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Texas love triangle murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong was trying to establish a new life in Costa Rica, dying and cutting her hair to disguise her identity, according to an arrest photo showing her dramatic transformation and to U.S. marshals.
Armstrong, 34, was caught Wednesday in a remote beach town after 43 days fleeing the alleged murder of his romantic rival, Moriah “Mo” Wilson, who police say had an affair with her boyfriend Colin Strickland.
The photo of the reservation released by the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Security shows Armstrong from behind with shorts and an orange T-shirt, and wearing his freshly dyed brown locks, while listening to him in a detention cell.
Wilson, 25, who was one of the best cyclists in the country, was shot dead on May 11 in Austin after going out to dinner with his cycling partner Strickland, allegedly behind Armstrong.
KAITLIN ARMSTRONG MANHUNT: SUSPECTED MURDER OF TEXAS LOVE TRIANGLE CAPTURED ON COSTA RICA BEACH, MARSHALS ANNOUNCE
Armstrong was interrogated and released on May 12, then fled to New York and finally to Costa Rica, with a passport that was not his, where he settled in a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in the Province. of Puntarenas, authorities said.
A new photo of the reserve, on the right, shows Kaitlin Armstrong from behind, after dying and cutting her hair. The photo on the left shows his appearance before fleeing the country. (US Marshals / Costa Rican Ministry of Public Security)
“We knew it was in Costa Rica where he thought it was a safe haven, where he was already trying to establish some kind of lifestyle,” U.S. Assistant Marshal Brandon Daughter told Good Morning America Friday in an interview.
“She shortened her hair a little, about to her shoulders. She dyed it dark brown. She had some kind of bandage on her nose with some kind of contusion fixed under her eyes.”
KAITLIN ARMSTRONG SUSPECTED OF TEXAS MURDER THROUGHOUT THE YEARS: THE FUGITIVE SHORTFUL TRIANGLE DRESSED IN PHOTOS OF OLD DENICAS
He continued, “She was trying to establish a different kind of lifestyle.” The type of yoga I was studying had some sort of connection to surfing and it seemed like I wanted to start teaching, officials said.
Armstrong was captured after local Costa Rican police reviewed the background of a name he put on them during a stop in the city and found no record of her entering the country, according to the DailyMail.
She then admitted her real name, which officials found in a database that revealed there was a high-priority arrest warrant for her, according to the news site.
Moriah “Mo” Wilson, left, and Kaitlin Armstrong. (The Wilson Family / US Marshal Service)
U.S. marshals said they knew Armstrong was in Costa Rica after receiving dozens of tips.
He boarded a United Airlines flight on May 18 from Newark Liberty International Airport to San Jose, the country’s capital, authorities said.
“The Marshals Service elevated Kaitlin Armstrong’s investigation to an important case at the beginning of this investigation, which probably played a key role in her capture,” said West Texas District Marshal Susan Pamerleau in a statement announcing the arrest. “This is an example of combining the resources of local, state, federal and international authorities to stop a violent fugitive, end this career and hopefully a sense of closure to the victim’s family.”
Colin Strickland seen outside his home in Austin, Texas, on June 17, 2022. (MEGA)
Wilson was visiting Texas before a cycling competition and met with Strickland for a swim and dinner at Pool Burger before returning to his friend’s apartment where he was staying. Moments after Wilson left her, Armstrong’s SUV appeared in a surveillance video outside, according to police.
THE FUGITIVE KAITLIN ARMSTRONG: TIMELINE FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE OF AUSTIN’S MURDER
According to the arrest warrant, Armstrong used a gun Strickland had bought him earlier this year to attack Wilson.
The next day, he sold his black Jeep Grand Cherokee to a CarMax dealer on the corner of his home for $ 12,200 and flew to New York, the Marshals said.
Investigative poster for alleged murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong (US Marshal Service)
An informant called police on May 14 to report that Armstrong “got furious and shivering with anger” after discovering that Strickland was allegedly having an affair with Wilson.
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Strickland stated in an interview with The Sun that he had an affair with Wilson in October 2021 during a break in his relationship with Armstrong, his girlfriend who lives at home. But they had since reconciled and their relationship with Wilson was purely platonic, he said.
Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
Rebecca Rosenberg is a veteran journalist and book author focused on crime and criminal justice. Email tips to rebecca.rosenberg@fox.com and @ReRosenberg.