89: Texas Love Triangle Ends With Murder & Plastic Surgery to Cover Her Tracks? | Kaitlin Armstrong
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Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Hey, True Crime Besties. Welcome back to an all-new episode of Serialistly.

Hey everybody, welcome back to an all-new bonus episode of Serialistly. It's me, Annie, your true crime bestie, here to talk all things true crime with you. Now, the reason why I had to jump on here and drop this bonus episode outside of the normal release schedule is because I need to talk to you about this case.

It is so wild. There is so much to talk about, so we got to get right into it. Before we do, please take a quick second, just make sure that you are following along on the podcast so that you don't miss any future episodes and bonus episodes like these that drop, and also follow along on the Serialistly Facebook page where we drop episodes

All information regarding giveaways, behind the scenes information, guest episodes, Q&As, all sorts of good stuff. All right, now let's get into today's case.

Mariah Wilson, otherwise known as Mo, is a 25-year-old accomplished athlete and had every single thing in her life going for her. She comes from an extremely athletic family, with her mother Karen being a cycling instructor and her father Eric Wilson being on the 1977 US ski team from Burke Mountain Academy. Mo followed in her father's footsteps. She also attended Burke Mountain Academy, where he was a ski coach at the same time that she was attending school.

She and her brother also became very accomplished skiers themselves, just a very athletic and talented family. Mo was not only a Division I skier and captain of her soccer team, but more recently, she took up gravel racing and was quickly and swiftly making impressive strides in the sport.

She was an up-and-coming prodigy, very quickly winning at just an astounding rate and making a name for herself in this community. And I am talking true talent and, like, gritty talent. I honestly, when I played soccer, I was young. I just took blades of grass and, like, shoved them in the hole and sat Indian style. Like, the talent here is just unmatched.

However, one thing that Mo could not foresee was that being a part of this new and exciting community would ultimately lead to her life being cut short at the hands of jealousy out of all things. Not risk with the sport, not dangerous activities, jealousy.

Upon graduating from Dartmouth University in 2019, Mo pursued professional racing. In two years, she quickly worked her way up the ladder, creating a big name for herself, and she was eventually able to quit her 9-to-5 job and become a full-time professional cycler. She gained relationships with so many new sponsors as well as friends throughout the community that she became very close with.

This community also led her to meeting 35-year-old Austin, Texas resident Colin Strickland, who was another professional cycler who she shared a sponsor with.

In October 2021, Mo visited Colin in Austin, Texas, where the two began a relationship, but it ultimately didn't last very long. Both Mo and Colin were freshly out of previous relationships when they began dating. The two of them only dated for a few weeks and then broke it off in November of 2021. Mo then returned home to California, and Colin decided to rekindle his three-year relationship with a 34-year-old yoga instructor named Caitlin Armstrong.

But due to being in the same gravel racing community, which is tight-knit, Colin and Mo decided to remain friends. And according to Colin, they had a very platonic relationship after he and Caitlin got back together and after he and Mo had broken up.

Caitlin, however, was extremely jealous of their friendship, and she was not having any of it. She did not want Mo around. She just didn't understand the connection that Mo and Colin shared, and also had no idea, apparently, that they had ever been previously romantically involved, because I guess Colin never shared that detail with her.

However, you know how it goes. Us women have really rock-solid intuition most of the time. So Caitlin could feel it in her gut that there was something between the two of them. They weren't just these close platonic friends that Colin was making it out to be. She could sense that there was more. So she blocked calls from Colin's phone often, to the point where Colin actually had to start hiding Moe's number under a different name in his cell phone entirely.

In January of 2022, there was a gravel racing event in Arkansas, where Mo, of course, went, and so she and Caitlin came face-to-face for the very first time. The tension was thick between the two of them, and uncomfortable. Now, at this point, Mo wasn't trying to get Colin back, they were just friends, they tried to date, it didn't work out, they were now platonic, but Caitlin was still trying to get Colin back.

But Caitlin had no idea that they had ever dated, but she felt their closeness, which I have to just say, I have been in situations like that in the past. And it's almost as though, and you may have been in this situation too, so let me know in the comments below. It's almost as if the man is kind of gaslighting you, being like, no, no, no, they're just my friend. You're acting crazy. You're overthinking it. But your intuition is like, uh, no, they're talking more frequently than friends would talk. They're saying certain things. Their body language, like...

It's something more. And they try to convince you that you're making it all up in your head to where then you start doubting yourself and it just like creates this bigger crap storm. All the while Mo or whoever was the other party in your situation or my situation for an example

thought that I knew that they had dated. So the fact that I was acting weird was weird to her, being like, why is she so, like, bent over this? You know, we're not even together anymore. But it's because of the hiding and the manipulation. And I just kind of want to start with that. So they are at this event. Face to face, the tension is thick. After the event, Mo texted Colin, stating that this weekend was really strange and that she just wanted to know what was going on.

She asked if he just wanted to be friends because that was the vibe that she was getting and that she, again, would be okay with that. However, she didn't want to apparently talk about it. So this kind of leads me to believe that maybe Colin, although they were platonic at this point, maybe he was flirtatious, maybe he was kind of keeping her on the back burner, and that's what the message exchanges were because for her to then ask like, hey, are we just friends? Like, what is going on? It seems like he's kind of being a little shady here. Just my opinion.

and I've dealt with shady men, so that's why I'm saying that. Because I don't know about you, but it just does not sound super platonic to me. So at some point in January, Caitlin had discovered details about the romance that had happened during she and Colin's breakup a few months prior back in the fall, and Caitlin was pissed. Rightfully so.

She was enraged, and according to friends, she was actually physically shaking with anger when she found out. And then she told one friend that she wanted to kill Mo. And this is something I never will understand. Whenever there is a cheating allegation or an affair, why do women always attack the woman? Like, yes, if they are a willing participant, and I'm not saying that Mo was in this circumstance, but if they are a willing participant, they are to blame as well, equally to blame. But also, you can't just let the man slide. You can't just act.

Act like he did no wrong and it's all this woman's fault. No, he is the one who's orchestrating all of this. But all of Caitlyn's anger was funneled directly at Mo. And so the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together. And Caitlyn began to realize why she had felt so uncomfortable with Colin and Mo's friendship all of those months. She knew that they had shared a deep connection. And she wasn't crazy. She wasn't making this up in her mind. So getting that validation only fueled her fire.

So a few months pass and apparently Caitlin finally starts to come to terms with the relationship that Colin once shared with Moe.

However, a turn of events ensues when Mo comes to Austin on May 10th, 2022 to participate in a race that was happening in the area. Because again, remember, it's a very tight racing community. So if there's a race anywhere, they're going. And this one happened to be in Texas where Colin and Caitlin lived. So now it's getting a little too close for comfort. Like, all right, I've accepted it. I'm starting to move on. I'm okay with it. No, no, no. Now you're in my city. No, get out of my city. She's getting a little heated.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

Hey guys, it's me, your true crime bestie Annie, and I am so excited to share with you that Serialistly is officially hitting the road and coming to you live in a city near you. That's right, we are going on tour. We've got shows planned in Orange County, California, San Diego, California, Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona, and

and more. We're going to be discussing all new exclusive cases. I have some surprise guests planned, but I can't tell you who. It's a surprise. At the end, we'll do a meet and greet so I finally get to meet so many of you. We've got exclusive merch and just so much more. It is going to be a show that you definitely do not want to miss. But space and tickets are very, very limited. So grab your friends, grab your co-workers, or come on your own and hang with me while we talk all things true crime together.

All of the information, including dates, cities, and links to purchase tickets, can be found at AnnieElise.com and then just toggle over to the events page. So grab them now before they're gone. I can't wait to meet all of you, and I will see you on the stage.

Would you believe us if we told you our podcast is haunted? We didn't intend for this to happen. No, we did not. But apparently spirits like listening to ghost stories too. We bring you the creepiest, most unusual, and sometimes heartwarming encounters with the paranormal. Stories so chilling and so shocking that even the spirits can't help but hop on our mics and give us an occasional EVP. But we aren't the only haunted ones. Listeners of this podcast report increased levels of paranormal activity.

Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky. So May 11th, the very next day, Colin secretly made plans to take Mo swimming at Deep Eddy Park after 5.30 p.m. Again, shady ass guy.

So Colin picked Mo up on his motorcycle, and after swimming, they grabbed some food before Colin dropped her back off at the friend's house where she was staying. And then he drove off without waiting to see if Mo actually made it inside safely or not. So like, first of all, you're a scumbag because you're like playing both sides, and you're lying, and you're taking her on a date when she's in your city, or going swimming, or whatever. But now it's like, you're not even like, we're chivalry. You're not, you're doing all this, and you're not even making sure she gets in the house okay? Beat it, guys.

Beat it. Now, as all this was happening, Colin had actually lied to Caitlin about what his plans were for the day so that he was able to go and hang out with Mo without having to worry about Caitlin being jealous or freaking out. Player. Which, again, if you're trying to make your relationship work and she's jealous and has reason to be jealous because you hid things from her in the past, maybe it's not in your best interest to hang out with this person or maybe it's not in your best interest to lie about hanging out with this person.

At 8.36 p.m., Colin texted Caitlin that he had been dropping off some flowers at a friend's house and that his phone died. And just one minute after Mo arrived back at her friend's house, a black 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a bike rack on the back was caught by neighboring video footage, and it was driving by Mo's friend's house.

Mo had entered her friend's house at the exact time that Colin had sent that text to Caitlin. And this was confirmed by the personalized code of the smart lock that was given to Mo to access the home while she was staying there. It said that Caitlin was apparently tracking Colin's locations using an app called Strava. And this is an app that tracks cyclists and runners' activity and their paths.

And Caitlin was not fooled by Colin's lies of his phone dying and delivering flowers. She knew something was up, and she was tracking his ass. Later that night, Moe's friend frantically called 911 to report that she came home and found Moe unconscious on the bathroom floor and bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds to her torso. First responders rushed to the scene and quickly began to attempt CPR. However, tragically, Moe was already dead.

Moe's bike was also found in a thick area of bamboo down the street, and it's believed that this was a poor attempt someone made to make this look like maybe it was a robbery rather than a murder.

On May 12, 2022, upon investigating the crime, police noticed that Kaitlyn had an outstanding Class B warrant for an unrelated charge. She had allegedly skipped out on paying for her Botox procedure back in 2018 after claiming that she had a different credit card in the car and she was going to go grab it really quick, but then she never came back, and so she never paid her bill that was $650. So she had this outstanding warrant for that. So word to the wise ladies, always pay your Botox bills.

So Caitlin was apprehended, and she was brought into the Austin Homicide Department. She was asked what had happened in the last 24 hours, and when asked about Moe, Caitlin became very still and unresponsive. The cops then confronted her with the neighbor's video footage of Caitlin's car, the Jeep, driving past the home that Moe was staying in, and they asked her why she hasn't mentioned this, despite several opportunities to bring it up.

The police began to ask about a possible love triangle that involved Colin, Moe, and herself, of which Kaitlyn just rolled her eyes at. And she began to become very agitated and increasingly angry at the line of questioning. So she asked if she could leave, and because of a technical error in the warrant database, they had the wrong date of birth, and legally, they could not even hold her for the warrant. So Kaitlyn was free to walk, free to go.

As soon as she left the station, she began to work very quickly. It was time to put a plan in motion. She booked a flight from Texas to New York, she deactivated her social media, and she completely vanished. After reviewing video footage, investigators saw Caitlin arrive at the Austin airport on May 14th around 12:30 p.m. and then board a flight to Houston, and then later board another flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York.

Five days after her initial interview, the U.S. Marshals issued a homicide warrant for Kaitlyn. A manhunt once confined to Texas has now crossed state lines. New video of a suspect tonight accused of murdering a 25-year-old professional cyclist shows her traveling to New York. This is the latest development in that love triangle that appears to have gone terribly wrong. This is Kaitlyn Armstrong caught on...

on surveillance video in Austin's airport just three days after her alleged crime. She is wanted in connection to the death of Anna Maria Wilson and those who knew her best.

Called her Mo. Correspondent Kelly Beeson is here with the very latest on the search. Yeah, and Mo Wilson's murder obviously causing shockwaves, not only through her family and her loved ones, but also the world of professional cycling. And now the hunt is on to find the woman police say gunned her down in what appears to be a fit of jealousy.

A suspected killer strolling through security at the Austin airport with a ticket to New York. We can send collateral leads to New York. The hunt for 34-year-old Kaitlyn Armstrong began on May 11th when Austin police found Mo Wilson, a 25-year-old pro cyclist, shot to death in the home where she was staying.

On May 12th, police interviewed Armstrong, and on May 14th, surveillance video captured Armstrong in Austin's airport. After more tips came in, police issued a warrant for her arrest on May 17th. Now the U.S. Marshals are releasing these photos of Armstrong, who they say flew from Austin to Houston and then to New York City.

You know, when someone leaves the area where a crime was committed, of course, she was interviewed on the 12th.

And so that causes some suspicion. Armstrong is accused of murdering 25-year-old professional cyclist Mo Wilson. Police say on May 11th, officers found Wilson's body at this Austin home with multiple gunshot wounds. EMS shortly after arrived on scene, provided life-saving measures, but victims succumbed to her wounds. A police affidavit paints a picture of a love triangle gone wrong.

ACCORDING TO THE DOCUMENT, WILSON HAD MET WITH THE SUSPECT'S BOYFRIEND COLIN STRICKLAND, A FELLOW PRO CYCLIST, THE NIGHT SHE WAS KILLED. STRICKLAND, WHO SAID HE BRIEFLY DATED WILSON LAST FALL, TOLD POLICE THEY WENT SWIMMING AND THEN TO DINNER.

He then dropped her off at the home where she was later found dead. Detectives say one minute after Wilson arrived home, security footage shows an SUV similar to Armstrong's appearing to pull up outside. When officers confronted Armstrong with the video evidence, she provided no explanation and remained, quote, very still and guarded. Police later told her she was free to go.

An anonymous tipster who police call credible say Armstrong discovered Strickland was romantically involved with Wilson and became furious, shaking with anger and wanted to kill her. Wilson was a rising star in the cycling world, described as the winningest woman in the American off-road. I really put a really hard effort in at the end. She was also a talented skier. Now the search for her killer intensifies.

And U.S. Marshals describe Armstrong as 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 125 pounds. She has long, curly, light brown hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen on surveillance video wearing a jean jacket with a black mask and a possible yoga mat on her shoulders. Marnie, anyone in the public is asked to call 911 if they see her. Wow. Hard to believe they had her in custody at one point. All right, Kelly.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy, and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

Hey guys, it's me, your true crime bestie Annie, and I am so excited to share with you that Serialistly is officially hitting the road and coming to you live in a city near you. That's right, we are going on tour. We've got shows planned in Orange County, California, San Diego, California, Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona, and...

and more. We're going to be discussing all new exclusive cases. I have some surprise guests planned, but I can't tell you who. It's a surprise. At the end, we'll do a meet and greet so I finally get to meet so many of you. We've got exclusive merch and just so much more. It is going to be a show that you definitely do not want to miss. But space and tickets are very, very limited. So grab your friends, grab your co-workers, or come on your own and hang with me while we talk all things true crime together.

All of the information, including dates, cities, and links to purchase tickets, can be found at AnnieElise.com and then just toggle over to the events page. So grab them now before they're gone. I can't wait to meet all of you, and I will see you on the stage. Shortly after her arrival in New York, a new ID was issued under Caitlyn's sister's name, Christina Armstrong.

And this was incredibly suspicious because Christina's last known address was in California. But now, three days after Caitlyn arrives in New York, a New York ID was issued for her sister. On May 18th, Caitlyn was seen again on video footage, this time in New Jersey, in the Newark airport, being dropped off by somebody. The U.S. Marshals lost track of her and were unable to find a departing flight under Caitlyn's name. On May 19th, Caitlyn was officially charged with first-degree murder.

So a private investigator working on the case had the same suspicion that the police had, that Caitlin was now possibly living under her sister's identity with this new New York ID, which could have been very easy to go unnoticed given that the two sisters looked very similar.

As this was unfolding, Colin had publicly expressed remorse for the close ties that he had to this case and has since actually gone underground in hiding due to the fear that Caitlin was going to come back for him and, you know, finish the job of the two of them. So it's no longer a triangle. She's on her own. Colin stated that he ended his relationship too with Caitlin and that Mo coincidentally was coming to town the weekend that he and Caitlin broke up.

Now I don't know how true this is. I think maybe that is more of trying to save face and a thing of convenience because that would be a pretty big coincidence, but maybe it's true. I don't know.

Colin stated that this was not planned and that he had clearly expressed to Caitlin that he and Mo were going to be spending time together. He stated that Caitlin had even been dating other people herself, and he said that they were going their separate ways but were never able to officially separate due to owning several businesses together. He also stated that he was in total shock because Caitlin was the least volatile person that he's ever known. Now I have a few things with this, which kind of go back to him playing both sides.

He's saying that they happened to coincidentally break up right before Mo came into town. That, you know, Caitlin was even moving on. She's dating other people too. And I told her I was going to see Mo. Then why'd you lie to her and text her that you were delivering flowers? Why'd you lie to her and tell her your phone was dead? If you had nothing to hide because you were broken up and she was also moving on, why would you be lying?

I don't think so. I think this is definitely more like a saving face kind of tactic, personally. ABC News conducted an exclusive interview with Kaitlyn's father, Mike Armstrong. Let me play it for you here. And now we're going to turn to the Texas yoga instructor wanted for murder. Her father is now speaking out and our chief national correspondent, Matt Gutman, joined us from Austin with that. Good morning, Matt.

Hey, good morning, Michael. I spoke to that father last night. Mike Armstrong is shattered. He said his daughter is not capable of committing the crime she's accused of, murdering a love rival in a fit of jealous rage. But there is one thing that he and authorities agree upon at this point. There are a lot of unanswered questions here.

We love you, Katie, and we are going to figure this out. This morning, the father of missing murder suspect, Caitlin Armstrong, speaking exclusively with ABC News. I know her. I know how she thinks, and I know what she believes, and I know that she just would not do something like this.

I know her. I know her. He says his daughter is not capable of committing the crime she's charged with, shooting her alleged romantic rival, rising cycling star Mariah Wilson. That is what they believe. I know that she did not do this. There are a lot of unanswered questions.

According to court documents, the day after Wilson's murder, police questioned Armstrong, confronting her with this surveillance video showing a dark SUV matching her vehicle driving away from the home. Wilson was found with a deadly gunshot wound. Now, that's the camera that captured that Jeep Grand Cherokee driving up this alley. Minutes later, those shots were fired. Wilson was killed. But what's surprising is that none of the neighbors here said they heard anything.

When detectives told Armstrong the video made things not look too good, they wrote in the report she nodded her head up and down as if in agreement. That's when investigators say she asked to end the interview and was allowed to leave. By the next morning, Armstrong's social media accounts were reportedly wiped clean, according to the arrest affidavit, and she vanished. The U.S. Marshals joining the urgent search for her and say she may still be in the Austin area.

She was a realtor. She was a yoga teacher. So she had personal relationships here in the Austin area. We hope that eventually if she had some type of plan that maybe she would reach out to those associates and we would receive a tip based upon that.

Now, Mike Ontrunk said he last spoke to his daughter about five days ago. He knew where she was then. Now, the US Marshals say they have about three to ten agents working on this at any given time. They say the key is finding that Jeep Grand Cherokee. Guys. Ballistic evidence linked to the murder weapon was connected to a nine milliliter handgun that was purchased by Colin back in January as a gift for Caitlin.

and the gun was recovered back at the home that Colin and Caitlin had shared. So this manhunt looking for Caitlin went on for quite some time. Nobody knew where she had fled to. Nobody had a lead on to where she could have gone. Her sister wasn't really talking. They didn't have anything official to hold her on. So everybody was looking for Caitlin, and nobody could find her.

But after a very long 43-day manhunt, Caitlin was officially apprehended by local authorities in Costa Rica.

U.S. Marshals Office of International Operations, Homeland Security, and the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service were working with local Costa Rica authorities where they eventually captured Caitlin on June 29th at a hostel in Santa Teresa Beach. Caitlin had used a fraudulent passport from Newark on May 18th and arrived in Costa Rica at approximately 8.30 p.m.,

Caitlyn had completely changed her look. She cut her hair, she colored her hair, and it was reported that she even allegedly had plastic surgery, which included a nose job, all to restructure her facial features and go unrecognized. I mean, this plan was elaborate.

Kaitlyn was deported back to the United States to face first-degree murder charges. And I don't know about you, but this entire escapade just seems like too big of a job to be done by just one person. There was clearly a lot of planning and quick thinking involved in this. So did Kaitlyn act alone, or was somebody else involved?

Law enforcement was very focused on finding the Jeep, even stating at one point that it was the key to this case. However, Caitlin had sold the Jeep to a local CarMax in the Austin area the day after she was questioned. Remember, I told you, she put this plan into play very quickly. She sold the Jeep for several thousand dollars and under market value, and she collected $12,000 in cash.

So this tells us that it was a very hasty decision and that she had every intention to run and just needed quick cash, which is why she was accepting less than market value. It's also possible that she sold it to get rid of any forensic evidence that may have made it into the car and linked her to the crime. So that very next day, she took her new bundle of cash to that Austin airport and began her string of flights just hopping around.

The U.S. Marshals hosted an incredible press conference where they announced the capture of Caitlin Armstrong. And the press conference gave so much detail and answered most of everybody's questions on everybody's mind.

Brandon Fila, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Marshals, went over the case and how they were able to capture Kaitlyn Armstrong in great detail. He stated that the U.S. Marshals had posted a cash reward of $5,000 for tips leading to the arrest of Kaitlyn, and Austin-area Crimestoppers posted a $1,000 cash reward, and apparently an anonymous donor also contacted the Austin area and donated an additional $15,000, making the total cash reward $21,000.

So he confirmed that Caitlin had boarded a United flight from Newark Airport on May 18th and arrived in Costa Rica around 8.30 p.m. He boarded the flight and fled to international territory using a passport that did not belong to her, but it did belong to somebody that she was closely associated with in the United States.

U.S. Marshals immediately communicated with the Department of State Diplomatic Security Systems and continued investigative efforts where communication was then established with Costa Rica officials.

U.S. Marshals deployed two marshals to the U.S. Embassy to assist the Department of State and foreign officials with intelligence on the possible whereabouts of Caitlyn. And what they learned was that Caitlyn had traveled to multiple locations that included San Jose, Jaco Beach, and Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, where she was ultimately found. She also used multiple names and aliases that included the name Beth Martin, Liz, and Ari Martin.

and she used these names at different yoga studios and hostels that she frequented. Officials involved in the investigation conducted old-fashioned law enforcement techniques of going door to door and conducting multiple interviews, and they visited all of the yoga studios and all of the hostels that she had stayed at.

This paved the way where Caitlyn was eventually going to be detained by authorities on Santa Teresa Beach. She was transported back to San Jose, which is about a six-hour drive, where Caitlyn finally confessed to her true identity.

According to foreign officials, she altered her physical appearance again by dyeing her hair, cutting it shoulder length, and then also having, she had a bandage and bruising on her nose, which looked like it was from plastic surgery and a nose job, which we later see a receipt for, but she tried to claim that it was from a surfboard incident just days prior.

She was deported back to the U.S., and on July 7th, she arrived at the BCIA in Houston, where she was received by the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force and then transported and booked into Harris County Jail. The U.S. Marshals answered questions following their statement. One reporter asked if the owner of the passport that was used by Caitlin will be facing any criminal charges, in which the agent stated that it was currently an active investigation. Agents, however, declined to answer if she had any assistance in her escape.

Another reporter asked if she had gotten plastic surgery, and the agent stated that they were unable to confirm it at this point because the receipt obtained that showed the plastic surgery had an alias name on it.

The agent stated that the documents found in her hostel were pretty unique. Caitlin had kept her documents in a lockbox, and when confronted by authorities, she stated that she didn't have the key to it anymore. But when Caitlin was taken away, a news affiliate had gotten in contact with the owner of the hostel, and that's when the owner voluntarily recovered the documents, the passport, and the $6,000 receipt from the plastic surgery facility.

It appears that Kaitlyn was trying very hard to create a life there in Costa Rica, working at yoga studios, going under different names, and so much so that she apparently even was dating a little. Ari was a strange person, but I met her right outside the tattoo shop, Good Life Tattoos, and her friends were getting tattoos, so she was waiting out there on the bench, and I was out there having a beer in the lounge, and...

it became apparent to me that she was trying to have a conversation trying to get to know me so then i started talking to her more and more and then uh we end up sharing numbers and we're gonna hang out later and we end up hanging out a bunch of times later we went on a couple dates but uh she she said that she had just been through a real traumatizing breakup and she hadn't healed from it yet and wasn't ready to to get close at all so we were just being friends and uh

She wanted to go out to different places. We went out to a bunch of different spots, but most of the time she wanted to kind of be a secluded spot. Not a lot of people. And I didn't put any of it together. You wouldn't imagine it. But after it all happened, went by and you hear what she was really doing and running from, it made sense why she like didn't want to be seen, why she wanted to go to real secluded places. And it all kind of made a little more sense. They were using the old pictures and I was like, oh, I don't know her.

But then afterwards they did the updates of the pictures and when she had her face lift or face change and that was like shocked. I was like what? That's who I've been hanging out with this whole time. And yeah, it sucks for the family that lost their sister and daughter and that's really not cool and feel for them.

And also, I didn't get to meet her. The person I met was Irie, is Katie. Which I just want to say, guys, she was apprehended 43 days after being on the run. If you are so fueled with jealousy and anger because you love somebody so much that you feel like your only option is to murder the paramour that you suspect is dividing your relationship and breaking it up, how are you...

whole enough and healed enough to start dating 43 days later? If you were so distraught and heartbroken that you murdered somebody, how on earth are you like, now I'm going to start dating? Unless it was all a facade, which it could have very well been.

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Hey guys, it's me, your true crime bestie Annie, and I am so excited to share with you that Serialistly is officially hitting the road and coming to you live in a city near you. That's right, we are going on tour. We've got shows planned in Orange County, California, San Diego, California, Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona, and...

and more. We're going to be discussing all new exclusive cases. I have some surprise guests planned, but I can't tell you who. It's a surprise. At the end, we'll do a meet and greet so I finally get to meet so many of you. We've got exclusive merch and just so much more. It is going to be a show that you definitely do not want to miss. But space and tickets are very, very limited. So grab your friends, grab your co-workers, or come on your own and hang with me while we talk all things true crime together.

All of the information, including dates, cities, and links to purchase tickets, can be found at AnnieElise.com and then just toggle over to the events page. So grab them now before they're gone. I can't wait to meet all of you, and I will see you on the stage. In July, once back in the United States, Caitlyn attended her first Zoom court hearing dressed in black and white stripes.

Her charges included felony first-degree murder with a bond of $3.5 million and theft of service with a bond of $3,500. Kaitlyn pled not guilty to the first-degree murder charges. So District Court Judge Brenda Kennedy, who decided to bar cameras from the courtroom, placed Kaitlyn's case on the docket for October 19th, and a jury trial is scheduled to take place the following week.

So the judge went over her charges, citizens rights, bail, and conditions if she were to be released, which included a curfew, GPS monitoring, and surrendering her passport. Kaitlyn's attorney stated that Kaitlyn wants the murder case to go to trial. Naomi Howard, Mark Pryor, Rick Cofer. I'll say just a few words today because I do understand that there's intense media interest in Kaitlyn Armstrong's case. I know that you'll have a lot of questions and there will be a timeout.

and place to answer those questions, but not today. There's a big picture here. This is a beginning of a process that will play out in court, and it should play out in court. And we understand that there are questions that need to be answered, and we look forward to doing so. But we also have some questions of our own. What you saw in that courtroom today was illuminating. Ms. Armstrong wants her day in court. She wants a trial.

And you heard the district attorney threaten sanctions over her desire for a trial. As a matter of course, cases should not be indicted if prosecutors are not prepared to proceed. But we have some questions. Why did the Austin Police Department seemingly ignore a tip about the former boyfriend of Ms. Wilson?

Why did the Austin Police Department present inaccurate and misleading information to a judge when seeking an arrest warrant of Ms. Armstrong? Did the inexperience of two key officers assigned to this case play a role in its apparent mishandling? Who vandalized the home of Kaitlyn Armstrong and Colin Strickland the night of Wilson's death, and why?

Unfortunately, a lot of the information that's been presented so far in the media is simply not accurate. I understand that reporters frequently will get information from so called law enforcement sources. The police have a vested interest in paying a picture that supports their initial assumptions and actions. Law enforcement sources also might have an interest in glossing over details that

could be of interest in relatable to their mistakes in the initial hours of this unfortunate situation, terrible situation. All I can ask of the press here is that you not consider everything told to you by law enforcement as confirmed and reportable facts. Simply put, there is a lot more to this story than has yet been heard. We will file motions challenging this investigation and challenging the conduct of the Austin Police Department.

We look forward to this legal process ahead and these issues being heard in a court of law. Caitlin's attorney filed new documents to try and suppress evidence. Her attorney claims that evidence was obtained with an illegal arrest warrant and that they had illegally arrested her when she was first questioned because they apparently did not read her her Miranda rights.

She has pleaded not guilty to a charge on first-degree murder, although prosecutors say that she did do this murder, and that she did it after she was fueled by jealousy and she wanted to get revenge.

She is also facing additional charges since she disappeared like literally Houdini for 43 days and was later found in Costa Rica and had all of that plastic surgery to change her face. Caitlin recently made the news after a failed escape attempt. However, she was ultimately unsuccessful. Now, after her escape, new court documents filed showed that she might have actually been preparing for this for months before she tried to escape custody during that doctor's appointment.

According to CNN, and I quote,

I mean, the fucking nerve of this girl. She had complained of an injury that would mean that she could get the medical appointment outside of her jail, and then she secured a medical request that would prevent her legs from being restrained. Caitlin tried to make her escape as two corrections officers were leading her out of the back door of a medical office after her appointment, this all according to the affidavit.

She was somehow able to break free and run away as the officers followed her. As she ran, Caitlin removed her black and white striped jail uniform pants to reveal that she had put on thermal pants underneath, all in another attempt to disguise her appearance as an inmate. Caitlin was also able to free one of her hands from her restraints. During a later search of her cell, investigators found a broken, thin piece of metal that could likely be used to remove a handcuff.

During the pursuit, Caitlin tried to scale a six-foot fence before an officer pulled her down, causing both of them to fall. But Caitlin immediately got back up and kept running. Caitlin ran for about a mile, ignoring officers' commands to stop and also the sounds of sirens from several responding law enforcement units.

Both corrections officers suffered injuries to their arms and knees during the pursuit. After Caitlin was caught, she was taken to a local hospital and then returned to the sheriff's office custody. She's now facing an additional felony charge of escape causing bodily injury. Caitlin's trial started on Wednesday, November 1st with opening statements.

The judge in the trial is not allowing the entire trial to be streamed, only allowing cameras for opening statements, closing statements, and the verdict. During opening statements, the prosecutor said, "...the last thing that Moe did on this earth is scream in terror, and you will hear those screams," saying that there is audio of the assault and the murder.

The prosecution also said that Caitlin had access to Colin's email and Instagram account and that she could see all of his text messages, which if he had an iPhone, that would mean she could probably see everything. They also say that she was watching everything Colin and Mo were saying to each other on her laptop for weeks.

Yet the defense is arguing that the detectives in this case had tunnel vision the entire time and that they only looked at Caitlin, that any DNA or ballistics evidence the prosecution may have is just junk science, and that Caitlin is passionate about traveling and passionate about yoga. Which, okay.

Like, that is a stretch from the defense, saying that she fled and got plastic surgery, all because she loves to travel, loves yoga, loves doing all of that. So you're saying she wasn't fleeing the country? She just had to get rid of her car that was seen near the crime scene at the time the crime was suspected to have happened, sell it off for cash, then go get plastic surgery, and then thought, hey, you know what? I think I'll go to yoga in Costa Rica using my sister's passport. And hey, while I'm at it, I'm also going to go by a completely new name. You're trying to tell me...

that that was a coincidence and it's not because she's trying to get away with murder and she wasn't trying to evade the police? No, no, no, no, no. Nobody's buying it. Now, as I record this, Caitlin's trial is still ongoing and even more damning evidence has come out against her. Now, in what seems to be a preemptive move, since things aren't looking too good for her, Caitlin actually filed a motion with the court

that asked the judge if she's found guilty to not go to prison and instead be released on community supervision. And she asks this because she doesn't have a criminal history prior to being charged with murder, which I just have to say, the absolute...

nerve of this woman. Now, Caitlin, I hate to break it to you, but you were literally an international fugitive, and you also tried to break out of jail just weeks ago. So the idea of getting a literal "get out of jail free" card if you are convicted of murder because you were quote unquote "good" in the past is truly laughable, not to mention all the evidence stacked up against you. But nice try, though.

So as I mentioned before, the judge isn't allowing cameras again until closing arguments and then the verdict. I'm hopeful that Mo's family will receive justice in this case because I can't imagine everything that they have been through, having to witness, now having to relive it all again at the trial, seeing the audacity of this woman trying to flee multiple times on end. It is just truly awful.

Alright guys, thank you so much for tuning in to another bonus episode with me. Like I said at the top of this episode, make sure you're following the podcast so that you don't miss any more bonus episodes in the future. And if you would be so kind as to just quickly rate this podcast, review it. It takes 30 seconds max to leave a review. And it really does help the algorithm and help push this podcast out to more people so that these victim stories get heard, which we know is the goal.

So thank you guys so much for tuning in to another bonus episode, and I will be talking to you again very, very soon. All right, it's me, Annie, signing off.

Hey guys, it's me, your true crime bestie Annie, and I am so excited to share with you that Serialistly is officially hitting the road and coming to you live in a city near you. That's right, we are going on tour. We've got shows planned in Orange County, California, San Diego, California, Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona,

and more. We're going to be discussing all new exclusive cases. I have some surprise guests planned, but I can't tell you who. It's a surprise. At the end, we'll do a meet and greet so I finally get to meet so many of you. We've got exclusive merch and just so much more. It is going to be a show that you definitely do not want to miss. But space and tickets are very, very limited. So grab your friends, grab your co-workers, or come on your own and hang with me while we talk all things true crime together.

All of the information, including dates, cities, and links to purchase tickets, can be found at AnnieElise.com and then just toggle over to the events page. So grab them now before they're gone. I can't wait to meet all of you, and I will see you on the stage.

Would you believe us if we told you our podcast is haunted? We didn't intend for this to happen. No, we did not. But apparently spirits like listening to ghost stories too. We bring you the creepiest, most unusual, and sometimes heartwarming encounters with the paranormal. Stories so chilling and so shocking that even the spirits can't help but hop on our mics and give us an occasional EVP. But we aren't the only haunted ones. Listeners of this podcast report increased levels of paranormal activity.

Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky.