Judge orders Kaitlin Armstrong to pay $15 million to family of murder victim Moriah Wilson
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Convicted murderer Kaitlin Armstrong has been ordered to pay $15 million to the family of Anna "Mo" Wilson as part of a civil lawsuit, a judge ruled Monday.
KXAN reported in May that Wilson's parents filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Armstrong. Judge Daniella DeSata Lyttle granted $5 million each to Karen and Eric Wilson for "mental anguish, including emotional pain, torment and suffering from the death of [their] daughter," according to court documents.
Both parents were also granted $2.5 million each for exemplary damages, "in an amount which the court determines sufficient to deter the same or similar actions which gave rise to this suit by [Armstrong] in the future."
The judge entered a default judgement after Armstrong didn't respond to the lawsuit or "make an appearance in this case" by the deadline, The judgment is appealable, documents state.
KXAN has reached out to Armstrong's attorney for comment.
Police issued an arrest warrant for Armstrong on May 17, 2022, six days after she shot and killed Wilson, a professional cyclist, at an east Austin apartment. Wilson was staying with a friend in town ahead of a Central Texas gravel race.
Armstrong was found guilty of Wilson's murder by a Travis County jury in November 2023 and was sentenced to 90 years in prison.
"As a family, we are broken, incomplete, and will forever suffer the void of her presence on this earth. The empty chair at the family dining table, where she once sat, haunts every holiday and family get-together," Karen Wilson wrote in an affidavit as part of the lawsuit.
Eric Wilson echoed that sentiment in his own affidavit, saying, "Rather than looking forward to sharing in her life and successes, we are faced with an emptiness hard to describe. There will be no cycling career, no future wedding or grandkids, only thoughts of wishing things could be different, wondering why this happened, and how we are going to live through the remaining years of our lives with this emotional pain."