“I know she didn’t do that. There are a lot of unanswered questions,” he added.
Armstrong, 34, is an Austin-based, Texas-based broker and yoga teacher – and is now a fugitive. She is wanted for the May 11 shooting of Wilson, who had previously dated Armstrong’s boyfriend, which investigators say could be a violent act of romantic jealousy.
On the night of her murder, Wilson was staying at a friend’s house in Austin in preparation for a race, according to a sworn declaration of arrest on May 19 filed by police at Travis County Court. Austin police responded to the home shortly before 10 pm to find that Wilson was suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Austin police.
She was pronounced dead on the spot.
Investigators are investigating details to piece together what happened. Surveillance footage shows a vehicle similar to Armstrong’s near the crime scene, according to an affidavit.
U.S. marshals are on the hunt for Armstrong, which has not been seen or heard since the week of Wilson’s assassination, according to sworn statements. Authorities are urging the public to provide any information about his whereabouts.
Here’s what we know about the investigation into Wilson’s death.
Wilson was killed days before the big race
Wilson was a rising star in a discipline called gravel racing, a thriving hybrid of road cycling and mountain biking.
She traveled to Texas to compete in the Gravel Locos race in Hico, about two and a half hours north of Austin, where she was staying with a friend, according to the affidavit.
On the afternoon of May 11, Wilson went swimming with fellow cyclist Colin Strickland, 35, a detail later confirmed by police, according to sworn statements. Investigators found that Wilson had previously been in a romantic relationship with Strickland, while he and Armstrong were briefly separated.
Strickland told investigators that after swimming, he and Wilson had dinner and then he left her at her friend’s house. He said he did not go inside, according to the affidavit.
Authorities later identified Armstrong, who was dating and living with Strickland, as the prime suspect in Wilson’s death.
In the 24 hours after Wilson’s assassination, Lone Star Refugee Task Force officers detained Armstrong on an unrelated warrant and police interviewed her. During the interview, officials learned that the order was not valid and told Armstrong that she was free to leave, the affidavit said.
Armstrong asked to end the interview and left after detectives began confronting her about the video from the security camera, which appears to have placed her vehicle near the scene of Wilson’s murder, according to the affidavit.
Strickland told investigators she had not spoken to Armstrong since May 13, according to the oath, and a detective found that she had deleted her Instagram account in the days following the murder.
What video and ballistic evidence reveal
Investigators described in detail several points of evidence in the affidavits for Armstrong’s arrest. Surveillance records obtained from a number of law enforcement agencies allowed investigators to put together a series of events that led to Wilson’s death, the swearing-in statement said.
“Video surveillance shows Strickland leaving the area after removing Wilson and shows Armstrong’s vehicle arriving in [the] the residence where Wilson stayed, “the swearing-in statement said.
The friend Wilson was staying with gave the cyclist a unique code to unlock the door of the house, according to the oath. Investigators say Wilson’s personal code was used to unlock the door at 8:36 p.m., according to the document’s schedule. A minute later, according to the affidavit, Armstrong’s car “seems to be stopping” at the residence.
Strickland told investigators he bought a gun for Armstrong between December and January, which officers were able to obtain with a search warrant, according to the affidavit.
A comparison of test cartridges fired from the pistol and cartridge cases found next to Wilson’s body showed “significant” potential, “that the same firearm was involved,” according to the affidavit.
Austin police issued an arrest warrant for Armstrong on May 17.
Wilson’s past relationship with the suspect’s boyfriend
Strickland told investigators that he and Armstrong had been dating for three years, but that they separated briefly in October, the swearing-in statement said.
Meanwhile, Strickland said he had a romantic relationship with Wilson before he and Armstrong eventually reunited. Strickland said he continued to communicate with Wilson and admitted that he had taken steps to hide their conversations from Armstrong by changing Wilson’s name on his phone and deleting texts, the affidavit said.
After Armstrong and Strickland began dating, Armstrong contacted Wilson several times and on one occasion told her to “stay away” from Strickland, one of Wilson’s friends told investigators according to the oath.
The same friend told investigators that Wilson and Strickland had a “again, again excluded” relationship, although Strickland denied this in a statement to the Austin American-Statesman. He told the newspaper that he and Wilson had a “brief romantic relationship” while he and Armstrong were separated, and said that his relationship with Wilson after that was “only platonic and professional”.
“Moria and I were both leaders in this lonely, niche sport of cycling, and I admired her very much and considered her a close friend,” he said in a statement. “I am deeply saddened by her loss.”
Wilson’s family issued a statement saying she was not in a romantic relationship at the time of her death.
“Although we will not elaborate on the ongoing investigation, we believe it is important to clarify that at the time of her death, those closest to her clearly understood, directly from Moria, that she was not in a romantic relationship with anyone.” says in a statement.
Her family, who is launching a fundraising campaign at GoFundMe, describes Wilson as a “talented, kind and caring young woman” who wants to empower young female athletes, encourage people from all walks of life to find joy and meaning. through sport and community, and inspire everyone to pursue their dreams. ”
CNN’s Eric Levenson, Dakin Andone, Jennifer Henderson, Carol Alvarado and Chris Boyet contributed to this report.
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