Moriah “Mo” Wilson was a 25-year-old accomplished gravel and mountain cyclist on her way to the top. She had won major races such as Big Sugar Gravel, the Sea Otter Classic and the Belgian Waffle Ride, competing at a high level and destined to be a star. Before her next competition, Wilson was shot and killed on May 11, 2022, inside her friend Caitlin Cash’s home in Austin, Texas. The convicted killer, Kaitlin Armstrong, believed Wilson and her longtime boyfriend were still involved, though the two were only friends—a tragedy now revisited in Netflix’s new documentary, The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson.
Details on Wilson’s death and how Armstrong was captured
Police identified Armstrong as a suspect within days of Wilson’s death. Armstrong, 36, was a yoga instructor, real estate agent and the girlfriend of Colin Strickland, a professional cyclist who briefly dated Wilson. The pair spent the evening together before dropping her off at Cash’s apartment around 8:30 p.m., and Armstrong fired shots at around 9:15 p.m. When Cash arrived back home at 10 p.m., she found Wilson on the floor, bleeding and unconscious, according to ESPN.
Authorities believed Armstrong had killed Wilson because she was jealous and thought Wilson was still seeing Strickland, but they were just friends. A 43-day nationwide manhunt for Armstrong ensued, with law enforcement later locating her in Costa Rica after using her sister’s (Christine Armstrong) passport. Christine was not charged with Wilson’s murder. On Nov. 16, 2023, Armstrong was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 90 years in prison, per NBC News.
Wilson’s death made national headlines. In Austin, the cycling community rallied in support of the rising cyclist, something film director and Emmy winner Marina Zenovich said the story represents. The new documentary, released on Friday, explores Wilson’s life, the manhunt for Armstrong and the publicized trial.
Zenovich said everyone was interested in Wilson’s story. “The district attorneys, the police officers, everyone was so invested in this story,” she told USA Today. “I felt like Austin really rallied as a city to try to bring justice for Mo.”
Zenovich on the Wilson family’s stories: ‘This is something deeply, deeply emotional’
The film features interviews with Wilson’s family and friends as they navigate life after loss and find hope amid grief. It draws on a December 2022 Bicycling feature by Rowan Moore Gerety, highlighting Wilson’s journey into cycling, her competitive spirit and her family’s efforts to honor her legacy, according to Bicycling.com.
During the first days of taping, Zenovich stated that Wilson’s parents (Karen and Colin Wilson) sharing stories about their daughter had everyone on the documentary set emotional.
“It was like my whole crew was crying, and I’m talking about grown men,” Zenovich said, per USA Today. “It was like: ‘Oh wow this is something. This is something deeply, deeply emotional.'”
When is the anniversary of Wilson’s death?
Losing your child is a gut-wrenching feeling that no parent should have to go through. Karen reflected on the day she found out that her daughter had been killed.
“The first thing I did, when the officer told me she had died, was I screamed up into the sky to God, and I said, ‘You are going to do something good with this,'” she said.
Family and friends shared loving stories about Wilson and her dedication to racing and other passions. Her father shared the little things she would do to stay on track.
“For years, at the end of every day, she would write out what she wanted to try to accomplish the next day,” Eric told USA Today, “and the three things she was thankful for.”
May marks the four-year anniversary of Wilson’s death. Her family has since found ways to honor her legacy, including the Moriah Wilson Foundation, which annually hosts the “Ride for Mo” event, scheduled for May 9 this year.
