When Kaitlin Armstrong was sentenced to 90 years in prison for the murder of her love rival Moriah Wilson, the victim’s father threw the man into the middle of the deadly love triangle.
Armstrong, 35, who lived with Colin Strickland, shot Moriah “Mo” Wilson after Strickland and Wilson went to dinner on May 11, 2022.
Strickland dated Wilson during a brief breakup with Armstrong, but admitted that he stayed in touch with Wilson, changed her name on his phone, and lied to Armstrong about it.
“This sad story is the perfect example of why integrity and honesty are crucial in our personal relationships and how dishonesty can often lead to unintended consequences,” Wilson’s father, Eric, said at a news conference after Armstrong’s sentencing.
“Selfish manipulation, jealousy and hatred never produce positive results.”
Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, showed no emotion as a Texas jury sentenced her to 90 years in prison for the murder of her love rival Moriah Wilson
According to authorities, Armstrong became jealous and shot 25-year-old Wilson (left) after she went swimming and had dinner with Armstrong’s friend, professional cyclist Colin Strickland (right).
Armstrong was sentenced Friday by a Texas jury to 90 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
“As a family, we believe justice has been served,” said Wilson’s father, Eric.
“There really are no winners here.” This is not a time for celebration, but a time for prayer. Time to pray for our family, our friends and the Armstrong family and their friends.”
The Wilsons added that they are committed to keeping Wilson’s memory alive through the Moriah Wilson Foundation, which works to expand access to recreational, athletic and educational programs.
On Thursday, the jury took less than two hours to find Armstrong guilty. The former yoga instructor stalked Wilson and Strickland as they went swimming and dinner in Austin on May 11, 2022.
After Strickland dropped Wilson off at a friend’s apartment and left, Armstrong entered the house and shot Wilson twice in the head, once in the heart and once in the hand – a wound that the coroner said meant Wilson likely raised her hands to attack trying to protect themselves from the shots.
Kaitlin Armstrong on the day she was found guilty of murdering Moriah, “Mo” Wilson, a rising star in the cycling world who was dating Armstrong’s boyfriend
Prosecutor Rickey Jones points to Anna Moriah Wilson’s defense violations as he addresses the jury during the verdict in Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial in Austin, Texas
Prosecutors had asked the jury to sentence Armstrong to at least 40 years in prison because she will be eligible for parole after serving half of her sentence or 30 years, whichever comes first.
Wilson’s girlfriend and mother addressed Armstrong in court following the verdict, with the victim describing Armstrong’s behavior as “selfish and cowardly.”
“You never chose to confront her in a civil, woman-to-woman conversation,” Karen Wilson said, looking directly at her daughter’s killer.
“She would have listened. She was an amazing listener. She would have cared about your feelings. “You and Colin could have had a nice life together.”
Karen added that Armstrong chose instead to ruin her own life and those of many others.
“When you shot Moriah in the heart, you shot me in the heart,” the grieving mother explained.
As Karen walked back to her seat, she maintained eye contact with Armstrong as he walked past her.
Wilson’s mother, Karen, took the stand after Kaitlin Armstrong’s sentencing to give a victim impact statement, telling her daughter’s killer: “When you shot Moriah in the heart, you shot me in the heart.”
Shortly before Kaitlin Armstrong found out, a jury in Austin, Texas, had convicted her on Thursday of murdering her love rival Moriah “Mo” Wilson. The jury reached a “guilty” verdict in less than two hours
A key piece of evidence in the case was a neighbor’s surveillance video that captured Wilson’s blood-curdling final screams as Armstrong approached her with the gun. Then three shots are heard.
Jurors also saw several videos that showed Armstrong’s black Jeep outside the apartment where Wilson was killed.
Additionally, she was found at the scene using Armstrong’s phone and vehicle GPS.
Armstrong’s DNA was also found on Wilson’s bicycle outside the apartment.
As exclusively reported, the murderer rejected the possibility of a lighter sentence in exchange for pleading guilty months before her trial began.
Moriah “Mo” Wilson’s photo is displayed on the screen during the sentencing hearing in Kaitlin Armstrong’s murder trial Friday at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center
Colin Strickland storms out of the Travis County Courthouse after testifying against his ex Kaitlin Armstrong
The former yoga instructor rejected a plea deal from Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza.
“She could have been released from prison in her 50s or 60s…much sooner than if she had been convicted by a jury,” a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told .
“Against the advice of her attorney, she rejected the plea deal. She insists on looking into this case, but for her to run away again…that’s just crazy.”
Armstrong attempted to escape from police custody 19 days before her. The Oct. 30 trial began when she was released from prison for a medical visit, but the prison guard caught her.
Authorities later revealed that she had made up an excuse to see a doctor and had been doing some running training before her botched escape.
The prison break was Armstrong’s second attempt to evade law enforcement.
The yoga teacher is pictured before the attack (left) and after fleeing the country (right). Police said she underwent plastic surgery, reportedly a nose job, and dyed her hair brown while on the run
Days after Wilson’s murder, after police questioned Armstrong and she fled to Costa Rica using her sister’s passport.
After a warrant was issued for her arrest in Wilson’s death, U.S. marshals located her in a remote coastal town in the Central American country and brought her back to the United States.
While on the run, she spent nearly $7,000 on cosmetic surgery to change her appearance, including a nose job, an eyebrow lift and fillers, and dyeing her hair dark, according to court testimony.
However, Armstrong’s days in court are not over. The convicted murderer faces a separate felony charge for her failed escape from Austin prison guards, which has not yet been tried.