A search is under way for a Texas woman wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a professional cyclist who authorities say was once romantically involved with the suspect’s boyfriend.
Austin police issued a murder warrant Tuesday for Caitlin Marie Armstrong, 35, in the murder of 25-year-old Anna Moria Wilson, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Wilson was in Austin last week for a race when she was found bleeding and unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds at a friend’s home on the night of May 11, police said. First aid took life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead. An autopsy found that the manner of death was murder. Austin police said at the time that there was a person interested in the incident and that “the shooting did not appear to be an accidental act”.
U.S. marshals say they are currently looking for Armstrong from Austin, who they believe is suspected of the fatal shooting.
“Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force are actively investigating the fugitives and seeking information on Armstrong’s whereabouts,” a statement from the U.S. Marshals Office said Friday.
The US Marshals Office shared this photo with the murder suspect Caitlin Armstrong.
According to an affidavit in Armstrong’s arrest warrant for first-degree murder, Wilson was visiting Austin, San Francisco, for a cycling race when her boyfriend returned home and found Wilson lying alone on the bathroom floor covered in blood. Armstrong’s 2012 Cherokee jeep was taken from surveillance from a neighboring residence that stopped in front of the residence on the night of the murder, according to sworn statements.
Earlier that evening, Wilson met with Colin Strickland, a professional cyclist from Austin, to swim, a friend of the police said, according to the swearing-in statement.
In an interview with police on May 12, the 35-year-old Strickland confirmed that he went swimming with Wilson, according to the affidavits. Strickland told police he and Armstrong have lived together for about three years, according to the swearing-in statement. During a brief break in their relationship in October 2021, he had a “romantic relationship” with Wilson before resuming his meeting with Armstrong, according to the affidavit.
Strickland has since told police he had to change Wilson’s name on his phone and delete text messages “to prevent Armstrong from finding them,” the swearing-in statement said. Text reports from the night Wilson was killed show that Strickland lied to Armstrong about his whereabouts, “to hide that he was with Wilson all night,” the affidavit said.
A friend of Wilson’s, who wished to remain anonymous, told police that Wilson and Strickland had a relationship “again, again”, according to the affidavit. Another anonymous caller said Armstrong discovered in January that Strickland and Wilson had a romantic relationship, at which point Armstrong was “enraged and shaking with anger,” the swearing-in statement said. “Armstrong told the caller that Armstrong was so angry that Armstrong wanted to kill Wilson,” the swearing-in statement said.
When police interviewed Armstrong on May 12, she was “faced with video evidence of her vehicle”, but “she had no explanation as to why she was in the area and did not make any statements about the statements,” the swearing-in statement said. After further questioning, Armstrong asked to leave, according to the affidavits.
Armstrong has since deleted her social media accounts and “has not been seen or heard from since,” according to the swearing-in statement. Strickland told police he last saw her on May 13, according to the swearing-in statement.
Colin Strickland sprints to the finish line in the Men Pro 1-2 Hotter’N Hell Hundred race in Wichita Falls, Texas, August 25, 2018. Final of the Hotter N Hell Hundred race
Two firearms, which Strickland told police he bought for himself and Armstrong, were found in his home and in Armstrong after the shooting, according to the oath. Based on the shell casings found at the scene, the potential for one of the weapons to be involved in the killing is “significant,” the swearing-in statement said.
In a statement to the ABC News branch in Austin KVUE, Strickland said he had “fully cooperated with investigators” and expressed “torture over my closeness to this horrific crime”.
He said he had a “brief romantic relationship” with Wilson from late October to early November 2021 and that shortly after he “reconciled and renewed” his relationship with Armstrong, while maintaining a “platonic and professional” relationship with Wilson.
Wilson’s death shocked the cycling community. The athlete has won several gravel and mountain biking races in the last two seasons and had recently quit her job to focus on racing, according to VeloNews, which interviewed Wilson days before she raced at Gravel Locos 157 miles in Hico, Texas. May 14
Wilson, known as “Mo” to friends and family, is survived by her parents and brother. Her family told ABC News she was “devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter and sister”.
“There are no words to express the pain and suffering we are experiencing because of this senseless, tragic loss. Moria was a talented, kind and caring young woman,” said her family. “Her life was taken away from her before she could achieve anything. Our family and everyone who loved her will miss her forever. “
Her family also wanted to clarify that at the time of her death, Wilson was not romantically involved with anyone.
Wilson’s family hopes to create a foundation in her memory to “share Moria’s life history and legacy to inspire and enrich the lives of others.”
“With her visibility and presence in the world of cycling, she wanted to enable young athletes, encourage people from all walks of life to find joy and meaning through sport and community, and inspire everyone to pursue their dreams,” they said.
Lisa Sievertsen of ABC News contributed to this report.
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