A Travis County judge on Monday ordered Kaitlin Armstrong to pay $15 million to the parents of Anna Moriah Wilson, the world-famous cyclist Armstrong was convicted of killing in what prosecutors said was a jealousy-sparked shooting.
State District Judge Daniella DeSeta Lyttle made the default judgment against Armstrong, who did not respond to the lawsuit and is now serving a 90-year prison sentence. It is unclear whether she has any assets to fulfill the judge’s order.
Randy Howry, an attorney for the Wilsons, said the lawsuit is intended to pre-empt any profit Armstrong could earn through a potential book, television show or other deal to tell her story.
“If there is ever any financial benefit afforded to Kaitlin Armstrong, my clients stand in front of her,” Howry said. “The family needs to be compensated first.”
The $15 million judgment is comprised of $5 million in wrongful death damages for each of Wilson’s parents, Eric and Karen Wilson, and $2.5 million in damages to deter future actions by Armstrong, also awarded to each parent.
Jessi Freud, an attorney representing Armstrong in an appeal to overturn her conviction, said she is not involved in the civil matter and could not comment.
Court documents show no attorney represented her in the civil matter.
More: Family of cyclist Moriah Wilson files wrongful death lawsuit against Kaitlin Armstrong
A Lifetime original movie was recently released aiming to tell the story of Wilson’s death and the manhunt that ensued for Armstrong, who had fled to Costa Rica using her sister’s passport after Wilson’s death, according to prosecutors.
Howry said he is unsure whether Armstrong is profiting from the movie.
The lawsuit was also intended to compensate the family for emotional damages suffered in the loss of their daughter.
Affidavits attached to the lawsuit, submitted by both parents, share the details of how Wilson’s loss has impacted their lives. Karen Wilson said she is not the same person she was before Moriah Wilson’s death, and has lost the ability to complete daily tasks.
“I feel as if I could fill an ocean with tears,” Wilson wrote.
Eric Wilson’s affidavit also shared the impact of Moriah Wilson’s death has had on her brother, Matt Wilson.
“The thought of (Matt) being alone in this world after we are gone makes me very sad,” Eric Wilson wrote.
What happened to ‘Mo’ Wilson?
Moriah Wilson was visiting a friend in Austin when prosecutors said Armstrong broke into the friend’s apartment and shot Wilson twice in the head and then once in the heart. Armstrong had been stalking Wilson and ultimately killed her out of jealousy after Wilson dated Armstrong’s boyfriend for a period of time, prosecutors said in the trial.
Testimony showed that Wilson and Armstrong’s boyfriend became friends and had been to dinner before the murder.
More: Kaitlin Armstrong, convicted of killing Anna Moriah Wilson, sentenced to 90 years in prison
Wilson grew up in Vermont with the dream of becoming an Olympic skier. She ultimately shifted focus to cycling after her second injury, and had been preparing to compete in a gravel race in Austin when she was visiting. The Moriah Wilson Foundation was created in her honor, hosting the second annual ‘Ride for Mo’ in May, which raised $34,000.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Judge awards $15M to Moriah Wilson’s parents in Kaitlin Armstrong suit
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