(NewsNation) — A manhunt is underway for a woman in Texas, accused of shooting and killing an up-and-coming professional cyclist from the Bay Area, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force are actively conducting a fugitive investigation and pursuing leads on the whereabouts of Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, 35, who is suspected of killing Anna Wilson, 25, a Vermont native who was in Austin for a race.
Police discovered Wilson, who went by “Mo,” bleeding and unconscious from multiple gunshot wounds after responding to a 911 call on May 11 at an East Austin residence. They performed CPR on her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials.
According to an arrest affidavit, Armstrong is accused of first-degree murder and the U.S. Marshals Service issued a wanted poster.
Armstrong is described as a 5 ft. 8 in., 125-pound White woman with hazel eyes and brown hair.
According to the search warrant, Wilson was in Austin ahead of a race near Dallas. Bike racing outlet VeloNews reported Wilson was expected to compete in the Gravel Locos race in Hico, which is about an hour and 20 minutes southwest of Fort Worth.
The arrest affidavit reveals a romantic entanglement, characterizing Wilson’s death as the result of a possible love triangle.
Court papers say the night of the murder, Wilson went for a swim at Deep Eddy Pool with Colin Strickland, another cyclist.
Armstrong and Strickland were dating at the time Wilson was found shot to death, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit further explained that Strickland told police during a break in his relationship with Armstrong, he met and began dating Wilson.
Investigators said, based on their search of Wilson’s phone, text messages indicated that Wilson thought she “was still in a romantic relationship with Strickland even though he was currently dating Armstrong.”
According to local news reports, Strickland released a statement, clarifying his relationship with Wilson and expressing “torture about my proximity to this horrible crime.”
Wilson’s family issued a statement to NewsNation affiliate KXAN, expressing the depths of their loss and clarifying details surrounding Wilson’s alleged romantic relationship with Strickland.
“We are absolutely devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter and sister, Anna Moriah Wilson. There are no words that can express the pain and suffering we are experiencing due to this senseless, tragic loss. Moriah was a talented, kind, and caring young woman. Her life was taken from her before she had the opportunity to achieve everything she dreamed of. Our family, and all those who loved her, will forever miss her,” the family wrote in the statement.
“While we will not elaborate about the ongoing investigation, we do feel it’s important to clarify that at the time of her death, those closest to her clearly understood, directly from Moriah, that she was not in a romantic relationship with anyone,” the statement continued.
A GoFundMe called the “Moriah ‘Mo’ Wilson Fund” was created by her family saying “Moriah inspired many, lived fully and loved fiercely.”
#RideLikeMo was also trending on social media after news of her death spread.
Anyone with information on Armstrong’s location is asked to contact the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102 or submit a tip using the USMS Tips app. You can also submit a tip to Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 1-800-893-8477.
NewsNation affiliate KXAN contributed to this report.