Viswa Vanapalli
NBC News’ ‘Dateline: The Last Ride’ focuses on the May 2022 murder of Anna Moriah Wilson, a supremely talented 25-year-old cyclist. She was gunned down in her friend’s house in Austin, Texas. At the time, Anna had been there to participate in a bike racing event. As part of the investigation, the authorities spoke to Colin Strickland, a fellow cyclist and the man she spent the day with before getting killed. They soon learned that the nature of Colin and Anna’s relationship played an essential role in the latter’s death. So, let’s find out more about Colin then, shall we?
Who is Colin Strickland?
Colin Arturo Strickland grew up on a farm outside Austin, Texas, and cycled from a young age. After graduating from college, he worked in conservation for a while until his first cycling race win at 24. About four years later, he won the Texas Cup Overall Road/Criterium Championship and the season finale of the Red Hook Criterium in Milan, Italy. In 2016, Colin’s stock as a cyclist only grew with four consecutive race wins. He preferred long-distance gravel cycling events, often excelling at those races.
Colin was in a relationship with Kaitlin Armstrong for about three years; they shared a home. But sometime between late October and early November 2021, the couple took a break, leading to Colin dating Anna. However, he stated that he and Kaitlin reconciled soon after, and after that, his relationship with Anna was platonic and professional. The two continued to meet and went for a swim and dinner on the day of the incident.
Just minutes after Colin dropped Anna at her friend’s home, the authorities believed that Kaitlin, who had been following them for some time, had pulled up to the house. The police felt that Kaitlin was the one who shot Anna with a firearm that Colin gave her sometime between December 2021 and January 2022. When questioned, he admitted to hiding his communication with Anna from Kaitlin by saving her number under a different name or deleting messages. Colin said he didn’t want Kaitlin to block Anna’s number on his phone.
However, Colin did provide contradictory statements regarding his relationship with Anna. An anonymous tipster claimed that Kaitlin had found out in January 2022 that Colin was still seeing Anna, something that angered her. Furthermore, another woman from Austin’s cycling community said, “Colin’s a douche and a player. All he cares about now is covering his ass.”
Furthermore, text exchanges between Colin and Anna in the time leading up to the murder seemed to suggest that the latter still believed they were in a relationship. In one text, Anna talked about a weekend with Colin that felt strange to her because Kaitlin was also present. She added, “If you just want to be friends (seems to be the case), then that’s cool, but I’d like to talk about it ’cause honestly, my mind has been going circles, and I don’t know what to think.” Colin also admitted lying to Kaitlin over texts as he left Anna’s home that night.
Where is Colin Strickland Today?
During Colin’s interviews with the police, he said he didn’t believe Kaitlin was responsible. Colin added that Kaitlin was not the jealous kind and was always sweet and caring. Furthermore, he accused one of the detectives of manipulating him. While Colin has not been considered a suspect, several sponsors severed ties with him. Companies like Enve Composites, Specialized, Rapha, and The Meteor Cafe announced the same in the days after the murder investigation took off.
While Colin is based out of Texas, he has since chosen to maintain a low profile. Only close friends know about his current whereabouts, and they haven’t said much. As of May 2022, Colin was reported to have left Texas. Nevertheless, he was happy that the US Marshals were pursuing all leads, adding, “I will continue to provide my full cooperation for the sake of the Wilson family as they, along with so many others who have been affected, endure the burden of this senseless tragedy.”
Read More: Where Are Anna Moriah Wilson’s Parents Now?
