Killer Minds: Serial Killers & True Crime Murders

Episode: Cycle of Jealousy - Kaitlin Armstrong Pt. 1

Released December 1, 2025
Hosts: Vanessa Richardson & Dr. Tristan Engels

Overview

This episode explores the psychological unraveling of Kaitlin Armstrong, an Austin-based yoga instructor whose escalating jealousy and obsession over her boyfriend, elite cyclist Colin Strickland, culminated in the murder of rising cycling star Anna “Mo” Wilson in 2022. Hosts Vanessa Richardson and forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels blend narrative storytelling with expert analysis, probing how jealousy transforms into fatal obsession, the dynamics of attachment, and the psychology behind controlling and ultimately violent behaviors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life & Emotional Instability

• Childhood Turbulence: Kaitlin’s instability began early: her parents’ divorce, an alcoholic mother, frequent moves, and alleged childhood sexual trauma (04:06).
• Seeking Healing: She gravitated toward yoga seeking control and tranquility—a contrast to her internal chaos. However, at a Bali yoga retreat, her lack of emotional regulation stands out (04:06–07:34).
• Dr. Engels’ Analysis:
  “When someone is under intense internal distress...that psychological pressure can seek a physical outlet.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [07:34]

2. Meeting Colin Strickland: The Foundation of Obsession

• Instant Infatuation: Kaitlin is instantly drawn to Colin, but their backgrounds and lifestyles were misaligned (09:18–11:28).
• Attachment Patterns:
  “When someone’s sense of self is fragile...they may start adopting their partner’s interests, not just to connect, but to feel belonging.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [11:28]
• Pandemic Influence: While COVID led many to adopt new hobbies, Kaitlin’s entry into cycling was deeply rooted in relational mirroring rather than genuine interest (12:50–14:04).

3. Jealousy Surfaces: Controlling Behaviors Emerge

• Surveillance Begins: As Colin texts other women, especially after he meets Mo Wilson, Kaitlin’s insecurity deepens. She invades his privacy, finds incriminating photos, and confronts him—escalating from suspicion to control (14:04–15:33).
• Dr. Engels’ Insight:
  “Jealousy...signals that something feels uncertain...but when it shifts into behavior that crosses boundaries...it starts being controlling.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [15:33]

4. Breakups, Makeups, and the Escalating Cycle

• Repeated Rescues: Recurring crises (breakups, emergencies) reinforce a dependent, rescuer-rescued cycle between Kaitlin and Colin (17:04–24:28).
• Denial & Proximity: Even after a breakup over Colin’s closeness with Mo, Caitlin delays moving out, clinging to any hope of rekindling romance (21:11–24:28).
• Attachment Explained:
  “When someone is in a fragile emotional state, proximity...can feel like the only thing keeping them stable, even if that closeness is painful.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [22:21]

5. Obsession with Mo Wilson Intensifies

• Harassment: Kaitlin calls and harasses Mo, warning her to stay away from Colin; Mo ultimately blocks her (24:28).
• Confronted with Truth: After Colin’s admission of intimacy with Mo, Kaitlin leans more on Colin; he helps her purchase a gun (26:19–28:19).
• Weapon Acquired: Kaitlin buys a 9mm Sig Sauer, ostensibly for safety—a pivotal moment (28:19).

6. Fixation, Rumination, and Aggressive Fantasies

• Comparisons & Resentment: Kaitlin obsesses over Mo—comparing herself, interpreting neutral social media posts as personal attacks (28:19–29:41).
• Deadly Thoughts: She tells friends, “I’m so jealous I’d kill Mo” [29:41].
• Projection & Delusion:
  “Mo represents everything Caitlin fears she isn’t...that’s borderline delusional. Not psychosis...but a distortion of reality.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [29:41]

7. From Fantasy to Fatal Action

• May 11, 2022: Kaitlin discovers Colin secretly plans to meet Mo via workout apps and message snooping; repeated calls to Colin go unanswered, fueling her rage (31:57).
• Taking Control: That day, Mo is shot in her friend’s apartment; police believe Mo was deliberately targeted; shell casings are matched to Kaitlin’s gun (34:39–36:54).
• Aftermath: Kaitlin acts unusually calm and inquisitive, subtly probing friends about Mo’s murder and the crime scene to gauge suspicion (36:54–42:00).
• Calculated Escape: Sells her car for cash, flees state, and eludes police for weeks (51:23).

8. Psychological Profile: Control, Image, and Self-Deception

• Duality in Behavior:
  “What looks like a contradiction is really a defense mechanism in two forms: emotional manipulation and chaos...when control can only be restored through action.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [51:23]
• The Yoga Paradox: Kaitlin, a yoga teacher, seeks the external image of serenity while lacking internal regulation or ethical integration (52:14–53:33).
• Rationalizations: Kaitlin externalizes blame, attempts to naturalize violence (“Is Cherrywood a bad neighborhood?”), and manipulates narratives to reduce suspicion (42:00).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Emotional Dysregulation Manifesting Physically:
  “That psychological pressure can seek a physical outlet...not unusual for it to manifest as a somatic reaction.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [07:34]

• On Relational Mirroring:
  “She was trying to secure her place in his world. That’s relational mirroring.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [11:28]

• Boundary Crossings:
  “When jealousy shifts into behavior that crosses boundaries...it starts being controlling.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [15:33]

• Escalating Obsession:
  “Mo represents everything Caitlin fears she isn’t...that’s borderline delusional.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [29:41]

• Violence as Lost Control:
  “What we see as rage is often the explosion that happens when shame, fear, and helplessness compound together.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [31:11]

• On Calculated Flight:
  “What looks like a contradiction is really a defense mechanism...emotional manipulation and chaos.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [51:23]

• Yoga as Facade:
  “Yoga probably represented another form of external regulation...it gave her the ability to mimic peace.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels [52:26]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Kaitlin’s Early Life & Emotional Instability: 04:06–07:34
• Meeting Colin & Attachment Formation: 09:18–11:28
• Relational Mirroring Analysis: 11:28–12:50
• Controlling/Jehovah Behavior Emerges: 14:04–15:33
• Breaking Point: The Arkansas Trip: 17:04–24:28
• Obsession with Mo Wilson: 24:28–29:41
• Descent into Aggressive Fantasies: 29:41–31:57
• Murder of Mo Wilson: 34:39–36:54
• Cover-Up & Initial Investigation: 36:54–44:49
• Caitlin’s Escape: 51:23–53:33

Flow & Tone

The hosts maintain a balance between dramatic, empathetic storytelling and clinical, nonjudgmental psychological explanation. Vanessa presents the facts with suspense, while Dr. Engels provides in-depth, clear-eyed analysis—often pausing to normalize certain behaviors before drawing out what makes Armstrong’s actions and mindset so dangerously out of control.

For Listeners

This episode lays the psychological groundwork for understanding how jealousy and insecure attachment can escalate to obsessive, controlling, and ultimately violent behavior. It ends on a cliffhanger, promising to follow Armstrong's elaborate evasion and eventual fallout in a future episode.

For listeners new to the case or interested in the intersection of true crime and forensic psychology, this episode is both gripping and deeply analytical, making it essential listening.