Update: Kaitin Armstrong has been sentenced to 90 years in prison. Read more about her sentencing here.
(NewsNation) — The jury began deliberating Friday morning about the sentencing of Kaitlin Armstrong, who was found guilty Thursday of killing Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson, a professional cyclist.
Wilson was found unconscious with gunshot wounds on May 11, 2022, at a friend’s home in Austin, Texas.
Armstrong could see anywhere from 5 to 99 years in prison, meaning she faces the prospect of spending the rest of her life behind bars. The prosecution asked the jury Friday to give Armstrong a minimum of 40 years, with Assistant District Attorney Rick Jones asking them to add another 16 months because of the trauma inflicted on the friend who found Wilson.
Judge Brenda Kennedy says Armstrong will be eligible for parole after serving at least half of her sentence or 30 years — whichever comes first. A financial penalty of up to $10,000 is also possible.
The jury’s sentencing verdict must be unanimous.
Giving opening remarks to the jury, Jones said Friday he wanted to talk about Wilson — not Armstrong. Echoing his words from closing statements the previous day, Jones called Wilson a prodigy of gravel cycling, adding that at only 25 years old, she probably wasn’t even in her prime yet.
“When you get up and walk out that door, I want you to think about Moriah Wilson,” Jones said. “Look at that picture on screen and put it in your brains before you leave here.”
Defense Attorney Rick Cofer, addressing the jury, said the punishment isn’t as “clear cut” as deciding a verdict.
“We the defense have no recommendation for an appropriate sentence. That is your decision,” Cofer said. “Kaitlin has no prior criminal history, no rap sheet.”
Cofer argued that forgiveness doesn’t suspend judgment, nor does it mean not holding accountable.
“Forgiveness only allows for a possibility of atonement,” Cofer said.
A race Wilson had been among the favorites to win was what had brought her to Texas.
Prosecutors said Armstrong killed Wilson out of jealousy because the cyclist was previously in a brief romantic relationship with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Colin Strickland, another professional cyclist.
Before she was arrested, Armstrong fled the country to Costa Rica, but authorities eventually caught her after a 43-day search. Investigators said Armstrong got a nose job while in Costa Rica and changed her hair color and style.
Then, in October, Armstrong made another escape attempt while in custody as she was being transported to a medical appointment.
It took the jury about two hours, after hearing testimony for two weeks, to deliver the guilty verdict.
Family and friends of Wilson’s were able to share their memories, and how her death had affected them, on the stand Thursday.
Wilson’s mother, Karen, recalled in court that her daughter had a “force in her,” even as a baby. She remembered Wilson as gentle, strong and “born to ride a bike.”
“I would have done anything to stand in the way of that bullet,” Karen said. “She did not deserve a death like that.”
Caitlin Cash, the friend who found Wilson the night she died, said she gave her chest compressions more than 100 times, not knowing she was already dead.
Now, it is challenging for Cash to live in her own home, she told the court.
“Every time I park my car and I walk up my stairs, I have to talk myself into doing it. I have to tell myself that there is nothing that’s scary on the other side of the door,” Cash said. “Every time I go to put in a load of laundry, I see the dent that the bullet left when she was shot in the head. Every time I get something out of my pantry, I think of her standing right here.”
Jones mentioned Cash’s remarks in his comments to the court on Friday, reminding the jury of how emotional she was and how she testified to having Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“For 16 months, she’s lived in terror and fear,” Jones said.
Armstrong’s family also spoke in court Thursday, with her father, Mike, saying she’s always stuck up for friends and supported her family.”
Her younger sister, Christine, said Armstrong’s “not a bad person” and had been like a “second mother” to her after their parents’ divorce.
Still, Mike said, even as it’s been a difficult and tragic time for their family, “It’s far worse for the Wilson family.”
“I can’t imagine what they are going through,” he said. “I’ve always known that it’s horrible what we are going through, but I know what they are going through is worse.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.