The family of a murdered professional cyclist said Saturday that Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson was not in relationship with anyone when she was killed.
Police have launched a manhunt for Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, the Texas woman has been charged with first degree murder in Wilson’s death. Investigators say that Armstrong believed Wilson was having an affair with her boyfriend, Colin Strickland, another pro cyclist, as CrimeOnline previously reported.
In a statement to KXAN, Wilson’s family said they wanted to provide clarifying information about the case.
“While we will not elaborate about the ongoing investigation, we do feel it’s important to clarify that at the time of her death, those closest to her clearly understood, directly from Moriah, that she was not in a romantic relationship with anyone,” the family wrote in the statement.
Court records say that Wilson — who was in Texas ahead of a cycling race in Dallas — went swimming with Strickland earlier in the day on May 11, the day she was found bleeding and unconscious at the home of a friend where she’d been staying. Strickland said Friday in a statement to the Austin American-Statesman that he met Wilson last fall while he was on a break from his relationship with Armstrong. The two had a weeklong fling, he said, but the relationship became platonic after he got back with Armstrong.
Investigators, however, said that after examining Wilson’s cellphone, they concluded that Wilson believed she “was still in a romantic relationship with Strickland even though he was currently dating Armstrong,” CrimeOnline reported.
Wilson’s family cast doubt on that assumption, saying that she had told them herself that she wasn’t dating anyone.
“We are absolutely devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter and sister, Anna Moriah Wilson,” the family wrote. “There are no words that can express the pain and suffering we are experiencing due to this senseless, tragic loss. Moriah was a talented, kind, and caring young woman. Her life was taken from her before she had the opportunity to achieve everything she dreamed of. Our family, and all those who loved her, will forever miss her.”
Strickland reportedly told police that he changed Wilson’s name in his cellphone and deleted messages from her so Armstrong would not know they were communicating.
On the night Wilson was killed, she and Strickland had dinner together after swimming. He dropped her off at the home where she was staying shortly after 8:30 p.m.. Wilson entered a minute later, according to electronic lock data. And a minute after that, a black SUV that looked like Armstrong’s pulled up.
Investigators questioned Armstrong about the shooting but did not arrest her. She has not been seen or heard from since May 13, and she reportedly deleted all her social media accounts.
Anyone with information on Armstrong’s location is asked to contact the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102 or submit a tip using the USMS Tips app. You can also submit a tip to Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 1-800-893-8477.
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[Featured image: Left, Mo Wilson/GoFundMe and Kaitlin Armstrong/US Marshals Service]
