AUSTIN, Texas — A judge has awarded $15 million to the family of Moriah Wilson in a wrongful death lawsuit against Kaitlin Armstrong.
Armstrong was convicted of murdering the pro cyclist in East Austin on May 11, 2022. In May, the Wilsons filed a civil lawsuit against Armstrong.
Authorities took Armstrong into custody in June 2022 after she fled to Costa Rica. Her murder trial happened in November 2023, ending with a guilty verdict from the jury. Armstrong is already serving a 90-year sentence in a Texas prison.
Court documents say each parent was granted $7.5 million each for emotional pain and suffering and other damages.
Armstrong didn't respond or make a court appearance in this case by the deadline, leading the judge to enter a default judgment. However, she can make an appeal.
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."
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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.
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.
“You ruined your life, your family’s lives, our lives and crushed the hearts of many more,” Karen Wilson told Armstrong in the courtroom. "When you shot Moriah in the heart, you shot me in my heart. You shot Eric and Matt [Moriah Wilson's brother] in their hearts. You shot Moriah's cousins and aunts and uncles and all the people who loved her."
In early December of last year, Armstrong started the process of appealing her murder conviction. The same week, the Travis County District Attorney's office filed a motion to dismiss the escape causing bodily injury charge against Armstrong after consulting with law enforcement and Wilson's family.
In late December, Armstrong's lawyer filed a motion for a new trial, citing, among other reasons, Armstrong's purported pregnancy during her arrest.
On Jan. 18, 2024, Armstrong was sent to the Dr. Lane Murray Unit, a women's prison in Gatesville. She is currently projected to be released from prison in 2112.