Kaitlin Armstrong trial likely to be pushed later than October

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Kaitlin Armstrong may not head to trial as quickly as previously expected.

Last month, Armstrong entered a not guilty plea after police said she shot and killed professional cyclist Moriah Wilson then fled the county using someone else's passport. At the time, her attorneys requested a speedy trial, and a judge set the docket call for Oct. 19 with a jury trial the following week.

Now, it seems like the trial may not happen that quickly.

A Travis County judge said in a pretrial hearing Wednesday morning that the odds of Armstrong heading to trial this October are highly unlikely.

Find some of KXAN’s previous reporting on the case here:

• Kaitlin Armstrong attorneys accuse Austin police of violating legal rights in murder case
• Kaitlin Armstrong pleads not guilty; attorneys request speedy trial
• Slain cyclist Moriah Wilson, 25, ‘exceptional in every way’
• As federal agents search for Austin murder suspect, #RideLikeMo starts in honor of victim
• Family of slain cyclist clears up details of alleged romantic relationship
• Murder suspect flew out of Austin to New York days after cyclist’s death
• Suspect in cyclist’s murder dropped off at New Jersey airport, US Marshals say
• Kaitlin Armstrong captured in Costa Rica, records show bail set at $3.5 million
• Kaitlin Armstrong now in Austin from Houston jail
• How Austin murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong tried to hide from authorities

Attorneys on both sides attended the pretrial hearing to address last week's motions from the defense to suppress evidence. They also discussed the possibility of moving the trial venue due to the popularity of the case, as well as terms of talking to the media.

The state argued last month that since it has more than 100 murder cases backlogged because of the pandemic, an October trial would be difficult.