Fugitive Kaitlin Armstrong is returned to US after fleeing to Costa Rica following ‘murder’ of pro cyclist Moriah Wilson
NEW images show the moment fugitive Kaitlin Armstrong returned to the US after her dramatic arrest in Costa Rica.
Armstrong was apprehended on June 29 after being on the run for 43 days following the alleged murder of her love rival and pro athlete Moriah Wilson, 25, who was found dead on May 11 in Austin, Texas.
Today, she was snapped as she touched back down on home soil for the first time following her successful deportation from the Central American county.
Armstrong, pictured in a mask and a blue jumper, used her hair to cover her face as she was accompanied by several state officers through George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.
The suspect, who was filmed earlier this week in her $22 disguise, was swiftly escorted through the terminal before being bundled into the back of a police car.
She is now set for trial at a US court where she will face charges related to Wilson’s death.
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It remains unclear where she will be detained.
Official believe her time on the run first began when she flew from Austin to Houston on May 14 before boarding a flight to Newark
Using a fake passport, she boarded a flight from Newark International Airport in New Jersey at 5.09pm on May 18 – arriving in San Jose, Costa Rica, at 8.27pm.
Cutting ties with the US, Armstrong is also believed to have sold her car in Texas for more than $12,000 on May 13, just one day before she departed Austin.
“The Marshals Service elevated the Kaitlin Armstrong investigation to major case status early in this investigation, which likely played a key role in her capture after a 43-day run,” said US Marshal for the Western District of Texas Susan Pamerleau in the wake of her arrest.
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“This is an example of combining the resources of local, state, federal and international authorities to apprehend a violent fugitive, bring an end to that run and hopefully a sense of closure to the victim’s family.”
Armstrong is accused of shooting Moriah Wilson, 25, in Austin, Texas, on May 11, 2022.
The 25-year-old cycling star had been staying at an apartment in Austin ahead of the Gravel Locos race in Hico.
Wilson allegedly told a pal she was intending to go swimming with fellow cyclist Colin Strickland, 35.
The pair previously had a fling while Strickland was taking a break from his relationship with Armstrong last October.
They remained friends and continued to spend time with each other.
‘SHAKING IN ANGER’
But the furious yoga teacher only found out about their brief romance in January – and reportedly began “shaking in anger”.
Cops believe Armstrong snapped after discovering her boyfriend had a secret affair on May 11 with his former flame Wilson.
They said Strickland told Armstrong he was going out to deliver flowers, but his phone battery had died, so he would be unable to contact her.
But he was actually taking a dip with Wilson at the Deep Eddy pool – which police believe motivated Armstrong to pursue deadly revenge.
Strickland had walked his former lover back to the house at around 8.30pm, shortly before Armstrong’s black 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee was seen stalking the street.
It is thought she may have discovered the duo’s location after finding Moriah’s public account on the Strava fitness app.
Moments after the SUV was picked up on a Ring camera, Wilson’s friend returned home to find her shot dead in a pool of blood.
Yoga teacher Armstrong then returned home to Strickland after allegedly murdering the 25-year-old and was apprehended by cops – before vanishing.
Wilson sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators concluded she had been struck several times with a 9mm round – the same caliber of gun Strickland had reportedly purchased for himself and Armstrong.
On May 19, Armstrong was charged with first-degree murder, per an affidavit.
ARMSTRONG’S JEEP LOCATED
On June 23, US Marshals announced they located Armstrong’s black Jeep Grand Cherokee at a CarMax dealership in south Austin.
Investigators say she sold the vehicle to the Austin dealership for $12,200 two days after Wilson was discovered dead.
Officials say Armstrong was provided a check from the dealership a day after being questioned by Austin police.
The 34-year-old departed Austin International Airport on May 14 and was last spotted at Newark International Airport four days later.
At the time, authorities said no outbound flights were made with reservations under her name.
SURPRISING ACT
Strickland exclusively told The Sun that Armstrong “had sides to her personality that I don’t think she shared with anybody.”
“I would say she is one of the least volatile people I have ever met,” Strickland told the Sun.
“I had no indication of anything like that.”
The champion cyclist Strickland admitted to The Sun that he and Wilson had a brief fling in 2021, but he maintains this was after he and Armstrong had agreed to see other people.
“I had ended the relationship with Kaitlin, and it was just interesting timing because Mo had come to Austin to visit a friend that exact week,” Strickland said.
“It was completely unplanned, and yeah, we started spending some time together.”
Regarding his brief dating relationship with Wilson, Strickland said it “was clearly expressed to Kaitlin at that time, and Kaitlin dated other men directly after that.”
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“We were clearly going our separate ways, but we just didn’t get enough inertia to separate.”
But he vehemently insists that after getting back together with Armstrong, his relationship with Wilson was strictly platonic.
And he told The Sun: “I’m just in shell-shocked grieving mode.”