Mo Wilson murder suspect on the run
Corpus Christi's Beach to Bay Marathon Relay and
Hello endurance athletes,
A tough week in Texas, again, with the murder of so many children and adults in Uvalde. Such a small town, you just know everyone in that city will know someone directly affected by this. Peace and comfort to all who were directly affected by this incredible horror.
On with the news.
‘Mo’ Wilson murder suspect ID’d, flees to NY
Even before the Uvalde massacre, a lot of national attention was on a murder in Texas. As reported last week, gravel cycling pro Moriah “Mo” Wilson was murdered in Austin on May 11 in the days preceding the Gravel Locos race in Hico. Wilson was in Texas for the event.
Last week, police identified a suspect, Kaitlin Marie Armstrong. Armstrong is the live-in girlfriend of Austin pro cyclist Colin Strickland. During a brief split between the two, Strickland and Wilson had briefly dated. They connected again while Wilson was in town ahead of the race to go for an evening swim at Austin’s famous Deep Eddy Pool and to have dinner.
When Wilson returned to the apartment after being dropped off by Strickland, she entered her unique unlock code to enter her friend’s apartment. A few moments later, a nearby home’s surveillance video captured Armstrong’s Jeep Cherokee driving down the street. Soon after, Wilson was murdered.
Police initially brought Armstrong in on an arrest warrant that turned out to be invalid. After an interrogation, they were forced to release her as they didn’t yet have enough evidence to hold her.
Yesterday, police admitted that releasing her was a mistake. From the Austin American-Statesman:
It was a mistake made on the Austin police management system, which listed her birthday month incorrectly, that allowed (Armstrong) to be released from custody because the birth month did not match the warrant, Spilter said.
"We cannot simply arrest somebody if there is some sort of discrepancy," he continued, adding that Armstrong still could have been released on bond because she had not yet been charged with killing Wilson.
In the days after the release, but before charges were brought, Armstrong flew out of Austin Bergstrom Airport to New York’s LaGuardia Airport via Houston Hobby. Armstrong was captured on security footage from the airport.
Here’s a briefing from the Austin Police from late yesterday:
Wilson’s family and Strickland have released separate statements denying there was a romantic relationship between the two at the time of the murder. Police are skeptical, to say the least. They found text messages on Wilson’s cell phone that suggest otherwise.
Armstrong’s father has also spoken with the media, encouraging his daughter to go to the police and straighten things out. He doesn’t believe she is capable of this crime.
From the affidavit, an anonymous caller to the police had this to say:
Strickland, who admitted to purchasing the weapon police believe was used in the murder for Armstrong, doesn’t come off great in the affidavit.
Because of that, and perhaps other reasons, several sponsors have cut ties with Strickland, including his bike sponsor, Specialized, which was also Wilson’s sponsor. Enve Composites and Rapha also dropped Strickland.
As of today, still no news on finding Armstrong, or if she stayed in New York after landing there.
Here is the wanted poster on Armstrong.
A memorial ride for Wilson will take place This Sunday, May 29 and 5:30 pm. It will start at Republic Square and end at Deep Eddy Pool. It is being organized on Facebook.
We will update our Facebook page with any major updates to this story ahead of next week’s newsletter.
Beach to Bay back in action
After three years off, Corpus Christi’s Beach to Bay Marathon Relay returned last weekend. The annual event sees a big crowd that can do it as a 6 or 4-person teams, or run it solo.
Beginning on the sands of North Padre Island, winding through Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, and ending at McCaughan Park along Corpus Christi’s scenic Shoreline Drive, the legs are roughly 4.4 miles each. Always held on the third Saturday in May, or Armed Forces Day, Beach to Bay honors the men and women serving in our United States Military with sincere pride – a tradition founded by Captain John Butterfield back in the inaugural year of 1976.
Looks like a really fun event, and accessible for runners of almost any abilities.
From KIII:
And a sizzle reel from the race:
Next year’s race is scheduled for May 20.
Global Running Day 2023
It’s time for Global Running Day again. Wednesday, June 1 will see the annual tradition of getting together with your running pals to run a few miles with others across the globe, and probably pick up some free goodies or discounts.
There will be a number of events hosted by various groups and retailers. Check in with your local shoe store or running club Facebook pages to see what they have in store.
Meme of the Week
Media We’re Consuming
Veteran stops in Waco while running 76 marathons in 76 days for patriotism awareness (KWTX)
We Know Our Place: BBC Creative's new short film celebrates women in sport (Creative Boom)
Can Exercise Help Make Therapy More Effective? A Pair of Studies Suggests It Might (Women’s Running)
Strava reaches 100 million athletes milestone (Endurance.biz)
Dozens of Outdoor Brands Commit to Ambitious Climate Accords (Gear Junkie)
Belgian runner sets Backyard Ultra world best with 90 laps (Running Magazine)
Featured Events
CapTex Triathlon | Olympic, sprint, super sprint, trelayquabike | Austin | May 30
Texas Trail Running Festival | 26.2, 13.1, 10K, 5K, Youth 1 mile trail runs | Krause Springs | June 4
Rattlesnake Gravel Grind | 111, 66, 32 mile gravel grinder | Sweetwater | June 17-18
Cypress Tris & Trails Fest | Tris, trail runs, MTB, youth and doggie splash and dash | Cypress | July 23-24, 30
Blazin’ Saddle 75 | 75M, 100K, 40M, 20M ride | Granbury | August 6
WRATH 24/48 Texas Endurance Runs | 24 / 48 Hour timed run | Forth Worth | August 12-14
Hotter’N Hell 100 | 100M ride, crits, gravel, MTB, more | Wichita Falls | August 26-29
Rock Dallas Triathlon | Olympic Tri | Flower Mound | September 10
Texas City Tri | Sprint tri, Du, Aqua-Bike | Texas City | October 1
Snapping Tortuga | 5K, 2.5K and 1,250M OWS | Lake Conroe | October 1