KAITLIN ARMSTRONG MURDER TRIAL
Video is Colin Strickland entering the Travis County Courthouse Monday. He will continue testifying today.On Friday, he described his "tumultuous" relationship with
#KaitlinArmstrong & shared his memories from the night Mo Wilson was killed.
Kaitlin Armstrong has entered the courtroom. She is wearing a black pantsuit and a Carolina blue blouse. She enters silently and takes her seat without a word. Four sheriff's deputies escort her in, three take seats beside and behind her.
The jury takes their seats. So does Colin Strickland on the witness stand. He keeps his eyes low and his head bowed. The state will continue its questioning where it left off on Friday.
State begins by asking about Kaitlin Armstrong's sister, Christy. Strickland says that he believes she was living in NYC at the time of the murder.Strickland says he has never fired either of the pistols he and Armstrong bought. He says Armstrong used the weapons because he has seen pictures of her using it at the firing range.
There is a bit more strength in Colin's voice today compared to Friday. He is still keeping his eyes downcast, but on Friday he was barely speaking above a whisper. We can hear him much more clearly today.
Colin explains that he realized at least four people were blocked on his cellphone that he did not personally block himself. One of them was Mo Wilson. The other three were also women.
We are about to view text messages from Colin Strickland's phone.Mo to Colin: "Hey, just did something to my phone - checking to see if this message goes through?"Inside the courtroom, Colin is being asked to read these texts out loud.
The dates of these text messages show 1/7/22.The texts back and forth are trying to establish a text connection. They are realizing somehow that Mo Wilson was blocked. Colin sends a picture of a flatbed truck and asks if she received it? "Hahah yesss," Mo responds.
Now texts from 4/11/22.Mo asks, "You make it to Santa Rosa?""V close," Colin responds. "Did you end up in a swanky hotel? I would be very jealous as I need a shower."Mo asks about cycling rules and strategy. Colin says this was the type of professional communication he normally had with her.There are dozens of text messages that the state is flying past now. We are unable to read them. The defense previously objected to publishing some of the text exchanges, which the judge agreed to.
Now 5/10/22 text messages:"Hey hey," Mo begins. "Are you back in Austin? I'm flying there today to hang out with Cash for a few days before gravel Locos."Colin tells the court that he did not know she was coming to
#ATX."Heyeee! I just arrived last night. Out in lockhart projecting, about to go ride in this," Colin responds. "What are you guys up to tonight?""Wowww yea it is hot here, my God," Mo responds. "Gonna grab some food somewhere, not sure where yet. You?”
Colin responds that he'll eat out in Lockhart. He sends a movie, Mo "likes" the movie. She asks if Colin has a training ride for the next day on 5/11. Colin explains he had a solo ride planned, asks if she wants to join.
Now 5/11/22: Mo follows up about the ride, Colin had already left for his morning ride with a friend. Because of the delayed response, Mo questions whether or not they are dealing with "phone issues again."Later, from CS: "Want to go swimming? Maybe swimming and a beverage. What do you think?"Mo responds with a photo of her on her bike ride. It is 3:47pm on 5/11/22.
"Sounds great. I'm dying out here," Mo says about her bike ride in the 100+ degree heat."Oh god. You are still out??" Colin responds."Yaa," Mo says."When are you done? Want a moto ride to pool?" Colin asks.
"Just got back!" 5/11/22 @ 4:32pm"Ok. Shall I head to Cash's now?""Sure! I've got nothing going on rest of the day!" Mo responds with Cash's address on Maple Ave. "What's your timing?""Heeere," Colin responds at 5:43pm
Now we are looking at a different exhibit. They are still text messages. But the contact shows "Christine Wall.""Who is Christine Wall?" The State asks Colin in the courtroom."It is no one that I know, but it is the name I used in my phone for Mo," Colin responds. Colin has previously testified that he had to change Mo's number in his phone to avoid confrontation with
#KaitlinArmstrong.The text messages are the same as what we just saw from the previous exhibit. The point is for the State to show that Mo and Colin texted back and forth with Mo's name under a different alias.
We are now looking at text messages between Colin Strickland and Kaitlin Armstrong.They are discussing investment strategies. Kaitlin was managing his business and accounts. Colin agrees that Kaitlin was savvy with money. They discuss liquidating and depreciating assets.
The dates of these texts are 10/28/21."I know you know better than to show up at meteor with that girl," Armstrong sends to Colin.Meteor is a popular cycling cafe in South Austin.
"Aside from that, enjoy your eve," Armstrong follows up.Colin testifies that "that girl" was Mo Wilson."Could you please be an adult," Colin responds via text. I perceived that as childish behavior, Colin tells the court.
"Mo left for meteor with friends an hour ago," Colin sends to Armstrong. "I am not going because I am trying to respect you."Colin, with his hand rubbing his temple on the witness stand as he speaks above a whisper, says he never went to Meteor.
"Did you call Mo? Wtf?" Colin asks Armstrong on 10/28/21 @ 8:05pmCT. "Can you talk? I need to understand what is going on."Colin says her behavior was erratic."Sorry, I can't talk right now." Armstrong replies.
1/11/22CS to KA: "Pease send me an image of the McBrides guns receipt for the pistols. It should be in the pistol case on the barstool in the living room." Colin says he wanted to exchange his gun for one that fits his hand better.A picture shows the receipt from 12/6/21.
Colin's text show that the recoil is too intense to hold at the bottom.We now see a slow-mo video of Kaitlin Armstrong at the firing range which she sent to Colin. Her long hair is in a braid. She has both hands on a weapon and is aiming at a target that appears to be 15-20 feet away.
Texts from KA to CS on 3/12/22:
KA: "Send my love to Pete and Mo"KA sent this text to CS after he posted a video to IG of a race finish. Mo Wilson could be seen in the background of the photo."Can you please stop," CS responds.Colin tells the court he found this text to be passive-aggressive.
5/11/22:"Hey! Are you out? I went to drop some flowers for Alison at her sons house up north and my phone died. Heading home unless you have another food suggestion." This is Colin's alibi to KA after hanging out with Mo WIlson at the pool. KA never replied.
Now texts between CS and a friend Lance Tindle on 5/12/22.Colin was attempting to finish a sale of bicycle wheels to Lance. He asks if he can come over in the morning to make the sale. Lance agrees.Lance: "Sorry your day started with such awful news. Send me your Venmo or I can drop off cash..." Colin says that Lance likely spoke to Armstrong. Colin says he spoke to him briefly from his car as he was heading to APD for an official interview.Now on 5/13, Colin sends a message to KA's email:"Did you get a phone? I activated my number."State has no more questions for CS. Defense's turn.
-- Defense begins
Defense asks about the people CS met with this morning before testifying: CS says they are his attorney, state reps, friend assisting with this process.Defense asking if CS has been speaking to other about this case over the weekend."I have no idea," CS tells the defense.
Defense asking about a race in Jan. 2022 in Fayetteville, AR. CS, KA and MW were all there. CS says KA was not upset during the events of that trip but she took issue about a separate real estate dispute that was ongoing.Defense: "To you, KA did not seem jealous at the events?" No, CS responds. CS says KA and MW did not communicate at all, but they were at the same restaurant. He says he did not see them interact at all. Can't recall KA being jealous that week.
Colin is rubbing his temple and his eyes. His eyes are almost always closed as he speaks. He does not recall many of the moments the defense is asking about.
Defense asking about the vehicles CS owns at his home and his business in Lockhart. There are 10-20 vehicles at any given time at those locations. CS says his mom's car, a white Honda Fit, was often at his home since his Mom lived with him for months at a time. Colin says he previously owned a black SUV similar to Armstrong's. He got rid of it two years before the murder of Mo Wilson. His SUV had the same bike rack as KA’s.
KA often told CS that "she loved her Jeep."When asked if KA had an emotional attachment to the Jeep, Colin gets visibly frustrated. "That's an arbitrary question and I can't speak to that," Colin says.
CS says that he drove her jeep one or two times over the course of a few years. CS says he does not know for certain if others used the Jeep. Defense asks, "so that's not something that you told law enforcement?" Colin concedes he might have said that.
Now asking about his laptops and iPads. Can't remember his passwords since he changed them multiple times. He used a numeric code sometimes, which he used for multiple devices."Do you claim that you would receive some messages from Mo Wilson but not all of her messages?""I don't recall," Colin says.Colin says he never blocked Mo, but he recognized at some point that she was blocked.
Defense asks why he didn't tell APD that Mo Wilson was blocked from his phone. Defense asks why this is the first time he's ever talked about her number being blocked."You got me," Colin responds.
Colin says he met with the district attorney and went over all his blocked contacts.Q: Did anything seem wrong or inaccurate to you?Defense says 71 contacts had been blocked in the spreadsheet that he reviewed with the DA. Colin agrees.Defense asks if it's possible that he might have personally blocked upwards of 60 contacts. Colin can't recall or confirm.
"Occasionally," Colin says about his past of blocking people from his phone."Did you and Mo Wilson send naked photos?" No, Colin says. "Did you talk about sex?" No, Colin responds.
Defense pulling up previously viewed text messages between Mo & Colin.Pointing to a text from 5/11 where he mentions "he never heard" from Mo. Earlier that day, Mo Wilson did send him a text.Q: "Would you sometimes get messages from people and act like you didn't receive them?"Colin clarifies that he was already on a bike ride when she texted him and wasn't looking at his texts
Colin being asked about what "sexting" means to him. Colin refuses to answer, calls the term ridiculous. They are discussing a naughty photo that a Colorado woman sent him of herself in a bra.Colin very clearly is agitated with having to answer the defense's questions.
Defense: "Would you agree that sending a picture of yourself in a bra would signal some sort of romantic or intimate relationship?"Colin says he did not tell Armstrong about this photo. He did not discourage it and he did not tell KA. Colin says it was unfair for KA to be upset about this.
"I don't recall," is the strategy that Colin seems to be leaning into. He isn't exactly uncooperative, but he's not making this easy on the defense.
Prosecution and defense having a sidebar with the judge. Have to wonder if it has to do with the Strickland is fighting back against the defense's line of questioning. Strickland has his head in his hands and looks upset.
Defense asking about a dish kept in the living room where they keep their keys. Now asking about marijuana and magic mushrooms kept in the home that police found during search warrant. The weed was his, the shrooms were Armstrong's, Colin says.
Now asking about entry ways into their home. Five doors, at least one with electronic keypads. Colin says he shared that code with others. Defense pushes that he shared that code at least 33 times with others. Colin says "it's possible.”
Colin is now being asked to examine separate text message exchanges between Strickland and several close friends: among those Chris, Brandon, Josh, Chris, Devin. The jury will be able to view these later if they'd like. They won't be published to the courtroom. We are told that in each of the texts, he shares the passcode of his locked doorway.
Defense asks if it was common for other cyclists to come to his home. It was not rare for cyclists to come even when he wasn't home, Colin says.
Defense asking about the motorcycle ride to Deep Eddy with Mo Wilson. Asking about the helmet she wore, how she held on to him while riding, the chinstrap on the helmet. Whether he wore a jacket during that ride.Asking about CS's interview with APD Detective Spitler. There seems to be a dispute about when CS wore his jacket on the ride.Now it's clear where this is going: DNA trace evidence from Mo Wilson on the jacket and whether or not it exists. CS can't remember if Mo Wilson held on to his waist or his body when riding.
Colin now backtracking on Friday testimony: Can't recall now if he watched Mo Wilson go up the stairs after dropping her off.Colin says that he and Mo Wilson did not have sex on 5/11/22.
Now discussing a mutually-agreed conversation Colin had with defense on 10/28/23 before this trial began. It was a phone call between defense, CS and CS's attorney. Colin agrees he told defense that he had been "actively trying to forget the events" on 5/11/22.
Colin says he chose not to respond to texts he had been receiving from KA on the night Mo Wilson was murdered."You know Kaitlin Armstrong very well, don't you?" Defense asks."No, I do not." Colin tells the defense.An audible gasp in the courtroom.
We are taking a 10 minute recess.
