Kaitlin Armstrong ordered to pay $15 million to Wilson family in wrongful death civil lawsuit

AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Kaitlin Armstrong, the woman convicted of murdering professional cyclist Anna "Mo" Wilson and leading authorities on a weeks-long chase to Costa Rica in 2022, has now been ordered by a court to pay a $15 million judgement to Wilson's family.

Monday, Judge Daniella DeSata Lyttle entered a default judgement in the civil case, granting $5 million each to Karen and Eric Wilson for “mental anguish, including emotional pain, torment and suffering from the death of [their] daughter," and $2.5 million each for exemplary damages.

Armstrong is serving a 90-year prison sentence after her conviction last year for fatally shooting Wilson in an east Austin home in May 2022. Last month, the Wilson family filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

According to court documents, Armstrong failed to respond to the lawsuit or "make an appearance in this case" by a court-imposed deadline.

While it wasn't immediately clear Monday if Armstrong has any assets to fulfill the judgement, Wilson family attorney Randy Howry said the judgement ensures that his clients "stand in front of" any financial benefit for Armstrong. "The family needs to be compensated first," Howry said.