As Netflix’s The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson lands on the platform, renewed attention is being drawn to one of the most shocking true crime cases in recent years — the 2022 murder of rising American cycling star Moriah 'Mo' Wilson.
The documentary explores Wilson’s life, her meteoric rise in the world of gravel racing, and the devastating circumstances of her death. Just 25 years old, Wilson was widely regarded as one of the sport’s brightest talents, having transitioned from competitive skiing to become a standout endurance cyclist with major wins to her name.
But her life was cut short in May 2022 when she was shot and killed while staying at a friend’s home in Austin, Texas. It was a crime that would soon unravel into a high-profile case involving jealousy, a love triangle, and an international manhunt.
Who was Moriah Wilson?
Moriah Wilson, known as Mo to loved ones, was a professional cyclist from Vermont who had quickly made a name for herself in off-road racing disciplines including gravel and mountain biking.
A former elite skier and Dartmouth graduate, Wilson brought a rare combination of endurance and technical skill to cycling. By 2022, she had already secured major victories, including the Big Sugar Gravel race, and was widely tipped for even greater success.
Friends and fellow athletes described her as driven, warm and deeply loved within the cycling community, the same qualities that are highlighted throughout the new Netflix documentary, which centres her life as well as the crime itself.
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What happened to Moriah Wilson?
On the night of 11 May 2022, Wilson was found fatally shot at a property in Austin where she had been staying ahead of a race. She was discovered by a friend who quickly called 911, the recording of which features in the Netflix documentary and is utterly heartbreaking to hear.
Investigators quickly focused on Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, a yoga instructor and estate agent who had been in a long-term, on-off relationship with professional cyclist Colin Strickland – a man Wilson had briefly dated.
Prosecutors later argued that Armstrong tracked Wilson’s movements and, motivated by jealousy, confronted and shot her.
The case drew widespread attention not only because of the circumstances of the killing, but also due to what happened next: Armstrong fled the United States, sparking a 43-day international manhunt. She was eventually found in Costa Rica, where authorities said she had altered her appearance through plastic surgery and used false identification to evade capture.
Trial, conviction and sentence
Kaitlin Armstrong was arrested in June 2022 and later stood trial in Texas in late 2023.
In November 2023, a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to 90 years in prison.
The case continued to develop after sentencing. In January 2026, the Texas Third Court of Appeals upheld both her conviction and sentence, rejecting arguments from her legal team that there had been errors during the trial.
Separately, in 2024, Wilson’s parents were awarded $15 million in a wrongful death lawsuit against Armstrong, in part to prevent her from profiting from the crime.
Where is Kaitlin Armstrong now?
As of 2026, Kaitlin Armstrong is serving her sentence at the Dr Lane Murray Unit, a prison in Gatesville, Texas.
She is expected to spend decades behind bars, with eligibility for parole only after serving around 30 years of her sentence, meaning she would not be considered until the early 2050s.
Her attempts to challenge the conviction have so far been unsuccessful, with courts affirming the original verdict.
The renewed interest driven by the Netflix documentary is likely to keep the case in the public eye but for Wilson’s family, the focus remains firmly on preserving her legacy rather than the woman convicted of killing her.
The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson is on Netflix now
