TX - Moriah Wilson, 25, Cyclist Fatally Shot Before Race, Austin, 2022 *arrest* #5

[WingsOverTX]

No, it hasn't been reported as far as I know. But the defense may argue that this was the case, and given the road rage incident that CS reported to LE in his interview, one would expect that to be the case. He went out and bought a gun for her so she would have protection if another incident of road rage occurred. So makes sense that she would keep it in her car. I don't think a jury would have any problem connecting the dots with this line of thinking.

And yet, her Sig Sauer was recovered from the home she shared with CS. Soooo....nothing except conjecture says it was kept in her car.

Interesting to think whether KA might have found use of it as an aggressor rather than in response to one while tooling around town in her Jeep.

Truth is becoming stranger than fiction as we go along here.

MOO

 

[Sundog]

Sitting in a campground in NY inventing aliases may not be premeditation for murder but is evidence of careful preparation to flee.

Agree, there is evidence of preparation to flee, as careful as it can be with just several days to do so.

 

[steeltowngirl]

It seems to me that all of the items described as found by LE in KA's possession in Costa Rica, were most likely related to her "unlawful flight," and don't necessarily point to premeditation of the murder. The murder of MW happened on May 11th and KA left Austin to go to New York on May 14th. Then she left New Jersey airport on May 18th, one day after the arrest warrant was issued for her. I think that during the 4 days she travelled to be with her sister, she came up with the plan and gathered the documents/info she would need to take with her as she left the country. She also was putting together information/documents she would need as she prepared to leave Austin during the 4 day period from May 11 to May 14. LE took her cell phone, so writing out information on pieces of paper make sense. She would need telephone numbers, financial information, etc., and credit cards to pay for this flight.

I think if this all was premeditated in relation to the murder of MW, she would have had more cash at the ready and more things packed and ready to go. Probably not so many aliases, either.

I can see KA working on her aliases, etc. while at the upper New York state camp while she was with her sister. I don't think, however, that any of this is related to premeditation of murder of MW. I think that the murder of MW by KA was a crime of passion, and related that night to CS's actions that including lying texts, etc.

IMO, the only argument for premeditation that can be definitively made based on the evidence that we know about so far is the fact that she had a gun with her that night. But now CS has given an explanation for how that could have come about, that she kept it in the car due to an unsettling incident of road rage in winter of 2021. It was so unsettling, that he went out and bought her a gun.

How would she explain seeking out the place MW was staying, following her on Strava, and entering CC’s home where MW was staying, when CS was not there?

How would that fit into defending there was not premeditation?

 

[Sundog]

How would she explain seeking out the place MW was staying, following her on Strava, and entering CC’s home where MW was staying, when CS was not there?

How would that fit into defending there was not premeditation?

If IIRC, her attorneys are questioning the evidence of the time stamp regarding the video of KA's vehicle being in the area one minute after CS dropped off MW at the home where she was staying.

The attorneys may also argue that following on Strava is common among cyclists, and don't recall what evidence there is that KA entered CC's home where MW was staying. If there is evidence that KA entered CC's home, then she may have thought that CS was there with MW.

I agree that these are circumstantial or otherwise evidence that KA's attorneys will have to address, but not sure if they are ironclad for the prosecution with the information we have so far that has been released to the public.

 

[Sundog]

Does anyone recall if a court date has been scheduled for the Frank motion filed by the defense?

 

[steeltowngirl]

Does anyone recall if a court date has been scheduled for the Frank motion filed by the defense?

Good question. I tuned in last Wednesday to the hearing livestream where they discussed the Franks motion. Judge Kennedy stated she was going to sign a document, but no date was mentioned, per my notes. Then they went to a breakout room, then on to other hearings. If they returned to the KA case later, I had already logged off the court livestreams. I have checked Travis County Odyssey and it only shows the 10/21 trial start date.

Maybe @Mrspratcher can find an update on motions and orders?

The filling and supporting document for the Franks Challenge / Motion to Suppress Evidence is linked in this article:

Woman Accused of Killing Cyclist and Perceived Romantic Rival Is the Target of 'Misogynistic and Fictitious Story,' Her Lawyer Says

The woman who left the U.S. under a cloud of suspicion for the alleged murder of a pro cyclist is the victim of a "reckless" effort by police, her lawyer said.

lawandcrime.com

 

[steeltowngirl]

If anyone can point me a sudden passion murder case in Texas, please let me know. I’d like to read up. I only found one so far, Frances Hall, San Antonio, 2016.

Hall to serve 2 years for husband's murder jury called 'crime of sudden passion'

SAN ANTONIO -- Frances Hall was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison in the road rage death of her husband after the jury unanimously decided Hall committed the crime with 'sudden passion.'

www.khou.com

 

[Seattle1]

Does anyone recall if a court date has been scheduled for the Frank motion filed by the defense?

No change since last week:

Party Information​

State	State of Texas
Defendant	ARMSTRONG, KAITLIN MARIE	COFER, RICK Retained

Hearings​

08/24/2022
Pretrial With Witness (9:00 AM)

10/19/2022
Jury Docket Call (11:15 AM) (Judicial Officer: 403RD, DISTRICT COURT)

Travis County Odyssey Portal

odysseyweb.traviscountytx.gov

 

[Kemug]

Truth is becoming stranger than fiction as we go along here.

Isn't it just? Not only strange, but very very complicated. My head hurts! So glad I won't be on that jury!

 

[Kemug]

I find KA to be an enigma, I'm not sure what to make of her. I wonder if perhaps she felt the same, and never quite knew who she was? I would be very interested to know if she has ever seen a psychiatrist in the past, or had counselling.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

If anyone can point me a sudden passion murder case in Texas, please let me know. I’d like to read up. I only found one so far, Frances Hall, San Antonio, 2016.

Hall to serve 2 years for husband's murder jury called 'crime of sudden passion'

SAN ANTONIO -- Frances Hall was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison in the road rage death of her husband after the jury unanimously decided Hall committed the crime with 'sudden passion.'

www.khou.com

I'm not sure this is a good comparison, at least as far as a sentence is concerned. This is such an auto-centric society that it's rare for anyone to get much jail time for killing someone with their car, even if it was deliberate. I'll bet that if she (Frances Hall) had used a firearm instead, it would have been 20 years rather than 2. Jury members have only to be reminded of their last fender bender to think how easy it is to have an auto "accident". The media feeds, or at least reflects, this bias. How many headlines and stories have you seen describing a pedestrian "hit by a vehicle" rather than "hit by a careless driver's vehicle". Is it a subtle form of victim blaming? I don't know. Sorry. Rant over.

 

[steeltowngirl]

I'm not sure this is a good comparison, at least as far as a sentence is concerned. This is such an auto-centric society that it's rare for anyone to get much jail time for killing someone with their car, even if it was deliberate. I'll bet that if she (Frances Hall) had used a firearm instead, it would have been 20 years rather than 2. Jury members have only to be reminded of their last fender bender to think how easy it is to have an auto "accident". The media feeds, or at least reflects, this bias. How many headlines and stories have you seen describing a pedestrian "hit by a vehicle" rather than "hit by a careless driver's vehicle". Is it a subtle form of victim blaming? I don't know. Sorry. Rant over.

Dang. The Clara Harris case also would not be a good comparison then. She used a car too.

Clara Harris, Who Killed Cheating Husband With Her Mercedes, Released From Prison

Originally sentenced to twenty years, the Houston dentist who ran over her cheating husband has been paroled.

www.texasmonthly.com

I found yet another case, but the defendant and victim aren’t named, so I cannot look into further. Wish I could find it. The defendant unsuccessfully argued that he shot his wife under the influence of sudden passion.

“The court found that while the defendant might have been experiencing anger or rage, it was not the victim who immediately provoked this rage right before the shooting. The defendant had time to “cool down” after beginning to feel angry with his wife and before shooting her. Thus his crime was not a crime of “sudden passion” – he waited in the parking lot for one hour before his wife arrived at work, supposedly planning the entire time to kill her once she got there. Because of these factors, then, the crime did not result from a sudden sense of passion, and the defendant’s argument was rejected. The original verdict and sentence were both affirmed.”

Texas Court Denies Appeal in Murder Case, Despite Defendant’s “Sudden Passion” Argument

In a recent murder case involving a man and his wife, the defendant’s appeal to a district court in Texas was unsuccessful. Originally, the defendant was convicted for murder after he drove up to ...

www.dallascriminaldefenselawyerblog.com

 

[BeachSky]

I’m anxious to see how she & her defense team unravel just her flight choices alone in a positive light.

 

[mrjitty]

I’m anxious to see how she & her defense team unravel just her flight choices alone in a positive light.

Conspiracy!

She was a victim of a stitch up by a corrupt DA and cops for a crime she didn't commit so had to go on the run to prove her innocence!

 

[mrjitty]

How would she explain seeking out the place MW was staying, following her on Strava, and entering CC’s home where MW was staying, when CS was not there?

How would that fit into defending there was not premeditation?

Perhaps we'll soon learn she was following CS to catch him out - popped in for an adult chat with the victim, only to be attacked by the jealous lover - things got out of hand and before you know it shots were fired!

Then poor KA had to go on the run when motivated local cops tried to frame her for a crime she didn't commit!

As one does.

 

[Nikynoo]

No, it hasn't been reported as far as I know. But the defense may argue that this was the case, and given the road rage incident that CS reported to LE in his interview, one would expect that to be the case. He went out and bought a gun for her so she would have protection if another incident of road rage occurred. So makes sense that she would keep it in her car. I don't think a jury would have any problem connecting the dots with this line of thinking.

I'm pretty sure that CS stated in one of his interviews that both guns were kept in the safe.

 

[Seattle1]

No, it hasn't been reported as far as I know. But the defense may argue that this was the case, and given the road rage incident that CS reported to LE in his interview, one would expect that to be the case. He went out and bought a gun for her so she would have protection if another incident of road rage occurred. So makes sense that she would keep it in her car. I don't think a jury would have any problem connecting the dots with this line of thinking.

^^bbm

I'm pretty sure that CS stated in one of his interviews that both guns were kept in the safe.

We know from both the AA (pg 4/7) and the search warrant of the residence CS/KA shared that the subject weapon was not kept in KA's vehicle because both guns purchased by CS were located by investigators inside the residence. MSM widely reported the same.

Police noted in the affidavit that they found two 9mm handguns in Strickland's house during a warranted May 12 search, which he told detectives he'd bought in December and January, a Springfield Armory for himself and a Sig-Sauer for Armstrong.

Inside the Murder Case Against Kaitlin Armstrong: A 43-Day Search and an Alleged Love Triangle

Kaitlin Armstrong has pleaded not guilty to murdering cyclist Moriah Wilson out of jealousy, but prosecutors contend that evading an arrest warrant by fleeing to Costa Rica isn't a good look.

www.eonline.com

 

[Nikynoo]

^^bbm


We know from both the AA (pg 4/7) and the search warrant of the residence CS/KA shared that the subject weapon was not kept in KA's vehicle because both guns purchased by CS were located by investigators inside the residence. MSM widely reported the same.

Police noted in the affidavit that they found two 9mm handguns in Strickland's house during a warranted May 12 search, which he told detectives he'd bought in December and January, a Springfield Armory for himself and a Sig-Sauer for Armstrong.

Inside the Murder Case Against Kaitlin Armstrong: A 43-Day Search and an Alleged Love Triangle

Kaitlin Armstrong has pleaded not guilty to murdering cyclist Moriah Wilson out of jealousy, but prosecutors contend that evading an arrest warrant by fleeing to Costa Rica isn't a good look.

www.eonline.com

In CS's second interview (see pages 250-255) CS states that the guns were kept in the afe and he never knew KA to carry a gun in the car (which is rather contrary to the reasons for buying them). Adobe Acrobat

 

[Kemug]

I’m anxious to see how she & her defense team unravel just her flight choices alone in a positive light.

Let's see - well firstly, she didn't flee from Austin, she was just upset and worried so she went to visit her sister. Then, her sister suggested that she should "get away from it all", and thought that CR might be nice. Next, said sister pressed her own passport upon KA, because . . . . er . . um. How does this grab you?

 

[WingsOverTX]

In CS's second interview (see pages 250-255) CS states that the guns were kept in the afe and he never knew KA to carry a gun in the car (which is rather contrary to the reasons for buying them). Adobe Acrobat

So very many oopsies. Watching him testify in court would be entertaining if this was not a murder trial & Moriah was still alive.
JMO