Kriti Mehrotra
When professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson, AKA Mo, was found heinously shot to death inside a friend’s home in Austin, Texas, on May 11, 2022, the entire nation was left baffled. That’s because it soon came to light that this young athlete was actually the victim of a needless and senseless jealous rage at the hands of fellow cyclist Kaitlin Marie Armstrong. However, as explored in ABC’s ’20/20: Three Shots in the Dark,’ even as the latter fled the nation after being interviewed as the lead suspect, her father still believed in her innocence.
Mike Armstrong Has Always Been a Dedicated and Supportive Father
It was on November 21, 1987, when Michael “Mike” Armstrong became a father for the first time as Kaitlin Marie Armstrong was born in Livonia, Michigan, as the eldest of his two girls. She was followed by Christine Elizabeth Armstrong a few years later, only for them to grow up surrounded by affection, care, love, and support despite hailing from a rather small town. This was actually to such an extent that the youngest reportedly grew up feeling as if her family members were her best friends, with her sister also being “like a second mother” to her.
As for Mike, his dedication to his kids has always been utterly natural for him since he still remembers the feeling of pure love that took over him the moment they came into this world. He was thus right there to see them graduate from high school, move out for college, earn their degrees, make mistakes, grow as individuals, and develop their own path for their future. Therefore, he proudly witnessed Kaitlin becoming interested in the wellness industry before finding a passion as a cyclist too, unaware it would lead her to a relationship with Colin Strickland as well as jealousy.
In fact, when Kaitlin suddenly became international news following her escape from Texas and the nation not long after Anna Moriah Wilson’s murder, Mike did his best to defend her. He actually gave interviews wherein he made it clear that while his heart goes out to the Wilson family, he doesn’t believe his daughter could have killed the young cyclist, let alone over Colin. He also asserted there are still a lot of questions left unanswered in this case, despite the evidence placing his eldest at the scene, and although he would love for her to return, he is scared for her safety.
Mike Armstrong Still Seemingly Stands By His Daughter
When Kaitlin was eventually apprehended in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, on June 29, 2022, after 43 long days on the lam, Mike breathed a sigh of relief because he finally knew she was okay. However, of course, things soon changed because she was extradited to Texas, where she was quickly arraigned on one count of first-degree murder and held at Travis County Jail on a $3.5 million bond. She attempted to flee once again on October 12, 2023, merely 2 weeks before she was to stand trial, but she was fortunately captured less than a mile away and brought back into county custody.
Kaitlin’s trial commenced on October 30, 2023, and Mike, as well as Christine, came to court every single day to show their support for her – in fact, they even testified to her character. But alas, with the mountain of evidence against her, she was found guilty on November 16, 2023, before later being sentenced to 90 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. In the end, Mike again made it clear that while his heart goes out to the Wilsons because the loss of Anna Moriah was truly rather needless, he is still going to be there for his daughter. The now 60-something-year-old New Hampshire resident knows family is all that matters, so despite everything, he appears to stand by Kaitlin, all the while also maintaining a good relationship with his younger daughter, Christine.
Read More: Where is Anna Moriah Wilson’s Family Today?
