Kaitlin Armstrong sentenced to 90 years for murder of cyclist Mo Wilson - Updates
Jurors returned guilty verdict against Kaitlin Armstrong on Thursday for shooting death of star cyclist Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson
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Kaitlin Armstrong has been sentenced to 90 years in prison for the murder of her alleged love rival Moriah “Mo” Wilson.
A jury returned the sentencing verdict after around three and a half hours of deliberation on Thursday in Austin, Texas. Armstrong will also be required to pay a fine of $10,000.
The two women were reportedly involved in a love triangle with Ms Armstrong’s then on-and-off boyfriend and Wilson’s fellow cyclist Colin Strickland.
In the aftermath of the May 2022 shooting, Ms Armstrong fled to Costa Rica and was only captured five weeks later.
The state rested its case on Wednesday morning after introducing testimony from Mr Strickland, friends of Ms Armstrong, and law enforcement personnel. The defence called experts who sought to discredit the state’s DNA and ballistics evidence.
During closing arguments, prosecutors pointed out what they suggested was overwhelming evidence linking Ms Armstrong to the crime, and asked jurors to ignore the “rabbit holes” the defence had asked them to go down.
Meanwhile, Ms Armstrong’s attorneys accused police of a sloppy investigation that too quickly focused on her as the sole suspect.
Jurors sent to deliberate on sentence
The jury has now been sent to deliberate on Kaitlin Armstrong’s sentence.
On Thursday they deliberated for just two hours before reaching their guilty verdict.
How long will they take this time?
Closing arguments recap
As jurors deliberate on how long Kaitlin Armstrong will spend in prison, here’s a look back on what each side in closing arguments.
Is Kaitlin Armstrong guilty? What each side said in closing arguments
‘She stood over her after she shot her in the head twice and put another bullet in her heart,’ Assistant District Attorney Rick Jones told the jury
Kaitlin Armstrong: Emotionless as verdict returned
Jurors have been deliberating on Kaitlin Armstrong’s sentence for over an hour now.
The Texas yoga teacher has shown very little emotion throughout her trial, remaining stoney-faced even as her guilty verdict was returned.
During victim impact statements – given by both the family of Moriah “Mo” Wilson, and her own relatives – she barely reacted.
The only time this stoic demeanour changed slightly was when Armstrong was advised of her right to testify in her own trial, which she declined.
According to NewsNation Correspondent Alex Caprariello, Armstrong seemed confused, and even scared during that exchange.
It remains to be seen how she will react when she learns of her sentence.
Juror deliberations pass two and a half hours
Jurors have been deliberating on Kaitlin Armstrong’s sentence for around two and a half hours now.
This was moe than the amount of time taken to find the Austin yoga teacher guilty on Thursday.
Stay tuned.
Sentencing verdict reached in Kaitlin Armstrong trial
Jurors have reached a verdict on the sentencing of Kaitlin Armstrong forthe murder of Moriah “Mo” Wilson.
It comes around three and half hours since deliberations began on Friday morning.
Armstrong could face anywhere from 5 to 99 years in prison for her crime.
Kaitlin Armstrong sentenced to 90 years in prison
Kaitlin Armstrong has been sentenced to 90 years in prison for the murder of Moriah “Mo” Wilson.
The verdict was returned on Friday afternoon, after jurors deliberated for around three and a half hours.
Armstrong will also be required to pay a $10,000 fine.
Moriah Wilson’s friend addresses Kaitlin Armstrong after sentence
Caitlin Cash, Wilson’s friend who discovered her body, returned to the stand after the sentence was passed. She addressed Armstrong directly.
“Kaitlin, I want you to know that I fought for Mo with everything I had that night,” she said.
“From the moment that I got home and started doing chest compressions, which was the longest 10 minutes of my life, I remember feeling so relieved when the police arrived that help was finally there.”
“I fought for her afterwards when I was pulled from my home by police and taken downstairs. I initially refused to go to the police because I didn’t want to leave her alone.”
“I couldn’t understand why they weren’t bring her downstairs to the ambulance so they could take her to the hospital...that was the first moment that night that I realized that there was no coming back from this.”
“I was questioned for almost three hours that night. they finally let me wash the blood off my hands in the police station bathroom. I’ll never forget that moment in the police station bathroom, washing the blood turn red, and wanting to put it back on my hands because that’s all that was left of her.”
Cash: ‘So many people in this room have lost so much’
Ms Cash continued: “I’m struck by how much this is affected so many people have watched your parents in court every day. Not one smiling or interacting with anyone just waiting to see what happens to their daughter.
“I watch my own dad struggled to look at the videos and the audio throughout the trial.
“I’ve seen Colin [Strickland] take the stand, unable to even sit fully upright as he answered question after question about the innermost pieces of his life. A man whose lives have also been turned upside down by this tragedy.
“The ripple effect is almost incomprehensible. It’s also unbelievably sad and painful any way you look at it. So many people in this room have lost so much.”
Caitlin Cash quotes her late friend Moriah Wilson
Ms Cash remembered Wilson’s “poise and vibrancy” and said it was “an honor, a privilege to be in her orbit, even for only a short time”.
Quoting her late friend, she said: “’If we’re not willing to risk catastrophic failure, we’re probably not dreaming living or loving the right way.’
“That is profound. That is powerful.” Ms Cash added.
Moriah Wilson’s mother addresses Kaitlin Wilson
Karen Wilson, Wilson’s mother, is next on the stand to address Armstrong after her sentencing.
“Kaitlin Armstrong. I’m not sure that my words can penetrate your heart but I’m gonna try,” she said.
“I hate what you did to my beautiful daughter it was very selfish and cowardly.”
Ms Wilson said that had Armstrong endeavoured to have a “civil” conversation with her daughter, things may have been resolved.
“She would have cared about your feelings. She was a caring empathetic person,” she said.
Ms Wilson added: “When you shot Moriah in the heart, you shot me in my heart. You shot Eric and Matt in the heart... You shot cousins and aunts and uncles and all the people who loved her, there their hearts.”
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