Federal Agents Hunting For Woman Accused of Murdering Elite Cyclist

By - May 28, 2022
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Federal agents are conducting a manhunt this week for a woman in Texas who is accused of shooting and killing a professional cyclist from San Francisco.

Several members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force are searching for Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, 35, who is believed to have killed Anna Wilson, 25, a native of Vermont who was in Austin for a cycling race.

Austin police found Wilson bleeding from several gunshot wounds after answering a 911 call on Monday in East Austin. They did CPR on Wilson but she died at the scene. The arrest affidavit states that the 35-year-old is accused of first-degree murder, and US marshals also put out a wanted poster.

Armstrong is 5 ft. 8 inches tall and weighs 125 pounds. She is a white woman with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Wilson Was In Austin For A Race

The search warrant states that Wilson was training in Austin ahead of a major race in Dallas. Media reports say Wilson was to ride in the Gravel Locos race in Hico, which is about 90 minutes west of Fort Worth.

The arrest warrant suggests there was a romantic issue involved, with Wilson’s death possibly because of a love triangle gone bad.

Federal court papers say the day of the murder, Wilson went swimming at Deep Eddy Pool with a cyclist named Colin Strickland. Armstrong and Strickland were seeing each other at the time the cyclist was found shot. Also, it is alleged that Strickland told Austin police during a break in the relationship, he met Wilson and began to date her.

Texas law enforcement says they did a search on Wilson’s phone and text messages that indicate Wilson was still involved with Strickland even though he was going out with Armstrong.

Wilson’s family told the media this week that they were devastated by the loss and wanted to clarify details about Wilson’s alleged relationship with Strickland. They said despite media reports, Wilson was not in a romantic relationship with Strickland or anyone else.

On Day Of Killing, Wilson Told Friend She Was Going Swimming

The day she was murdered, Wilson told a close friend that she intended to go swimming that afternoon with Strickland, which he confirmed to the police. They had dinner after the swim before Strickland dropped her off at the friend’s house, but he did not go inside with her.

Austin police went to the home at about 10 PM and found Wilson’s friend doing CPR on her. Wilson had been shot several times and police officers saw several cartridge cases on the floor, but there was no firearm at the scene.

On May 14, the police said that the shooting did not look to be random. They have since pinpointed Armstrong, whom Strickland was living with in Texas, as the number one suspect. The affidavit for arrest mentions surveillance video that federal investigators obtained that shows a car like Armstrong’s near the house of Wilson’s friend just before her body was found.

Ballistic evidence at the crime scene was compared to rounds fired from a gun Strickland recently bought for Armstrong, per the federal affidavit. The results show there is a high probability that the same gun was used in the crime.

Armstrong’s Car Was Seen Near the Crime Scene

Wilson, who was nicknamed ‘Mo,’ was a skier at Dartmouth College but decided to become a bike racer after she graduated. Outside of biking, she also enjoyed writing, traveling, and cooking. Her obituary added that she especially loved Italy

On the day she died, Wilson was only days away from competing in the Gravel Locos bike race. The day after the race, the organizers posted a tribute to her on Facebook, noting Wilson was a shy, kind person and a great acerr.

According to a GoFundMe fundraiser put up by Wilson’s family, the deceased cyclist inspired many people, lived a full life, and loved fiercely.

Strickland said that he thought Wilson was one of the best female cyclists in the world, he told Austin police. A feature in VeloNews released on the day she died called her the winningest female in the US off-road biking scene. Wilson was the victor in several California races this spring before she flew to Austin for her next race.

Strickland told the police that he had a brief romantic relationship with Wilson at the end of 2021 when she was in Austin. At that time, both of them had just ended other relationships, Strickland said.

However, Strickland and Armstrong apparently reconciled and started seeing each other again. Meanwhile, his relationship with Wilson was non-sexual and professional. Strickland also told the police that he started his romantic relationship with the deceased during a 14-day period when he was not with Armstrong.

Strickland’s relationship with Wilson went on after he was seeing Armstrong, according to court documents. The affidavit also mentioned a tipster who alleged Armstrong thought Wilson’s and Strickland’s relationship was still going on in January 2022. Strickland conceded that he attempted to hide his texts from Armstrong by changing the name of Wilson on his cell phone.

Armstrong had texted Wilson many times and told her to not go near Strickland.

Several law enforcement departments investigating the crime got security camera tape that show’s what looks to be Armstrong’s vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a bike rack on the back. The vehicle was seen near the home before Wilson’s body was found.

Within a day of Wilson’s death, Texas law enforcement questioned Armstrong related to another arrest warrant. But Austin police said the warrant was invalid and she was free to go. Armstrong wanted to end the police interview after law enforcement asked her about the security camera tape that showed her car at the crime scene.