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AUSTIN (KXAN) – Murder suspect Kaitlin Armstrong now faces a new charge after video shows her trying to escape from a medical facility.
In video obtained from a witness, it shows an officer chasing after Armstrong, who attempts to scale a wall.
Logan Campbell, a local defense attorney with Gergen, Hale and Campbell is not involved in this case, but he weighed in on the escape and how it could impact the defense.
“This is already a very high profile case and on the eve of trial you are having a video that is being shown over all the news stations and for lack of better term going viral,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the new charges, escape/causing bodily injury, which is a second degree felony, as well as the video, could mean a difficult road for the defense.
“Running from custody can be used in the actual guilt innocence phase of trial,” Campbell said. “It is not just a new criminal charge you’re facing down the road. If you’re facing a more serious charge, such as murder, it makes the life of a defense attorney, especially in the trial, more difficult because if the judge allows it in, it is a factor the jury can consider.”
According to the affidavit, Armstrong fled as she was exiting the rear entry doors of the doctor’s office, was able to manipulate her left hand from the restraints and removed her black and white striped uniform pants.
According to the affidavit, Armstrong’s bond was set at $50,000 for this new charge.
“The $50,000 bond really is insignificant in the grand scheme of things,” Campbell said. “With the actual murder charge she has a $3.5 million bond. If she were able to make that bond she would have already. If she is still looking to make bond it would be $50,000 of the escape charge on top of her already pending murder charge.”
Armstrong’s murder trial is set to begin Oct. 30 in Austin, where she faces a first-degree murder charge for the death of professional cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson.
The judge issued a gag order in Armstrong’s murder case, so involved parties have not been able to comment on this incident.
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