Yoga Teacher Charged With Murder Of Romantic Rival After Over A Month On The Run

Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, 34, allegedly shot and killed her romantic rival, Anna Moriah Wilson, on May 11, 2022. Wilson was a 25-year-old professional cyclist who had dated Armstrong’s longtime live-in boyfriend Colin Strickland, 34, when he and Armstrong had briefly broken up in October of 2021, reported the Austin American - Statesman.

Armstrong and Strickland soon got back together, but Armstrong didn’t learn about the fling until January 2022. When she was told about it, she allegedly became so furious that she started shaking.

On the day of the shooting, Strickland had snuck out to see Wilson. The two had remained friendly, and after they went swimming together, Strickland dropped her off at a friend’s house where she was later killed. Armstrong’s Jeep was seen on surveillance footage outside the home, according to The New York Post. Wilson was found that day "bleeding and unconscious from multiple gunshot wounds" in the Austin residence, reported PEOPLE.

Initially police questioned Armstrong and confronted her with surveillance footage of what looked like her vehicle at the murder scene on the day of the killing. However, they didn’t arrest her.

Only two days after the murder, Armstrong sold her Jeep and used the money to pay for the expenses she’d face going on the lam. On May 14, she took a flight from Austin to Houston and then to New York City. Then an arrest warrant for murder was issues for her in Austin on May 17. The Austin American-Statesman reported that she apparently used a fraudulent passport to leave the country. She flew from Newark International Airport to San Jose, Costa Rica.

Armstrong was a yoga enthusiast, and she continued her practice at a local studio while on the run. This actually helped police track her down. PEOPLE reported that she didn’t move around a lot once she escaped, and they searched yoga studios where they thought she might be. Investigators found a handwritten login that matched the alias she had used to travel to Costa Rica, and they were soon able to close in on the fugitive.

While on the run, Armstrong stayed at least part of the time at a hostel on Costa Rica's Santa Teresa Beach which faced the Pacific Ocean. She altered her appearance during her time on the run, according to PEOPLE. Deputy U.S. Marshal Brandon Filla told XKAN that she dyed her hair dark brown and was wearing a bandage on her nose. Also, she sustained bruises under her eyes from what was alleged to be a surfboarding accident.

After Armstrong spent 43 days on the run, authorities arrested her in Costa Rica, reported TODAY. She was extradited and arrived back in the United States on Saturday, July 2, 2022. She was then transferred to Austin on July 5.

On June 10, a grand jury indicted Armstrong for murder, which carries a prison sentence of five years to 99 years or life. She also faces an unlawful flight to avoid prosecution charge. The unlawful flight charge will be handled in federal court.