Caitlin Armstrong, who is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of cyclist Moriah Wilson, pleaded not guilty at an appearance in Austin on Wednesday, according to local media reports, and her attorney requested a speedy trial.

Wednesday's pretrial hearing in the Austin courtroom marked the first appearance on Armstrong's charges, with the judge setting a docket for the case on October 19 and the jury trial the following week, according to a report by local NBC affiliate KXAN.

"There is a big picture here. This is the beginning of a process that will and should unfold in court," Armstrong's attorney, Rick Cofer, said in a statement after the hearing, according to KXAN's report (opens in new tab).

According to Cofer, who did not respond to questions after his statement, Armstrong's lawyers have been questioned about why Austin police officers "appear to have ignored a tip regarding Ms. Wilson's former boyfriend" and why "the night of Ms. Wilson's death, Caitlin Armstrong and Colin Strickland's home on the night of Ms. Wilson's death," as well as questions such as "who vandalized Ms. Strickland's home and why?

According to KXAN, the response from the Austin Police Department was that they would not comment on pending litigation.

Wilson was shot and killed in his East Austin home on May 11.

An arrest warrant for Armstrong related to the murder investigation was issued on May 17. Subsequently, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Investigation Unit, it was learned that Armstrong sold his black Jeep for $12,200 on May 13 and left Austin Bergstrom International Airport on May 14. After connecting from Houston Hobby Airport to New York's LaGuardia Airport, on May 18, Armstrong used someone else's passport fraudulently to flee the United States from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to San Jose, Costa Rica, authorities said.

After a 43-day manhunt, Armstrong was found and arrested at a hostel in Santa Teresa Beach, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, on June 29 and deported to the United States on July 2.

She was formally charged with felony first-degree murder at the Travis County Jail in Austin, where she was transferred on July 5, according to authorities.

Cyclingnews will provide additional information as it becomes available from authorities.