Caitlin Cash, said. "I'll forever be honored to have known her, to have held her as a close friend, both in life and in death, and I'll have to continue seeking out ways to honor her legacy."
Armstrong maintains her innocence, appealing her conviction. She claims she had ineffective assistance of counsel.
"I prayed for your healing, the only way that can begin is to admit your guilt, own your actions, and seek forgiveness," Anna Moriah Wilson’s mother, Karen Wilson, said. "I’m not sure if my words can penetrate your heart, but I’m going to try. I hate what you did to my beautiful daughter. It was very selfish and cowardly. When you shot Moriah in the heart, you shot me in my heart."
Armstrong has been in prison now for a little over a year. Under current Texas law, she’ll be eligible for parole after 30 years.
The Source: Information from court documents and previous FOX 7 Austin coverage