'They must be devastated': Expert asks public to consider victim's family while following Armstrong case

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The murder trail for Kaitlin Armstrong -- the pro cyclist accused of killing fellow pro cyclist Mo Wilson -- begins this week.

The case has garnered attention across the country.

"This case is sort of like a Hollywood movie," said Carsten Andresen, a criminal justice professor at St. Edward's University.

But while he said it may seem exciting to many to cling to the details of the case, he wants to remind everyone that there is another side to this.

"Imagine how the victim's family must feel. They must be devastated. This isn't entertainment for them. All of this interest, all of this obsession," he said. "It's going to be really hard for the family to deal with and absorb all they're going to go through."

Two high profile trials at once

Starting Wednesday, Armstrong's trial will run concurrently with the murder trial for Austin police officer Christopher Taylor, who shot and killed Mike Ramos during a police response at an apartment complex in April of 2020.

"Setting aside all those juicy elements of the Armstrong case, it's just a regular murder. The other trial going on in the courthouse right now is more important to our community," said Austin defense attorney Rick Flores, referring to the Taylor trial in the latter half of his statement. "I know there's a lot of local interest in the Kaitlin Armstrong trial, but I would really urge viewers to really follow both trials. Both of them are very important. Both of them show a lot of insight into the criminal justice system here locally."