GUILTY TX - Moriah Wilson, 25, Cyclist Fatally Shot Before Race, Austin, 2022 *arrest* #10

[Kudzuu]

I was thinking the same thing.
Maybe people can put money in her account as a gift and get her story?

Either way Texas prisons are brutal. She's getting the proper consequences in my opinion.

 

[Howl]

The temps are warming up here in Texas. In Gatesville, near the "Miserable Murray" prison where KA is incarcerated, the temps are inching up to the mid 80s F. There is no air conditioning.

By June, she'll have a taste of how miserable it's going to be. By July, all the prisoners will be suffering. It gets hotter and hotter in the day, and doesn't really cool off at night. Daily temps will be in the high 90s F and will break 100 degrees on many days. August and September will be insanely awful. October will be minimally better. Things will finally cool off in November.

 

[Sundog]

The temps are warming up here in Texas. In Gatesville, near the "Miserable Murray" prison where KA is incarcerated, the temps are inching up to the mid 80s F. There is no air conditioning.

By June, she'll have a taste of how miserable it's going to be. By July, all the prisoners will be suffering. It gets hotter and hotter in the day, and doesn't really cool off at night. Daily temps will be in the high 90s F and will break 100 degrees on many days. August and September will be insanely awful. October will be minimally better. Things will finally cool off in November.

I'm surprised the Texas legislature doesn't pass legislation that would require the prison system to address this. Prisoners lose their right to live freely in society as a result of their actions, but they shouldn't have to suffer through what you described.

 

[Sundog]

“It’s a living hell”: Scorching heat in Texas prisons revives air-conditioning debate

Texas heat has killed prisoners and cost the state millions in wrongful death and civil rights lawsuits. Prison rights advocates hope a budget surplus next year will finally push lawmakers to invest in air conditioning.

www.texastribune.org

It doesn't sound like the Texas Legislature has the will to spend funds on air-conditioning in their prisons, nor to enforce the requirements already on the books regarding actions the prisons must take during hot weather. Hope enough prison advocates can step up and eventually influence the decision-making.

 

[Howl]

I'm surprised the Texas legislature doesn't pass legislation that would require the prison system to address this. Prisoners lose their right to live freely in society as a result of their actions, but they shouldn't have to suffer through what you described.

I agree. But Texas has zero interest in upgrading prisons with AC. It's a retrograde state.

Thanks, @Sundog.
I edited my post! The Texas Tribune is a progressive news outlet, in the best sense of the word.
It's obvious that both men and women prisoners are dying from the extreme heat in those cells. The prisons, at least the older ones, are made of concrete and are heat sinks as the summer wears on.

In one article I read, and likely referenced on one of the MW/KA threads, women prisoners strip down to their undwear, pour water on the floor and lie on the floor with a fan on to just survive. One woman said she is convinced that doing that is saving lives.
Toilets in cells have metal lids. The lids get so hot that the prisoners can't lean back against them, or they'll burn their backs.

 

[Sundog]

I agree. But Texas has zero interest in upgrading prisons with AC.

I think most states would have little interest in spending capital funds to upgrade prisons. They don't even like to spend money upgrading K-12 and higher education facilities.

In the state where I live, the legislature passes a capital budget every two years, and all state facilities prepare their capital budget requests about a year ahead. They aren't all accepted, but are reviewed and many are approved if the justification is there. Often a project is funded in stages over several years. During lean years, it's hard to get money for the less attractive projects, but still some money is usually allocated for upgrades that are necessary. Anyway, I'm sure it's an uphill battle. Legislatures, and the public they represent, usually aren't thrilled to see upgrades in prisons when there is such a strong need in other areas. Still, it needs to be done. We need strong advocates in all our states to fight for what's right and make the case to the voters that this would be money well spent. Still, I guess prison funding will always be an uphill battle.

 

[steeltowngirl]

I’m surprised the prison staff are not fighting for A/C too, as that heat would be nearly intolerable working conditions.

eta: (I still think KA will do ok, she’s cold as ice).

Recent article:

Complaint filed against TDCJ over deadly heat in prisons - The Gatesville Messenger

For inmates and staff in Texas prisons, the approach of the summer heat often becomes a matter of life and death. Several advocacy groups have joined Bernhardt “Bernie” Tiede, whose …

www.gatesvillemessenger.com

 

[Howl]

I’m surprised the prison staff are not fighting for A/C too, as that heat would be nearly intolerable working conditions.

Probably why they can't hire enough prison guards, which leaves prisoners locked down in their cells, unable to acess drinking water and cooling showers.

 

[Legal]

I can't remember all the previous discussions on this thread relating to Costa Rica, or if anyone here had been, but I recently returned from a 3 week trip there. I made a point of passing through Santa Teresa, and in my view this was the worst place she could have gone. It is full of American surfers and very small- just one long street running parallel to the beach. I was only there for a few days but I would imagine those there for longer would definitely become familiar faces.

There are so many other places in CR where it would be easy to lay low, as there are lots of villages and islands off the beaten track. Also, as someone else said, it is very easy to leave. She could have headed north and taken a minibus across the border to Nicaragua, with access to the rest of central America, or she could have headed south through Panama and onto Columbia. There is no way I'd have been hanging around in a popular American tourist resort if I'd killed someone and was on the run!

Edited to add- it's also ridiculously expensive! I couldn't believe the prices. It may have been different when she was there but all the Europeans were shocked. In Santa Teresa in particular, it was all western style cafes and restaurants and you'd be looking at about 20 dollars for a main course. A dorm room in a hostel was 15 to 20 dollars a night without breakfast or towels. Lots of backpackers arrived in CR, saw the prices and were straight back out again, hotfooting it to Nicaragua!

 

[Seattle1]

IKWYM. But she did say she didn’t give it to her and testified under oath to that. (I’ve seen so many cases where family members won’t testify truthfully or at all so this gives her some credibility from me.) Unless they had some other evidence or KA saying it was given to her, I don’t think there’s much the authorities can do.

I believe the sister testified KA took it without her permission. However, the Wrongful Death Suit (see page 5) by the Wilson's alleges as follows:

20. On May 19, 2022, Defendant Kaitlin Marie Armstrong sold her Jeep for cash and boarded a plane from Austin to New York City, where she allegedly rendezvoused with her sister to obtain her sister's passport to board an international flight from Newark, N.J. to Costa Rica.

Adobe Acrobat

acrobat.adobe.com

 

[Seattle1]

I thought it was already illegal for a murderer to make money in that way. No?

This is true on the face of OP's statement but I think the point that the Plaintiff's attorney wanted to make was that one way or another funds are getting to KA via her inmate account, and by their action, any judgment will stand in the way of her getting that money and enjoying it to her personal benefit." Let's not forget 90 years is a very long time!

Also, short of an inmate signing a valid, enforceable contract where the terms violating the slayer statute are disclosed, it's near impossible to police. For example, we see this often by MSM who state their policy prohibits the payment for stories but never disclose they paid a fee for the exclusive right to your photographs already on FB where they act quickly to extract them and close down your page.

Same with made for TV movies. I can definitely see KA's sister serving as a consultant to the writers where the unwritten rule is they are essentially paying her for access to KA. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

Sister said she dropped her off at the airport w/Kaitlin saying she was returning to Austin. Later, Kaitlin called her and said she decided to drive back to TX. I’m guessing Kaitlin either used a shuttle or a cab to get to International. (I know Newark is a big airport but not sure how that works.)
Link: How was fugitive Kaitlin Armstrong caught? She answered U.S. Marshals' ad for a yoga instructor

I'm not sure I follow. KA's sister dropped her off at Newark Liberty (EWR) and drove away.

EWR is an international airport. My family and I use it often-- anything to avoid JFK or LGA.

For example, I've also flown from EWR direct to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) via United Airlines out of terminal C-- where the next gate could be flying to Denver or Austin. (UA has exclusive use of Terminal C).

In other words, KA was already where she needed to be, and wasn't inconvenienced whatsoever, and neither was her sister. JMO

 

[RickshawFan]

I can't remember all the previous discussions on this thread relating to Costa Rica, or if anyone here had been, but I recently returned from a 3 week trip there. I made a point of passing through Santa Teresa, and in my view this was the worst place she could have gone. It is full of American surfers and very small- just one long street running parallel to the beach. I was only there for a few days but I would imagine those there for longer would definitely become familiar faces.

There are so many other places in CR where it would be easy to lay low, as there are lots of villages and islands off the beaten track. Also, as someone else said, it is very easy to leave. She could have headed north and taken a minibus across the border to Nicaragua, with access to the rest of central America, or she could have headed south through Panama and onto Columbia. There is no way I'd have been hanging around in a popular American tourist resort if I'd killed someone and was on the run!

Edited to add- it's also ridiculously expensive! I couldn't believe the prices. It may have been different when she was there but all the Europeans were shocked. In Santa Teresa in particular, it was all western style cafes and restaurants and you'd be looking at about 20 dollars for a main course. A dorm room in a hostel was 15 to 20 dollars a night without breakfast or towels. Lots of backpackers arrived in CR, saw the prices and were straight back out again, hotfooting it to Nicaragua!

I would not be going to Nicaragua! It's extremely unsafe; it always has been. I have never been more spooked in a country. It always had an extremely high murder and assault rate, predatory, and a woman, in hiding, with no recourse to law enforcement.....terrible idea. People are desperate there, for historical reasons. I shudder.
It's a country with a lot that's random: you could get yourself in trouble just because.
A classmate is currently vice president of Nicaragua. She's known for torturing/getting people tortured.
There is a reason travel to Nicaragua is strongly not advised by the State Department. Dunno for certain, but I don't believe there's an American Embassy there at this time. This would make Americans VERY exposed.

IMO It would be smarter for her to have gone to the Atlantic coast if in Central America. The folks towards the Pacific don't have a lot to do with the folks on the Atlantic (they are a different ethnic group, e.g. the descendants of shipwrecked slaves). She could have gone to the jungle....

She could also have disappeared into a large city: Rio might have worked. There would have been more opportunity there to scrape together a living. She could have taught all the yoga she wanted, with no one guessing her history.

On an island or whatever, she'd have stood out too much in areas where the population is largely local. A Caucasian American would not be exactly incognito.

Guatemala might have worked. But everywhere, she'd have no recourse to law enforcement if she was the victim of a crime.

Even pariah countries might have made no bones about returning a criminal to the US. I mean, what would it do for them to protect a murderer? With abundant media attention, no less? Why would any country want to harbor such a person? And there was a bounty?

Instead, she goes to CR, lol. Of course, she had to go to the most Americanized Central American country: more English speakers than elsewhere, excellent relationships with western countries, much more cosmopolitan than others. She had very little chance to blend in there, but she sure wasn't willing to get out of her comfort zone!

If ever you want to blend in in a foreign country....you'd be at a serious disadvantage if you didn't know a language other than English. You'd be flagellating yourself that you cut Spanish in high school. IMO what's-her-name decided she had to be with English speakers. Overall, she had a sense of entitlement about her comfort that played out in where she chose to escape to. And, natch, US and CR LE picked this up and were able to guess where she went.

The moral of this story: IMO start learning languages in first grade. It may save your life. It will allow you to tolerate things that you aren't familiar with, and you can easily be a target, merely for not being willing to speak anything other than English. You can look super entitled, as Caitlin was.

 

[TDoc72]

I'm not sure I follow. KA's sister dropped her off at Newark Liberty (EWR) and drove away.

EWR is an international airport. My family and I use it often-- anything to avoid JFK or LGA.

For example, I've also flown from EWR direct to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) via United Airlines out of terminal C-- where the next gate could be flying to Denver or Austin. (UA has exclusive use of Terminal C).

In other words, KA was already where she needed to be, and wasn't inconvenienced whatsoever, and neither was her sister. JMO

Thanks for clearing that up. I’ve never flown international or at Newark so I wasn’t sure if the international was in a separate (or far away) terminal. I thought KA would’ve had to fake going in until her sister left then got herself to the international section. I didn’t realize it was all in the same space or by airline.

 

[Seattle1]

Thanks for clearing that up. I’ve never flown international or at Newark so I wasn’t sure if the international was in a separate (or far away) terminal. I thought KA would’ve had to fake going in until her sister left then got herself to the international section. I didn’t realize it was all in the same space or by airline.

Yup. Scannable codes on tickets, ID's, PP, changed everything. However, returning to the U.S. and re-entry through Customs is generally in a different terminal (U.S. Arrivals) with a separate baggage claim area but it's been years since I've had a face to face with U.S. Customs. Typically, I've been directed to a Kiosk to scan my PP and answer a few questions, collect my bag, and I'm outside. MOO