State rests in Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial
Editor's note: The above video is from Tuesday, Nov. 14, or Day 8 of the trial.
AUSTIN (KXAN) - After 8 days of calling witnesses, state prosecutors have rested their case against murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong.
Police believe Armstrong shot and killed pro cyclist “Mo” Wilson on May 11, 2022 at an east Austin apartment. Wilson was in town for a nearby gravel race and staying with a friend.
The State’s final witness was Pamela Mazak, an intelligence analyst with the Texas Attorney General’s Office. She showed the jury an interactive timeline of events of the day Wilson died by tracking location data on Wilson’s and Armstrong’s phones, as well as the phone of Colin Strickland - Armstrong’s then-boyfriend and a friend of Wilson’s.
Follow live courtroom updates from KXAN’s Brianna Hollis on the social media platform “X” at the link below:
KAITLIN ARMSTRONG DAY 9. Good morning from the courthouse. Cameras are back in full force as we’re hearing the State will rest today, and closing arguments COULD begin as early as this afternoon. Cams can’t go inside, but I’ll be there posting live updates to this thread. pic.twitter.com/c5XevmQgJa
— Brianna Hollis (@BriHollisNEWS) November 15, 2023
Records show Wilson and Strickland went to Deep Eddy Pool and Pool Burger in the hours before Wilson was shot. Mazak’s report also included location data from the infotainment center in Armstrong’s Jeep. Throughout the report, she displayed other evidence - like text messages, receipts and surveillance video - that she said corroborated the location data.
That data placed Armstrong’s Jeep at the scene of the crime and Strickland almost home at the time of the shooting, Mazak explained. Her report also showed Armstrong’s Jeep circling the block of the apartment Wilson died in the hours before.
Defense attorneys have questioned witnesses about the validity and accuracy of the phone, GPS and DNA data used in this case. They also addressed what they suggested were issues or discrepancies in the investigation process and asked questions suggesting the possibility of Strickland’s involvement.
Strickland’s testimony early on in the trial matched the timeline of events in Mazak’s report. While on the stand, prosecutors asked him if he killed Wilson. He said no.
During opening statements, the Defense made the argument that while surveillance video shows Armstrong’s Jeep at the murder scene, cameras never captured Armstrong herself.
KXAN has a reporter inside the courtroom. Check back for updates.