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

[getthefax]

Let me go on the record and say how glad I am that some clueless stoner surfer from Costa Rica did not offer details of my [nonexistent] dating/sex life to a reputable American newspaper for $5,000.

I get that we are talking about far bigger issues. But still.
Yuck.

BBM

The girl (KA) sure can pick ‘em…

 

[Mrspratcher]

From the information we have so far, it sounds like the defense attorney, RC, is setting up the narrative that the prosecution only has circumstantial evidence. Of course, a case can be won on circumstantial evidence, but I think RC is making the case against the reliability of the circumstantial evidence that has so far been presented. And this includes:

- license plate not seen on vehicle that is said to be KA's Jeep in area around home where MW was staying, nor image of who was driving the vehicle
- ballistic tests that attest to probability (but not certainty) that the weapon used to kill MW was the gun that belonged to KA
-no evidence found to show that KA was ever inside the residence where MW was staying (as far as we know at this point)
-timing of KA's flight to Costa Rica possibly before knowledge that an arrest warrant was issued
-trip to see sister in upstate New York understandable, KA even checked with an attorney before leaving the area for advice on legality of this trip
-flight to Costa Rica perhaps understandable to get away from CS
-questions about whether or not KA had plastic surgery or not, RC on Dateline calls this into question

I do think he will have an uphill battle regarding the circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution, however he will try to introduce reasonable doubt for at least one juror.

I do think that if KA is found guilty, that he will shift gears and go for crime of passion in the penalty phase of the trial.

ETA: And RC is also calling into question the timestamp on the security video of the Jeep being near the home where MW was staying, and also RC is arguing that KA was not read her Miranda rights when she was brought in by LE for questioning, and so any evidence gleaned from that interview by LE should be thrown out.

Crime of passion for a crime she allegedly didn’t commit? I thought she couldn’t be in two places at the same time.

 

[TTF14]

Unaware of this case until Dateline.....just marking my spot so I get alerts. It's a fascinating one!

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

Unaware of this case until Dateline.....just marking my spot so I get alerts. It's a fascinating one!

Welcome. It's been wild so far!

 

[steeltowngirl]

Is there only one entrance, via the front door, into the apartment where MW was shot? Is there a back door? Do we know if there are interior steps leading to a basement or into the garage?

 

[steeltowngirl]

IIRC, he lied to LE and said he didn't know MW when they first questioned him.
Under oath, he will be asked about these lies, including the texts to KS about his whereabouts the night of the murder.

He won't make a very credible witness, given this tendency to lie, even to LE. The jury will take that into account.

I can see your point. But if the jury doesn’t find him to be a credible witness, that might turn out to be more harmful to the defense case. As we have read from his interrogation, he said KA was not volatile, and he felt she was not capable of killing somebody. The jury might not believe that.

 

[Murphy1950]

It would be totally improbable that the plastic surgeon does not have pictures. It's had always been part of the protocol/routine before and after plastic surgery. She could have asked /or signed off on a document requesting that they stay private (and not shared on their website as advertisement etc) but they have them without a doubt.

 

[Charlot123]

I’m wondering about special circumstances (lying in wait, or stalking…) and whether those might bump this to a DP case…

I am always wondering what she did with the clothes. Sorry to say, but in a bathroom, there should have been some splatter. Probably, on KA, too. I wonder if she brought another pair of clothes with her? Or did her driving on a bike was meant to take her to the place where she left spare clothes? If she returned home that day, she had to change clothes somewhere. This would mean, premeditation.

 

[Charlot123]

I can see your point. But if the jury doesn’t find him to be a credible witness, that might turn out to be more harmful to the defense case. As we have read from his interrogation, he said KA was not volatile, and he felt she was not capable of killing somebody. The jury might not believe that.

CS gets very interested and animated when it comes to one subject, himself. JMO. He might have genuinely not noticed many things about KA. But - he is an engineer, his timeline was very accurate. It would seem to me that as a character witness, he’d be horrible, but as a factual witness, very good.

 

[Mariposa]

It would be totally improbable that the plastic surgeon does not have pictures. It's had always been part of the protocol/routine before and after plastic surgery. She could have asked /or signed off on a document requesting that they stay private (and not shared on their website as advertisement etc) but they have them without a doubt.

Good point! I wonder what the possible complications are for the prosecutors of trying to get medical records or witness statements from that cosmetic surgery clinic in Costa Rica.

KA’s attorney definitely seems to have a “concede nothing” approach, I was shocked he appeared to be contesting that she had cosmetic surgery. I was also a little surprised that the “somebody vandalized KA and CS’s house!” thing that he has mentioned in the past did not come up as a reasonable doubt-sowing point.

It was interesting who did and didn’t participate in the Dateline. Unless I missed something: there were no family and friends of Moriah. No family or friends of KA or CS either, except for someone who went to high school with her and that long haired guy who seemed to know them from the cycling circuit. No one from law enforcement at all except a Costa Rican law enforcement official. No prosecutors. Bulk of participants were reporters (mainly the Austin news reporter) and that one crime expert, and of course a few people from Santa Teresa such as TEAL.

 

[Charlot123]

Good point! I wonder what the possible complications are for the prosecutors of trying to get medical records or witness statements from that cosmetic surgery clinic in Costa Rica.

KA’s attorney definitely seems to have a “concede nothing” approach, I was shocked he appeared to be contesting that she had cosmetic surgery. I was also a little surprised that the “somebody vandalized KA and CS’s house!” thing that he has mentioned in the past did not come up as a reasonable doubt-sowing point.

It was interesting who did and didn’t participate in the Dateline. Unless I missed something: there were no family and friends of Moriah. No family or friends of KA or CS either, except for someone who went to high school with her and that long haired guy who seemed to know them from the cycling circuit. No one from law enforcement at all except a Costa Rican law enforcement official. No prosecutors. Bulk of participants were reporters (mainly the Austin news reporter) and that one crime expert, and of course a few people from Santa Teresa such as TEAL.

I think that anyone who we thought could be there, but was not, might be future witnesses. Her parents - maybe they despise both CS and KA so much that they did not want to be part of a show?

This being said - elite athletes are also national treasures. It is sad that in the havoc of media circus like this, their lives, their persons, their toil, are somehow forgotten. Maybe a movie about sports achievements of Moriah would still be a good idea? She was an elite junior skier before she became a gravel cyclist. It is too sad, if one googles Moriah Wilson, 75% of time they see KA's face. And the history is not about KA, nor her attorney. It is about a young, talented woman, brutally killed in her primes.

 

[Howl]

Has information been released on how many time Mo Wilson was shot?

Has there been any speculation that KA used a silencer on the gun used to murder Mo Wilson?

I just can't imagine that no one heard multiple gun shots - gun shots are LOUD and capture attention.

 

[SpanishInquisition]

RICK COFER: The crux of law enforcement’s theory from within the first 24 hours of this case, they had decided that Kaitlin Armstrong is a crazy, jealous person who, in a fit of rage, murdered Miss Wilson. The whole case against Kait Armstrong is predicated on a deeply misogynistic view of her.

KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: BUT THERE IS THAT KEY PIECE OF EVIDENCE THE ONE THAT LED INVESTIGATORS TO KAITLIN IN THE FIRST PLACE. VIDEO OF HER JEEP AT THE CRIME SCENE AT THE TIME OF THE MURDER.

RICK COFER: So this dark-colored SUV, that’s where the detective really wants to start to hang this horrible crime on Kaitlin Armstrong. There’s no evidence presented ever of a license plate on this vehicle, of any description of an occupant of the vehicle.

KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: COFER SAID THAT CAN’T BE KAITLIN IN THE JEEP FOR ONE SIMPLE REASON.

RICK COFER: You can’t be in two places at once. That’s just kind of some simple math.

KEITH MORRISON: Okay. So you’re saying that she wasn’t in the vicinity of the murder when the murder occurred and you can prove it.

RICK COFER: I don’t have to prove that. That’s not how the system works.

KEITH MORRISON: You just said the simple math was in error, so that maybe they –

RICK COFER: Lemme put it this way.

KEITH MORRISON: – it implies that you have proof.

RICK COFER: I expect this, the government’s own evidence will acquit Kaitlin Armstrong. They just haven’t looked at it. Kaitlin Armstrong is not guilty. And if this case goes to trial, if the district attorney doesn’t dismiss it before trial, she will be found not guilty.

DATELINE NBC KICKS OFF 31ST SEASON THIS FRIDAY WITH ALL-NEW TWO-HOUR SPECIAL ON THE MURDER OF A STAR CYCLIST THAT SPARKED WORLDWIDE HEADLINES - NBC News Press Releases

Broadcast Features Exclusive Interviews with Key Insiders in Case, Including the Alleged Killer’s Defense Attorney PLUS: Click Here to Listen to the Just-Released Trailer for the Latest Podcast from ‘Dateline’ & Josh Mankiewicz Sept 13, 2022 – Dateline NBC will kick off its 31st season this...

press.nbcnews.com

My WAG is that MW's time of death was like 8:38 PM but what Cofer is getting at is that the the corrected timeline for the video showing her vehicle was at 8:43, so that couldn't have been her driving up to shoot MW since MW was already dead by the time of that video. I'd suspected that MW was ambushed once she got inside - which it could have been KA waiting inside the apartment - not that KA drove up and ran up the stairs after MW unlocked the door and if it was KA who did it, that's her leaving post-murder not arriving pre-murder.

 

[Sundog]

My WAG is that MW's time of death was like 8:38 PM but what Cofer is getting at is that the the corrected timeline for the video showing her vehicle was at 8:43, so that couldn't have been her driving up to shoot MW since MW was already dead by the time of that video. I'd suspected that MW was ambushed once she got inside - which it could have been KA waiting inside the apartment - not that KA drove up and ran up the stairs after MW unlocked the door and if it was KA who did it, that's her leaving post-murder not arriving pre-murder.

If that were the case, however, how did KA gain entry to the apartment? If she managed to break a window or otherwise gain entrance, surely LE has evidence of that? And also KA's vehicle should appear on some security video in the neighborhood prior to the time that MW returned home, if KA did, in fact, go to MW's apartment while she was still out with CS.

 

[Mrspratcher]

KA’s attorney definitely seems to have a “concede nothing” approach, I was shocked he appeared to be contesting that she had cosmetic surgery. I was also a little surprised that the “somebody vandalized KA and CS’s house!” thing that he has mentioned in the past did not come up as a reasonable doubt-sowing point.

It was interesting who did and didn’t participate in the Dateline. Unless I missed something: there were no family and friends of Moriah.

RSMB/BBM

I also found that to be telling. Maybe he realized there wasn't much reasonable doubt to gain from such a minor incident. Per Dateline, Mo's family and friends are not ready to speak, opting instead to only share family photos.

 

[SpanishInquisition]

If that were the case, however, how did KA gain entry to the apartment? If she managed to break a window or otherwise gain entrance, surely LE has evidence of that? And also KA's vehicle should appear on some security video in the neighborhood prior to the time that MW returned home, if KA did, in fact, go to MW's apartment while she was still out with CS.

There's an upstairs balcony window (you can see it on StreetView) and for there to evidence, LE has to look for it, like LE didn't get the details on the correct time for the video until months later. I do think it was easy to explain away originally that KA drove up immediately after MW opened the door basically following her in as that's how it would have appeared at the time the arrest warrant was issued, but that timeline doesn't work any more. There was other video of that same Jeep in the neighborhood prior to the drive up video. Until the timeline was corrected, I thought for instance what happened was that she parked from a vantage point that she could see MW open the door and then drove up once the door was opened but instead she might have parked nearby with her leaving that way post-murder. Here's a video still of the Jeep earlier that day in the immediate neighborhood with this happening in broad daylight:

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/05/25/03/58104027-10842351-During_Wilson_and_Strickland_s_secret_meet_up_Armstrong_s_2012_J-a-85_1653447054209.jpg

Now compare how light outside it is with the drive up still as there's a substantial difference in time:

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/05/25/03/58104033-10842351-The_car_was_spotted_again_that_night_after_Strickland_dropped_of-a-84_1653447054010.jpg

 

[steeltowngirl]

Has information been released on how many time Mo Wilson was shot?

Has there been any speculation that KA used a silencer on the gun used to murder Mo Wilson?

I just can't imagine that no one heard multiple gun shots - gun shots are LOUD and capture attention.

On the evening of May 11, police found Wilson dead on a bathroom floor with at least three bullet wounds, two to the head and a third to her chest that allegedly occurred "after she was already laying supine on the floor." She had an exit wound on her back, and police found a bullet and chipped tile beneath her.

Wilson had lacerations on her right finger and under her chin, according to the warrant. Police found shell casings labeled "9mm JAG" in the room.

Texas murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong had access to $450G, practiced shooting with sister, warrants reveal

Search warrants in the shooting death of pro cyclist Mo Wilson reveal Austin police quickly identified Kaitlin Armstrong as a suspect and other new details.

www.foxnews.com

Neighbors who live next to the Texas apartment where cyclist Moriah 'Mo' Wilson was staying say they didn't hear any gunshots on the night of her murder - and believe her killer may have used a silencer to carry out the attack.

Moriah 'Mo' Wilson's 'killer may have used silencer to mask gunfire

In another twist in the tragic murder of cyclist Moriah 'Mo' Wilson, a neighbor says that her killer could have used a silencer to suppress the sound of the gunfire.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[jash]

On the Dateline show, RC said that KA checked with an attorney before leaving Texas for New York, to see if it was legal for her to do so. RC did not name the attorney she checked with, and didn't say that it was him. It sounded like he was referring to another attorney, but it wasn't made clear.

We discussed earlier on this forum that KA and RC might have known each other on various committees or causes related to being residents of the same Austin community. That wouldn't be unusual. If you serve on various city committees or projects, you are likely to know many of the city's leaders, volunteers, etc.

During CS's second interview with police on May 17th, he said their real estate lawyer (from the lawsuit) offered to help and KA had a meeting with this lawyer at CS's house (CS stayed away to give them privacy). I'm speculating it was this lawyer, or maybe a criminal lawyer she referred KA to, who advised KA she was free to travel. CS told police he understood KA was looking to hire a lawyer.

 

[Cryptic]

I’m wondering about special circumstances (lying in wait, or stalking…) and whether those might bump this to a DP case…

I would say.....

In theory, your observations could move it to a death penalty case. But..... in practice, they will not.

Austin, as the "Keep Austin Weird" bumper stickers imply, is a very progressive city- well, at least by Texas standards. The odds of the county DA going for the death penalty are probably very low.

As a side note, the use of the death penalty has gone down drastically in Texas as most big city DAs that have the most DP potential cases have policies where they no longer seek it. Likewise, the DP has never been popular in far south Texas counties.

 

[jash]

At this point, would Colfer have received all evidence the State has? Is it safe to assume then that they did not find KA's fingerprints or DNA on Mo's bike or bike case?