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Some of the most heartbreaking cases have yet to be solved. Here's a small update on some ongoing, high-profile cases in Austin.
Moriah Wilson | Suspect still on the run
Star biker Moriah Wilson was found dead in her East Austin home.
Professional cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson’s alleged killer, Kaitlin Armstrong, is still on the run and was last spotted leaving LaGuardia Airport in New York City on May 14—three days before the Austin Police Department obtained a warrant for her arrest.
Kaitlin Armstrong is still on the run after being suspected of killing professional cyclist Mo Wilson. (U.S. Marshals Service)Wilson was shot to death in her home on May 11 just hours after she went swimming with fellow cyclist Colin Strickland, who Armstrong had previously dated. Strickland said it was never a secret that he dated 25-year-old Wilson and had “no indication” Armstrong would react violently, as she had been dating other people as well.
While Wilson’s family said they don’t believe she was romantically involved with anyone, the case is being investigated as a crime of passion.
Investigators believe Armstrong might be using her sister’s name, Christine Armstrong, in New York State. A $5,000 reward has been issued for information leading to her capture.
Timothy Perez | Missing since March 2022
(Robert Perez)Conroe couple Robert and Sandra Perez haven’t seen their son, 32-year-old Timothy Perez, since he left to go visit his brother in Austin on March 5. The couple said he got lost and called Robert for help at 1 a.m. before the call disconnected."He said, 'Dad, come get me, I'm lost,'" Robert Perez told Austonia. "I said, 'Pull, over,' but he just hung up, and we were never able to get a hold of him."
The Austin Police Department found Timothy’s car—cold and with an empty tank—around 15 miles from his brother’s home at 4:30 a.m. the same morningTimothy was last spotted again that morning when Round Rock Police responded to a welfare check called in by St. William Catholic Church. RRPD photographed him, said Timothy refused to identify himself and left without incident; Timothy wasn’t reported missing until a few days later.
The Perez family has issued posters to help find their son. (Robert Perez)According to EquuSearch, Timothy’s phone pinged briefly in Conroe on March 16 but hasn’t been located since. RRPD officials said they believe Timothy is voluntarily missing based on his interaction with officers.
But his parents think Timothy might've suffered a nervous breakdown and still drive from Conroe to Austin every few days to look for their son.
Due to the sighting at the church, APD closed its missing person case on April 8 but Round Rock Police still lists Timothy as missing.Jason Landry | Missing since December 2020
More than 31,000 acres were combed through to find missing Texas State student Jason Landry. (Caldwell County Sheriff's Office)
Texas State University student Jason Landry went missing on Dec. 13, 2020, after his car was found abandoned in Luling as he was driving home from nearby San Marcos to Missouri City, Texas, for winter break.
Landry’s car was found crashed with keys still in the ignition and all of his personal possessions, including his clothing, some with drops of blood, and phone, but no one in sight.
As conspiracies have swirled around the internet about what might've happened that night, Capt. Jeff Ferry, who is the lead investigator on the case, said "no doubt this is a tragedy… but it’s not a crime.”
More than a year later, friends and family of Landry are still searching for him and have erected billboards reminding locals of his disappearance and offering a $10,000 reward: one going southbound on I-35 and another along U.S. Hwy. 183 north of Luling.
The billboards were leased for 13 weeks in April but they may extend the rental—meanwhile, the case is in the hands of the Texas Attorney General Cold Case and Missing Persons unit. Anyone with information is asked to call (512) 936-0742.
- Search resumes for missing Texas State student Jason Landry ... ›
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Popular
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
So far, there have been 14 100-degree days in Austin this year, and that's been before the official start of summer is this week. Texas usually ranks as one of the hottest states in the U.S., outside of Arizona’s dry heat, while Austin easily ranks as one of the top 10 hottest cities.
Austin hit its all-time high temperature, 112 degrees, in September 2000 and again in August 2011, but if you think it’s hot here, try spending some time in these cities.
Death Valley, CA | Record temp: 134°
Less than 600 people live in Death Valley and for good reason—its long basin and elevation of 282 feet below sea level make it the record-holding hottest place on Earth. The aptly-named Death Valley had 154 days above 100 degrees in the summer of 2001 and rarely has more than two inches of rain per year. It’s typical for Death Valley to have 120-degree days or higher in the summer, which has never happened in Austin and is the highest temperature ever recorded in Texas.
Kairouan, Tunisia | Record temp: 122°
The capital city of Tunisia set a new record high temperature in December 2021 when it hit 122 degrees, smashing the previous record of 118 set in 1982. On average, the hottest months tend to fall between June-September and with 60% humidity or above, it makes it feel much hotter.
Phoenix, AZ | Record temp: 122°
Few places on Earth are hotter than Phoenix, which consistently tops the chart as the hottest city in the U.S. According to Accuweather, Phoenix reaches triple-digit temperatures on a near-daily basis from late May to mid September, which is well over 100 days out of the year. The city usually hits 90 degrees or higher for half of the year. Anyone living on the border of Arizona and California, like the Yuma or Lake Havasu area, is liable to see similarly sweltering heat.
Austin has much more temperature variability year over year—the city hit 100 degrees 12 times in 2021, 49 times in 2020 and 57 times in 2019. Like Austin though, Phoenix is known for extremely mild winters that rarely dip below 60 degrees.
Las Vegas, NV | Record temp: 118°
The fabulous Las Vegas shares a record temperature with Tucson, Arizona, and sits just over 100 miles from California’s Death Valley, so it shares some of its heat waves. Residents of Las Vegas spend over a third of the year, around 135 days, weathering heat that is above 90 degrees, though Austinites fall right behind with 123 days above the same threshold. Just an hour and a half south in Laughlin, the record high temperature reached 125 degrees.
Athens, Greece | Record temp: 116°
Athens leads the charge on Europe’s hottest country but you’ll still find that Austin is hotter on average: Athens has an average high temperature of 85 degrees in June, while Austin’s average is 92. However, Athens broke Austin’s record high-temperature last August when it reached 116 degrees, making the city so hot they had to start shutting archaeological sites down.
From turtles sunbathing on Lady Bird Lake to bats feeding on the Congress Bridge to animals that make bumps in the night, you can find it all in the Central Texas habitat. Very few of our animals are harmful but almost all of them are a sight to see.
These are just a few of the critters you’re likely to spot while you’re in Austin, but you can click here for more information.
Mammals
We didn’t include coyotes on this list, as you’re likely to see them all over North America.
Bats
(USFWS Headquarters)
Danger level: ✅ Low, just don’t touch
The symbol of the city, Austin is home to more than a million Mexican free-tailed bats depending on the time of year, with the most visible around July and August. Both the Congress Avenue bridge and Round Rock’s McNeil bridge are maternity colonies, where females give birth to pups in the summer. Austin is famous for bat-watching when the creatures feed, which tends to fall around sunset between March and August.
Fun fact: Bats tend to live up to 11 years in the wild.
Bobcats
(Linda Tanner)
Danger level: ⚠️ Medium, admire from a safe distance
Texas is home to a number of wild cats—bobcats tend to prefer habitats in the Hill Country but you’re unlikely to spot one in the wild in Austin. An adult bobcat measures about 3 and a half feet in length, weighing 12-36 pounds, and eats small mammals, birds, domestic sheep and occasionally deer. Bobcats typically don’t cause great damage or attack humans, but it's best not to disturb one if you spot it. Mountain Lions are also native to the southern parts of the Hill Country.
Fun fact: Bobcats are the only native Texas cat important to fur production.
Nine-banded armadillo
(Rich Anderson)
Danger level: ✅ Low, just don’t touch
As the official small mammal of Texas, you can find armadillos wandering all around the state except the Trans-Pecos. You’re most likely to see an armadillo using its sharp claws to dig for some tasty grubs, which can be harmful to crops, or build a den. They can be quite noisy when foraging and if you startle an armadillo, it might jump straight up into the air before quickly scuttering out of sight. If you see one of these armored little guys, do not touch it, as armadillos are the only animal known to carry leprosy and are illegal to sell in Texas.
Fun fact: Armadillo mothers give birth in springtime to four fully-formed identical quadruplets.
Raccoons
(Tambako the Jaguar)
Danger level: 🆘 High, do not approach
With their unique coats, raccoons can be easily spotted in Austin, likely digging through trash or going through your plants. They’re known for looking cute but raccoons have a high risk for rabies and often act aggressively, so don’t feed or socialize with them. Covering trash cans can be a good way to keep them out of your garbage.
Fun fact: Raccoons will often make dens in logs or tight, enclosed spaces.
Reptiles and amphibians
These little guys are often spotted at Lady Bird Lake.
Frogs, toads and salamanders
Danger level: ✅ Low, just don’t touch
There are a plethora of all three residing in Central Texas, if you’re quiet enough to spot one. The American bullfrog, green tree frog and spotted chorus frog mark the most well-known in town and tend to be harmless. Coach’s Spadefoot and Woodhouse’s toads are common as well, and you might see a Barton Springs Salamander while paddleboarding, but they’ll stay away.
Fun fact: The brighter the colors, the more likely these critters are to be poisonous.
Turtles
(Alan Vernon)
Danger level: ✅ Low, just don’t touch
You’ve probably seen a mix of red-eared sliders, softshell and snapping turtles sunning on a log while on Lady Bird Lake. Turtles can live upwards of 30 years on a diet mostly consisting of small fish, plants and decaying matter. Turtles ribs are infused with its shell, so it never outgrows its home. It’s possible that these little reptiles will bite, but unlikely, and could carry salmonella but they are nothing to be afraid of.
Fun fact: If there isn’t enough space for everyone to sun, turtles will stack themselves on top of each other.
Snakes
(Tom Spinker)
Danger level: Medium, admire from a safe distance.
There are over 105 different types of snakes living across Texas but there are only four you need to be concerned about in Austin: the western diamondback rattlesnake, the broad bandit copperhead, the western cottonmouth and the Texas coral snake are all venomous. The rat snake is often confused with the rattlesnake, since they have similar snaking tails, though it is not venomous. The best way to avoid a bite is to give the snake space and do not handle it.
Fun fact: The shape of a snake’s head is an easy indicator of whether or not the snake is venomous—snakes with triangular heads tend to be venomous but a rounded head is a good sign.
Birds
There are over 660 species of birds living across Texas.
Blue Jays
(Brian Kushner)
Danger level: ☺️ Harmless
These blue beauties look pretty, but don’t be fooled, they’re loud and aggressive toward other birds. Blue jays are known for attacking owls and imitating a hawk call to scare away any threats. However, blue jays are normally tame around humans.
Fun fact: These birds are known for eating the eggs of other birds to frighten them away.Grackles
(Madeline Poster)
Danger level: ☺️ Harmless
More likely than not, Grackles are the source of the bird noises that annoy you most. With a look similar to that of a blackbird, a bit taller and more iridescent. Grackles are known for their cocky struts and eating anything at their disposal.
Fun fact: Grackles are the number one threat to corn crops.
Golden-cheeked warblers
(Duane Angles)
Danger level: ☺️ Harmless
This yellow-cheeked bird only nests in Central Texas, leaving for Mexico in July to spend the winters, and takes up residence in wooded areas. The golden-cheeked warbler is categorized as endangered by both Texas and U.S. standards.
Fun fact: The golden-cheeked warbler is the only bird that breeds in Texas to exclusively nest in Texas.
