Current:Home > InvestHow a yoga ad caught cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson's killer, Kaitlin Armstrong -Infinite Edge Capital
How a yoga ad caught cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson's killer, Kaitlin Armstrong
View
Date:2025-04-24 17:26:40
Kaitlin Armstrong was successfully hiding in Costa Rica for weeks when she responded to an ad for a yoga teacher – a mistake authorities say led to her arrest and eventual conviction for the murder of professional cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson.
Armstrong, 36, was convicted and sentenced to 90 years in prison in 2023 after the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Wilson over a love triangle involving Armstrong's boyfriend, Colin Strickland, another pro cyclist. Wilson's body was discovered on May 11, 2022.
Shortly after the killing, Armstrong used a fake passport to flee to Costa Rica where she was believed to be hiding in one of the country's many hostels, detectives with the U.S. Marshals Service told CBS’s “48 Hours” in a first-time interview over the weekend.
Just before Marshals leave for US, Armstrong replies to yoga ad
For weeks, the search yielded nothing. Detectives made friends with locals in Provincia de Puntarenas and attended various yoga classes, hoping to spot Armstrong. They'd later learn that she went by different names, had dyed her hair and had gotten a nose job. Hoping to use her love of yoga against Armstrong, investigators told "48 Hours" they placed an ad on Facebook that said "We're at this hostel, we're looking for a yoga instructor as soon as possible."
After a week and no answer, the Marshals were set to return to the U.S. Then, they got an email: A woman identifying herself as a yoga instructor wanted to meet at a hostel near Santa Teresa Beach, "48 Hours" reported. When one of the Marshals met the woman face-to-face on June 29, 2022, he confirmed she was the fugitive and took her into custody, ending a weekslong manhunt in the case that drew international attention and shocked the cycling community.
Why did Kaitlin Armstrong kill Anna Moriah 'Mo' Wilson?
Wilson was a rising star in the gravel and mountain cycling world. Prosecutors said Armstrong was jealous of Wilson for dating her boyfriend for a few weeks when they had broken up briefly in October 2021. Wilson was found dead of apparent gunshot wounds inside her friend's home in Austin, Texas.
Investigators spotted an SUV matching the description of Armstrong's Jeep Cherokee outside the home where Wilson's body was discovered. The day after the killing, police brought Armstrong in for questioning but released her. She soon made her escape to Costa Rica.
After the yoga ad and Armstrong's arrest, she was held in the Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle, Texas, where she made another attempt at escape. Two deputies were escorting her into a patrol car following a doctor's appointment when she broke free and ran away. She made it about a block before she was picked up by local police.
Contributing: Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman
veryGood! (2961)
Related
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Chiefs bringing JuJu Smith-Schuster back to loaded WR room – but why?
- Shop Coach Outlet’s Summer Steals, Including Bags, Wristlets & More up to 70% off, Starting at $30
- Judge says 4 independent and third-party candidates should be kept off Georgia presidential ballots
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Trailer for Christopher Reeve 'Super/Man' documentary offers glimpse into late actor's life
- 1000-Lb. Sisters' Tammy Slaton Claps Back on Reason She Shares So Many Selfies Amid Weight Loss
- 'I was trying to survive': Yale Fertility Center patients say signs of neglect were there all along
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Second Romanian gymnast continuing to fight for bronze medal in Olympic floor final
Ranking
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- 'Yellowstone' First Look Week: Kayce and Monica Dutton survive into Season 5 second half
- Juan Soto just getting started – with monster payday right around the corner
- Socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein Shares Photo From Before Her Cosmetic “Catwoman” Transformation
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- First rioter to enter Capitol during Jan. 6 attack is sentenced to over 4 years in prison
- Rob “The Rabbit” Pitts, Star of Netflix’s Tex Mex Motors, Dead at 45 After Battle With Stomach Cancer
- Travis, Jason Kelce strike lucrative new distribution deal for their 'New Heights' podcast
Recommendation
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Yearly tech checkup: How to review your credit report, medical data and car recalls
Former WWE champion Sid Eudy, also known as 'Sycho Sid,' dies at 63, son says
Adam Sandler's latest Netflix special is half dumb, half sweet: Review
Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
'Real Housewives' alum Vicki Gunvalson says she survived 'deadly' health scare, misdiagnosis
Today Only! Run to Coach Outlet's Sitewide Sale & Save up to 90% off Bags, Wallets & More Starting at $21
10 most surprising roster cuts as NFL teams cut down to 53-man rosters