AUSTIN, Texas — A request for new legal proceedings for convicted murderer Kaitlin Armstrong has been denied.
Last November, Armstrong was convicted of killing professional cyclist Moriah Wilson in East Austin in 2022. In July, she requested an evidentiary hearing as she works to appeal that conviction.
Now court documents detail that a motion was filed earlier this month for that hearing, which would have allowed Armstrong's legal team to outline new evidence that wasn't presented during her 2023 trial. However, on Tuesday, Aug. 27, the Texas Third Circuit Court of Appeals denied that request.
Armstrong is currently serving a sentence of 90 years at the Dr. Lane Murray Unit, a women's prison in Gatesville, Texas.
Background on this case
In May 2022, Armstrong's Jeep was seen on surveillance footage leaving the area of the home Wilson was staying at while she visited Austin for a cycling race. Armstrong was initially brought in for questioning regarding Wilson's death, but police had to release her because her date of birth in the report management system officials had did not match the birth date on the warrant.
Armstrong later sold her Jeep, then flew from Austin to New York, then from New Jersey to Costa Rica. She was arrested in Provincia de Puntarena, Costa Rica, on June 29, 2022.
By the time she was captured, Armstrong had altered her appearance by cutting and dyeing her hair. She had also reportedly had cosmetic work done to her nose.
Law enforcement officials say it was Armstrong's love of yoga that led them to where she was staying in Costa Rica. She had taken several yoga classes before her arrest and went by three different aliases, though most of her acquaintances say they only knew her by the name "Ari Martin."
In July 2022, Armstrong pleaded not guilty to Wilson's murder. Her trial date was initially scheduled to begin on June 26, 2023. However, on May 4, 2023, the start date was pushed back four months.
In October 2023, Armstrong briefly escaped police custody while leaving a doctor's appointment in South Austin. Authorities say she was recaptured about a block away from where she escaped. The attempt resulted in an additional felony charge of escape causing bodily injury because the two officers who pursued her were injured in the chase, though that charge was later dropped.
Armstrong's murder trial began on Nov. 1, 2023, and continued for more than two weeks. On Nov. 16, a jury deliberated for about two hours before returning a guilty verdict. The following day, Armstrong was sentenced to 90 years in prison and fined $10,000.
In early December of last year, Armstrong started the process of appealing her murder conviction. In late December, her lawyer filed a motion for a new trial, citing, among other reasons, Armstrong's purported pregnancy during her arrest. In July 2024, she requested the evidentiary hearing that was denied on Aug. 27.
Lawsuits against Armstrong
In May 2024, Wilson's parents filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Armstrong. In June 2024, a judge awarded $15 million to Wilson's family.
Then in July 2024, the Wilson family sued Armstrong again, this time claiming she transferred her assets to avoid paying money she owed them.