Suspect Kaitlin Armstrong found, arrested in Austin slaying of pro cyclist Moriah Wilson

By Edward Era Barbacena

A manhunt for the Austin, Texas, a white woman yoga instructor accused of killing professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson has ended after six weeks with her arrest in Costa Rica, authorities said Thursday.

Federal authorities say they plan to return Kaitlin Armstrong to the United States to face charges of murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

The arrest came about 50 days after authorities say Armstrong entered a home in Central Austin on May 11 and shot Wilson, who they say was a rival for her boyfriend's affection.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Marshals, Homeland Security and the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, working with authorities in Costa Rica, located and arrested Armstrong at a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in Provincia de Puntarenas.

Officials did not yet say when Armstrong, 34, will be returned to the United States.

The incident rocked the tight-knit cycling community, coming three weeks before the sport's premier event in Kansas. Wilson, a rising star in gravel racing who this year notched wins in nearly 10 races, was considered a contender to win.

The shooting also put a spotlight on Colin Strickland, a star cyclist who dated and lived with Armstrong but went swimming with Wilson before the shooting. Though Strickland is not charged with a crime, some companies that sponsored him have ended those relationships in the wake of the incident.

The day after the shooting, detectives interviewed Armstrong and confronted her with video that showed a vehicle resembling hers pulling up to the home where Wilson was staying. Wilson, who lived in San Francisco, was staying at a friend's house preparing for a race that coming weekend near Waco.

Armstrong ended the interview and was not arrested.

Authorities say that the following day, May 13, Armstrong sold the vehicle from the video and pocketed $12,200 that she used to flee the country. On May 14, she took a flight from Austin to Houston to New York. On May 17, an arrest warrant was filed.

The next day, authorities said, Armstrong was dropped off at the Newark, New Jersey, airport but that they could not find an outgoing flight under her name. The implication was that she may have obtained identification under a false name.

Costa Rica is a country in Central America with coastlines on the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. The population is around 5 million.

Last week, federal officials announced that an anonymous donor contributed up to $15,000 for information leading to Armstrong's arrest. That brought the total award to $21,000.