An up-and-coming cyclist from Vermont was fatally shot last week at a home in Austin, Texas, and police have yet to announce an arrest in the case.
Anna Moriah Wilson was 25 when she was killed on Wednesday, May 11, at an apartment on Maple Street, local police said. She had been shot multiple times, and a friend returning to the home near the University of Texas found her unconscious on the floor.
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A person of interest has been identified and the shooting did not appear to be at random, Austin police said Saturday, but they didn't reveal who they suspected of shooting Wilson or why.
Her death sent shock waves through the gravel biking community, where she was reportedly known as "Mo" and had developed a reputation as a rising talent, as well as in her native Vermont.
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The cycling publication VeloNews had this month described Wilson as "the winningest woman in the American off-road scene" in an interview in which she noted her Vermont upbringing and the "really good mountain bike trails around my house." Wilson was the second-highest ranked woman in Pure Gravel's 2021 list of riders.
After Wilson's death, friends and competitors posted shocked statements to social media. Her family released a statement to VeloNews, in which they urged friends and well-wishers to celebrate Wilson amid the "unfathomable" loss.
"Always pushing tirelessly to reach her goals, we knew she was pursuing that which she loved. We will miss her terribly and know that all mourn her with us," the statement said.
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The community of Burke Mountain Academy, the Vermont prep school Wilson graduated from in 2014, was deeply saddened by her death, current and former officials said, referring to her as Moriah.
"Moriah was an inspiration to our community, and her death at a moment when her athletic star seemed so assuredly ascendant only amplifies the deep sense of loss associated with a beautiful life that ended far too early," Head of School Willy Booker said in a statement.
New details in the police investigation were revealed this week by a search warrant obtained by NBC affiliate KXAN. Wilson was in Texas for an upcoming race in the Dallas area and had gone swimming the evening before she was killed.
She came home after 8:30 p.m., according to the warrant obtained by KXAN. Her friend reported her body about 9:56 p.m. Footage from a camera at a neighbor's house shows a vehicle pull up around 8:36 p.m. that matches the description of one found at a home in south Austin during a search.
