Kaitlin Armstrong back in Texas after arrest in Costa Rica
Kaitlin Armstrong back in Texas after arrest in Costa Rica
This story first appeared on Velonews.com.
Kaitlin Armstrong, the woman accused of murdering gravel star Moriah Wilson, is back in Texas following her arrest in Costa Rica.
A handcuffed Armstrong was escorted by police when she arrived at Houston international airport. She is facing first-degree murder charges in the shooting death of 25-year-old Wilson on May 11.
A Texas television station captured exclusive video of Armstrong being escorted through the Houston airport. She lowered her head to avoid cameras and did not respond when asked about the murder.
Armstrong was arrested Wednesday at a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in Provincia de Puntarenas in Costa Rica after nearly six weeks on the run.
Armstrong’s capture and return to the United States is the latest twist in the case dating back to May.
Wilson, a rising star in the gravel racing scene, was found dead on May 11 in an apartment where she was staying in Austin ahead of a nearby race.
Police ordered an arrest warrant for Armstrong on May 17, but she had sold a Jeep Cherokee for cash after being questioned by local police, and fled the Austin area.
Officials say she flew to New York, and then used another person’s passport to fly from Newark, New Jersey, to San Jose, Costa Rica, on May 18.
“The Marshals Service elevated the Kaitlin Armstrong investigation to major case status early in this investigation, which likely played a key role in her capture after a 43-day run,” said U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas Susan Pamerleau in a statement.
Officials said Armstrong changed her appearance by cutting and dying her hair as well as evidently undergoing plastic surgery.
She was spotted in the popular surf town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica where she was reportedly taking yoga classes.
According to a report on Inside Edition, two passports were found in a locker at the hotel in Costa Rica where Armstrong was apprehended: Armstrong’s own and one belonging to her sister, Christine.
Armstrong’s arrival in Texas means she will soon be formally charged for the murder of Wilson in a case that’s shaken the tightly knit gravel racing community as well as made headlines around the world. She is also facing federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution
So far, no other suspects have been charged in the case.
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