Fugitive Kaitlin Armstrong previously charged with larceny after not paying for $650 Botox procedure
Texas fugitive Kaitlin Armstrong, who is wanted by U.S. Marshals in connection with the May 11 shooting death of 25-year-old cyclist Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson, was charged with larceny in 2018 after she allegedly Botoxed-and-dashed, according to court documents.
Larceny charge
A probable cause affidavit states that on March 6, 2018, Armstrong received a $650 Botox procedure at a Travis County spa. After the procedure was completed, she presented her MasterCard at the spa but said she had another card in her vehicle that she would rather use.
The now-34-year-old apparently left her MasterCard on the counter, walked out of the spa and did not return to pay, according to the affidavit.
Wilson's killing
Four years later, the Austin Police Department (APD) issued a warrant on May 17 for Armstrong's arrest in connection with Wilson's killing.
Police responded to a 911 call from an East Austin residence on the 1700 block of Maple Avenue on May 11. Wilson was visiting Austin from San Francisco for a bike race.
The caller said her friend was "bleeding and unconscious" at the location. Police discovered Wilson suffering from "multiple gunshot wounds" upon arrival. Investigators determined that Wilson was shot inside the Maple Avenue residence. Authorities attempted CPR but ultimately pronounced Wilson dead at the scene.
The caller had also observed that Wilson's bike, which she had told Wilson to move earlier in the day, appeared to have been stolen, according to an affidavit.
Officers later found Wilson's bike approximately 68 feet south of the Maple Avenue residence "concealed in thick bamboo," the affidavit states.
Love triangle
Austin professional cyclist Colin Strickland, 35, who was in a long-term relationship with Armstrong at the time of Wilson's killing, released a May 20 statement apologizing for his "proximity to this horrible crime" and explaining details that suggested the crime was related to domestic matters and a possible love triangle scenario, according to KVUE reporter Tony Plohetski.
"I am so sorry, and I simply can not make sense of this unfathomable tragedy," Strickland said. "Although it will be a matter of no small consolation to anyone else who cared for Mo, I want you to know that I have fully cooperated with investigators ever since I learned the terrible news, and I will continue to do so until some form of justice is served."
He added that he "had a brief romantic relationship" with Wilson while she was visiting Austin in 2021, during a break in his relationship with Armstrong.
Strickland told police that he had picked up Wilson on his motorcycle to go swimming on the day of her death and lied to Armstrong about his whereabouts. He dropped her off later that night after they got food, but he apparently did not see "anyone nearby."
Evidence
Security footage obtained by police apparently shows a black SUV with a large bike rack parking near the Maple Avenue residence a minute after Wilson returned home on the evening of May 11. The next day, the U.S. Marshals Texas Lone Star Fugitive Task Force drove to Strickland's address, where Armstrong was living, and observed a 2012 black Jeep Cherokee with a large bike rack "that appeared to be the same vehicle observed on surveillance footage." Strickland told police that the Jeep belongs to Armstrong.
Officers discovered two 9 m.m. guns in Strickland's home, one of which investigators determined to be "significant to the investigation." The professional cyclist told authorities he purchased two firearms between December 2021 and January 2022, including one for Strickland.
On May 14, an anonymous caller told police that when Armstrong found out about Wilson's relationship with Strickland in January, she was "shaking with anger" and said she wanted to kill Wilson, according to the affidavit.
On the run
On May 12, detectives apprehended Armstrong on an outstanding class B warrant for her arrest. Authorities interviewed the 34-year-old but mistakenly released her from custody on the misdemeanor warrant because her date of birth in the department’s report management system did not match the date of birth on the warrant, APD Homicide Det. Richard Spitler said during a Wednesday press conference.
She had been on the run ever since.
Texas Deputy US Marshal Brandon Filla told The New York Post that Armstrong’s background in flipping houses may have provided her with "the funds to continue to hide."
"[Armstrong’s escape] wasn’t something that was abrupt, this was something that was methodical, that was timed. She had somewhat of a plan," he told the outlet.