Moriah Wilson, known as 'Mo' Wilson, was murdered on Wednesday evening in a shooting in Austin, Texas, where she was staying in preparation for Gravel Locos on Saturday morning.
Saturday afternoon Austin's ABC-afffiliate KUVE, investigative reporter Tony Plohetski posted on Twitter: "Austin police confirm they are investigating the murder of a rising star in the cycling world after she was shot multiple times in an East Austin home. Moriah Wilson, 25, was found Wednesday. Police say they have a person of interest and that the shooting was not random."
The first reports were made by CBS Austin, saying the police were treating the shooting as "suspicious" and had ruled out suicide. A separate report by Velonews named Wilson as the victim.
"The complainant, which is a friend [sic], I guess, lives with her, found her and contacted the police as soon as possible," an APD spokesperson said to CBS Austin reporters earlier this week.
Fox 7 Austin later reported that despite life-saving measures from both officers and EMS, Wilson died from her injuries. The report added that an autopsy had determined the official cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds and ruled the death a homicide.
Wilson had most recently won the 222km Belgian Waffle Ride California. With her victory at the Fuego MTB 80k at the Sea Otter Classic in April, she had taken the first lead for elite women in the Life Time Grand Prix off-road series. She was scheduled to start on Saturday at Gravel Locos, in Hico, Texas, and then take part in Unbound Gravel on June 4, the second round in the six-event Life Time Grand Prix series.
Just a week shy of her 26th birthday, Wilson competed on the alpine ski team at Dartmouth College for four years, spent two years in cycling and was the captain of the soccer team before graduating in 2019. She had been working for Specialized and had a full schedule of gravel races, including Gravel Locos this weekend.
Cyclingnews has contacted the Austin police department for more information, and will report more details when they are provided.
Eric and Karen Wilson, parents of Moriah, were both members of the US Ski Team. The parents along with son Matt, Moriah's brother, issued a statement on Friday, which is posted below.
The Cyclingnews team extends its utmost condolences to the family and friends of Moriah Wilson.
Statement from Eric and Karen Wilson
We thank everyone for their expression of love and support for us in this difficult time. While the tragic loss of Moriah is unfathomable, at the same time, we want everyone to join us in celebrating her life, accomplishments, and love for others. 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.
We know that Moriah would want the event to carry on for her compatriots to test their limits, as she would have been alongside her friends on the race course. We hope everyone feels her passion and support as they chase their own dreams. Her spirit will be there with you all, while training and on every race day.
Please do not reach out for interviews or comments for the rest of May. We are planning a celebration of life in June and will be forthcoming with details soon. - Eric, Karen Matt Wilson
