TX - Moriah Wilson, 25, prized cyclist, fatally shot before race, Austin, May 2022

[Bridger]

Hate to keep pestering you, but could it be different in these post pandemic days?

Not the original poster but have traveled by Amtrak multiple times in NE corridor during Covid and never been asked for ID.

 

[SteveP]

Two things which support her having used a silencer:

1. A neighbor who was home at the time and who is an engineer told press he heard no gunshots, but heard a person’s footsteps, and believes this would only be possible if a silencer were used.

2. Another neighbor said their dogs never reacted until EMS came with sirens, and that they would have reacted to multiple gun shots fired.

Cyclist's 'killer may have used silencer and stole her bike to stage robbery'

NEIGHBORS believe slain love triangle victim Moriah Wilson’s killer used a silencer to murder her as no shots were heard at the scene of the crime. Authorities are currently hunting for elite…

www.the-sun.com

Silencers are not as quiet as Hollywood movies would have you believe. A high quality suppressor will reduce the sound of a 9mm gunshot by around 30 db, from around 160-165db, down to 130-135db. That is about the same reduction in noise that good quality earplugs offer when firing, and, I can tell you from personal experience, that is still a loud pop. Not to debate what the neighbor allegedly said, and in a city environment, gunshots can be drowned out by other noise, (traffic, loud vehicles, loud music, etc) but IF he was able to hear someone coming down the steps, he SHOULD have been able to hear the gunshots, even if suppressed. Earwitnesses are often no more reliable than eyewitnesses, who are often notoriously wrong. Below is some information that should give you a better idea of how loud 130 decibels is. JMO

How Loud Is 130 Decibels | 130 dB Example and Equivalents

In this article, we’re answering two important questions: ‘How loud is 130 decibels?’ and ‘Is 130 dB hearing-safe?’. Read on to learn all about what 130 dB is, examples of sounds that reach this decibel level, and comparisons with other sound intensity levels.

decibelpro.app

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/03/20/are-firearms-with-a-silencer-quiet/

 

[jash]

Isn't the take away from this sentence that the information must be anecdotal and not based on a ride share app or a video/image? Either of those options would afford a precise time. So either a person told them they dropped her OR she used some sort of transportation that doesn't run on a precise time schedule OR has multiple stops daily at the airport (i.e. a bus, a taxi, a friend and maybe even a train?).

Yep - that's what I'm getting from the statement. Sounds like they are always at least a couple steps behind her. She is almost making it look too easy.

I expect it will be a civilian who "catches" her in the end (i.e. calls LE to report where she is at that time).

 

[SMK777]

Not the original poster but have traveled by Amtrak multiple times in NE corridor during Covid and never been asked for ID.

Thank you. So an AMTRAK is a real possibility for KA. Since the article mentioned them, I’m assuming LE will be checking their surveillance cameras as well. They’ve really got their work cut out for them….

 

[SMK777]

I expect it will be a civilian who "catches" her in the end (i.e. calls LE to report where she is at that time).

Agreed. Either that, or a family member or close friend whom Kaitlin calls, making them promise to keep the contact strictly confidential— but they decide it’s the right thing all around to call LE.

 

[SMK777]

Silencers are not as quiet as Hollywood movies would have you believe. A high quality silencer will reduce the sound of a 9mm gunshot by around 30 db, from around 160-165db, down to 130-135db. That is about the same reduction in noise that good quality earplugs offer when firing, and, I can tell you from personal experience, that is still a very loud pop. Not to debate what the neighbor allegedly said, but if he was able to hear someone coming down the steps, he should very easily have been able to hear the gunshots, even if silenced. Earwitnesses are often no more reliable than eyewitnesses, who are often notoriously wrong. Below is some information that should give you a better idea of how loud 130 decibels is. JMO

How Loud Is 130 Decibels | 130 dB Example and Equivalents

In this article, we’re answering two important questions: ‘How loud is 130 decibels?’ and ‘Is 130 dB hearing-safe?’. Read on to learn all about what 130 dB is, examples of sounds that reach this decibel level, and comparisons with other sound intensity levels.

decibelpro.app

Yikes. Thanks for this information.

 

[NOLAScottie]

Agreed. Either that, or a family member or close friend whom Kaitlin calls, making them promise to keep the contact strictly confidential— but they decide it’s the right thing all around to call LE.

Hopefully the third option may be what's panning out - if she had some close help, they find enough of a trail to apply pressure to a family member or friend that becomes entangled with LE.

 

[PrairieWind]

Silencers are not as quiet as Hollywood movies would have you believe. A high quality silencer will reduce the sound of a 9mm gunshot by around 30 db, from around 160-165db, down to 130-135db. That is about the same reduction in noise that good quality earplugs offer when firing, and, I can tell you from personal experience, that is still a loud pop. Not to debate what the neighbor allegedly said, and in a city environment, gunshots can be drowned out by other noise, (traffic, loud vehicles, loud music, etc) but IF he was able to hear someone coming down the steps, he SHOULD have been able to hear the gunshots, even if silenced. Earwitnesses are often no more reliable than eyewitnesses, who are often notoriously wrong. Below is some information that should give you a better idea of how loud 130 decibels is. JMO

How Loud Is 130 Decibels | 130 dB Example and Equivalents

In this article, we’re answering two important questions: ‘How loud is 130 decibels?’ and ‘Is 130 dB hearing-safe?’. Read on to learn all about what 130 dB is, examples of sounds that reach this decibel level, and comparisons with other sound intensity levels.

decibelpro.app

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/03/20/are-firearms-with-a-silencer-quiet/

Good info. I was thinking the same thing. "Silencers" are really called "suppressors." They don't even come close to silencing a gunshot like in movies. The neighbor said he heard the steps but not gun shots. I can only assume he just didn't recognize it as a gun shot.

 

[SMK777]

Hopefully the third option may be what's panning out - if she had some close help, they find enough of a trail to apply pressure to a family member or friend that becomes entangled with LE.

That’s definitely a real possibility. I’m sure KA feels the need to reach out to someone, especially her father who has spoken out publicly about his belief in her innocence and his love for her. US Marshals may be keeping in touch with him, and applying pressure about how surrendering is the best thing for his daughter, and warning him of the severe penalties for hindering an investigation.

 

[caradana]

Same on having traveled Amtrak a lot and never been asked for ID on the train. If KA was aiming to board Amtrak, there were FAR easier places to get dropped off than EWR - a big one being Newark Penn Station, just a few miles away but a direct board to Amtrak without a monorail ride, a transfer NJT train and a bazillion cameras. Newark Penn is also a very distracted environment with a pronounced homeless problem, harried-looking commuters and a lot of lost tourists who accidentally disembarked there instead of NY Penn Station. If she had her Jason Bourne hat on, she would’ve aimed for Newark Penn, no question. So …

 

[jash]

This is an older article that I don't recall ever seeing before. It has some quotes from the neighbor (who is also the landlord; he lives in the main house and was renting the apartment above the garage to MW's friend).

The engineer described how he walked into his garage and partially raised his garage door around the time of the shooting.

After doing so, he heard someone running down the stairs that lead to the front door of the property where Mo Wilson was staying.

He then thought he heard a bicycle traveling southbound through the alleyway away from the apartment.

[DH] told The Sun: “I heard somebody leave but I didn’t see anyone with my own eyes.

“I had the sense that a bike was leaving. It was not a motorcycle.

“Maybe it was Armstrong leaving on the bike and she wanted to make it look like a theft.

“I think I would have heard gunshots next door if she was using a 9mm so the shooter must have used a suppressor.

There are a lot of colorful comments from him in the article.

Cyclist's 'killer may have used silencer and stole her bike to stage robbery'

NEIGHBORS believe slain love triangle victim Moriah Wilson’s killer used a silencer to murder her as no shots were heard at the scene of the crime. Authorities are currently hunting for elite…

www.the-sun.com

 

[PrairieWind]

What exactly are KA's connections to the NY and NJ areas? Who does she know up there? I am sure LE is working hard to find out. I would also suspect that there may be warrants allowing LE to monitor family member's phone calls.

 

[caradana]

… she went to EWR to do one of six things.
1) Board an international flight. This was May 18 - was her warrant issued May 18? Possible she made it out before her passport got flagged? If she did this they know where she went.
2) Board a domestic flight. Texas DL not yet flagged at TSA? Higher likelihood that she could get through with a fake drivers license and ticket, but even then, TSA has pictures of her and facial recognition and they know where she went and if she boarded.
3) Rent a car. This is the one that intrigues me. I think any fake drivers license, anyone’s credit card, a very long-duration booking, she would’ve ridden a shuttle bus to most of the lots, low probability she’s on camera if she never entered a terminal …
4) Take a shuttle bus to NYC or Philadelphia, Coach USA or similar. She would’ve been memorable to a driver appearing without at least a carry-on.
5) Take NJ Transit. Difficult without an app and a cc.
6) Stood on the curb and got picked up by someone else.

 

[jash]

… she went to EWR to do one of six things.
1) Board an international flight. This was May 18 - was her warrant issued May 18? Possible she made it out before her passport got flagged? If she did this they know where she went.
<snipped for space>

It's been reported that she didn't book any flights from EWR in her name. But as far as we know, they haven't ruled out that she used another name.

 

[SteveP]

This is an older article that I don't recall ever seeing before. It has some quotes from the neighbor (who is also the landlord; he lives in the main house and was renting the apartment above the garage to MW's friend).

The engineer described how he walked into his garage and partially raised his garage door around the time of the shooting.

After doing so, he heard someone running down the stairs that lead to the front door of the property where Mo Wilson was staying.

He then thought he heard a bicycle traveling southbound through the alleyway away from the apartment.

[DH] told The Sun: “I heard somebody leave but I didn’t see anyone with my own eyes.

“I had the sense that a bike was leaving. It was not a motorcycle.

“Maybe it was Armstrong leaving on the bike and she wanted to make it look like a theft.

“I think I would have heard gunshots next door if she was using a 9mm so the shooter must have used a suppressor.

There are a lot of colorful comments from him in the article.

Cyclist's 'killer may have used silencer and stole her bike to stage robbery'

NEIGHBORS believe slain love triangle victim Moriah Wilson’s killer used a silencer to murder her as no shots were heard at the scene of the crime. Authorities are currently hunting for elite…

www.the-sun.com

I would take this guy's comments with a grain of salt. He seemed to have a lot to say, not to really say anything. Was he next door during the time of the shooting, as she implied at the end, or was he at the garage below MW's apt, as he said at the beginning? He had the "SENSE" that a bike was leaving, and going down the alleyway. He surmised it was MAYBE KA leaving, and wanting to make it look like a bike theft, though he didn't actually SEE anyone. He THINKS he would have heard gunshots next door (again, where was he, garage or next door) so she MUST have used a suppresser.

I think these comments probably passed the Sun's test for newsworthy, but I am not taking anything he said as evidence of anything that happened. JMO

 

[Megnut]

She may have spent 4 days taking random Uber trips.

Perhaps she fired the weapon just as the guy was raising the garage door, a crazy noisy coincidence.

JMO

 

[SMK777]

Same on having traveled Amtrak a lot and never been asked for ID on the train. If KA was aiming to board Amtrak, there were FAR easier places to get dropped off than EWR - a big one being Newark Penn Station, just a few miles away but a direct board to Amtrak without a monorail ride, a transfer NJT train and a bazillion cameras. Newark Penn is also a very distracted environment with a pronounced homeless problem, harried-looking commuters and a lot of lost tourists who accidentally disembarked there instead of NY Penn Station. If she had her Jason Bourne hat on, she would’ve aimed for Newark Penn, no question. So …

So could she have done it as a decoy? Or do you believe she intended to fly out and perhaps did under a pseudonym ?

 

[SMK777]

She may have spent 4 days taking random Uber trips.

Perhaps she fired the weapon just as the guy was raising the garage door, a crazy noisy coincidence.

JMO

But to what purpose?

I’d thought of the garage door too…

 

[SMK777]

I would also suspect that there may be warrants allowing LE to monitor family member's phone calls.

Absolutely, in a federal case of capital murder and unlawful flight.

 

[GDawg89]

… she went to EWR to do one of six things.
1) Board an international flight. This was May 18 - was her warrant issued May 18? Possible she made it out before her passport got flagged? If she did this they know where she went.
2) Board a domestic flight. Texas DL not yet flagged at TSA? Higher likelihood that she could get through with a fake drivers license and ticket, but even then, TSA has pictures of her and facial recognition and they know where she went and if she boarded.
3) Rent a car. This is the one that intrigues me. I think any fake drivers license, anyone’s credit card, a very long-duration booking, she would’ve ridden a shuttle bus to most of the lots, low probability she’s on camera if she never entered a terminal …
4) Take a shuttle bus to NYC or Philadelphia, Coach USA or similar. She would’ve been memorable to a driver appearing without at least a carry-on.
5) Take NJ Transit. Difficult without an app and a cc.
6) Stood on the curb and got picked up by someone else.

Well stated possibilities, and one thing to add on the rental car with fake DL, some rental car companies will rent you a car without a credit card, and cash or a pre-paid credit card is accepted for the deposit prior to renting. AMOO