AUSTIN, Texas — Kaitlin Armstrong appeared back in court on Monday, Oct. 24.
Armstrong is accused of killing cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson earlier this year and then fleeing to Costa Rica. Monday's appearance is now the second in court for her pre-trail motion hearing for her criminal trial. Armstrong's last appearance was on Oct. 19 for the initial pre-trial motion hearing. The defense filed two motions to suppress evidence before the trial begins.
Cameras were not allowed again in court Monday, but KVUE crews were inside.
On Monday, an investigator took the stand as an expert witness. He had analyzed a May 12 interview between Austin police detectives and Armstrong.
The defense said the interview was conducted unfairly and the affidavit detailing the interview is inaccurate.
During the interview, Armstrong can be heard saying, "I feel like I need an attorney," and "I'd like to leave." Neither request by Armstrong was immediately granted. The expert witness said, in his professional opinion, it was at this point the interview should have ended.
On the stand, the witness also said the affidavit detailing the interview had inaccurate quotes by Armstrong and her then-boyfriend, Colin Strickland. He said it also details eye and head movements made by Armstrong and points out her silence, calling it a "clue" that she may be guilty of the crime. The witness stated that silence does not admit guilt, as people have the right to remain silent. He went on to question why anonymous tips received by APD were not corroborated or, in one case, reported.
The witness, who has over two decades of law enforcement experience, said the affidavit is one he would have never approved. Regarding the interview, the witness called it a "case study of how not to conduct an interview."
The witness went on to say that the leadership of the Austin Police Department failed the detectives in the Armstrong case, and that the way the interview was conducted and how the affidavit was written indicates an inexperienced detective.
The prosecution questioned the witness, asking why he did not reach out to the defense about the anonymous tips. The witness said it was his understanding that it was not available to him.
An Austin police detective took the stand on Oct. 19 to answer questions about an interview police had with Armstrong just days before she left the U.S. Another Austin police detective was also questioned mostly by the defense.
A number of videos were shown in the courtroom, including the interview with a detective who interviewed Armstrong.
A decision on whether to suppress evidence will be made on Nov. 9. On Monday, the defense sought to throw out Armstrong's first interview with Austin Police Department detectives on the night of Wilson's death in May.
Armstrong's trial was initially set to begin in October but, back in August, the judge presiding over the murder case said that was unlikely amid the pre-trial motions that must be considered.
In July, Armstrong pleaded not guilty to Wilson's murder.
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