- Coming up on "Austin InSight", an exclusive interview with the parents of cyclist Moriah Wilson, murdered in Austin in 2022.

Plus, the anniversaries of two films that helped put our film scene on the map.

"Austin InSight" starts now.

- [Announcer] Support for "Austin InSight" comes from Sally and James Gavin, and also from Daniel L. Skret.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - Hi, there, and thanks for joining us.

I'm Laura Laughead.

After months of uncertainty, the future of Dobie Middle School in Rundberg is clear.

The Austin ISD school board has voted to hand over the day-to-day operations of Dobie, as well as Burnet and Webb Middle Schools, to a nonprofit charter partner.

Our Decibel multimedia journalist Jackie Ibarra is here with more.

Jackie, what changes are likely at Dobie with the charter school management decision?

- Yeah, well, according to the district, the Dallas-based nonprofit Texas Council for International Studies plans on building on the positive momentum that's been occurring at these schools.

For the first year, at least, TCIS will keep current curriculum in place.

The district says they will also keep after school and extracurricular programs, as well as maintaining community partnerships that are already in place.

- Getting with a partner who would throw away all the good things we have is not what we wanna do.

And so, the Texas Council for International Studies is going to bring in an extra layer of support to the good stuff that they're already doing, 'cause those schools are moving in the right direction.

So, I'm really, really grateful that that is not being dismantled.

Those schools have gone through so much upheaval.

- And Laura, according to AISD, this partnership also comes with several incentives from the state.

AISD estimates an annual increase of about $1,000 per student and a two-year grace period from accountability interventions from the state.

- And it's key to note, here, that beyond its function, of course, as a school, like many public schools, Dobie is a community gathering spot.

How soon could we see these changes being implemented?

- Well, if the agreement is approved by the Texas Education Agency, TCIS will take over as soon as next school year and will last for the next three years.

- Good to know, Jackie.

Thank you so much for this update on Dobie Middle School.

(upbeat music) Growing concerns about federal immigration enforcement in Austin have city leaders looking for clearer direction on how to respond.

Five City council members recently wrote a memo to city manager T.C.

Broadnax asking him to consider new protocols and policies aimed at protecting free speech and civil rights of people in Austin.

The memo also calls for, quote, "No more secret police," and asks Broadnax to explore banning facial coverings on law enforcement officers working in the city.

For more on this, our local government reporter Sam Stark is here with Mayor Pro Tem and District 4 City Councilmember Jose "Chito" Vela.

Sam?

- Thanks, Laura.

And Mayor Pro Tem Vela, thank you for being with us.

First, tell us why you and your colleagues decided to write this memo.

- One of the main concerns driving the memo is, what happens if 1,000, 2,000 ICE agents were to descend on Austin?

And are we ready for that?

Are we prepared for that, especially as a city?

And that's what, especially, I was thinking.

We wanna make sure that we've talked about it internally.

Is our police department ready?

Because as we've seen in other cities, there's gonna be conflict between federal immigration agents and people and protestors out there trying to disrupt and inform on the movements of ICE agents.

One of the other major concerns that I've heard is from small business owners, construction sites, and restaurants.

"Do I have to let ICE into my kitchen if they show up at my restaurant?

Do I have to let them into my construction site, a closed construction site, if they show up?"

Those are the kinds of questions we wanna work through and be ready for if and when ICE shows up.

And then, finally, the district attorney came out with a statement talking about how federal agents are not immune to prosecution.

I mean, there's a high bar to it, no question about that.

And so, we want, also, APD to be ready to collect and transfer any necessary information about any allegations of criminal violations by federal agents to the district attorney.

So, it's, again, in preparation for worst-case outcomes that we're all hoping do not actually happen.

- And what are some of the main points in the memo?

- Well, one of them, and to me, I think long-lasting, is the education of both our immigrant community and the education of our business community.

The business community is getting, they're sending a lot of questions to us and to other organizations, civil rights organizations, about, again, "What do I do if immigration agents show up at my workplace wanting to just inspect without a warrant?"

Those are the kinds of questions that are out there.

We need to help our community understand those situations and answer those questions, and be legally prepared if and when the immigration agents show up and are, again, entering private property without a warrant.

I think, long term, that is a really important component.

The city has provided a lot of money for immigration legal services and Know Your Rights clinics and those kinds of things.

And we need to do more of it.

We need to step up our game and not just reach out to the immigrant community, but also talk to the business community as well about their rights.

Another important aspect is the face coverings.

The face coverings are really problematic with regard to law enforcement using them in this anonymous police force, unidentified police force.

So, we're looking at that.

Do we as a city have any authority to regulate face coverings on other law enforcement, on federal law enforcement?

I know Washington State and California have both passed laws with regard to that.

And so, asking our law department to look, to see, is there any room, here?

What can we do, if anything?

And then, finally, I think, getting our police ready for deescalation tactics.

We've already seen multiple deaths from ICE agents interacting with the general public, with sometimes not even protestors, but I think about the kid.

I mean, he was 19 or so, a young man, down in South Padre Island who was killed at some random traffic stop, which we're not even sure what happened.

Just making sure that our police department is ready to respond to those situations and to deescalate them so that no one gets hurt.

- On the question of authority, how much, currently, does the city of Austin have to intervene in federal immigration operations?

I know a law was passed several years ago that prevents local police departments from stopping officers from contacting ICE.

- Yeah.

(sighs) Unfortunately, we have very little authority with regard to immigration enforcement, in terms of what the city can do to stop, to prevent.

And let's put SB4, which was a state law that limits our authority even further, let's put that to the side for a second.

Even without SB4, the city has very little ability to interfere, impede immigration enforcement officers, or, for that matter, federal law enforcement, period.

In many different ways, we're trying to make sure that Austin is as pro-immigrant of a city as it possibly can be, given both the state and federal laws.

- Well, we'll look forward to seeing the response from the city manager.

Mayor Pro Tem Vela, thank you so much for being with us.

We'll go back to Laura, now.

- Thanks, Sam.

It was a shocking murder that quickly became an international and often sensationalized news story.

A rising star in cycling, 25-year-old Moriah Wilson, was shot at point-blank range in her friend's apartment in May of 2022.

She was in town for a bike race.

The murder suspect, 35-year-old Kaitlin Armstrong, was the on again, off again girlfriend of fellow professional cyclist Colin Strickland.

Armstrong then fled to Costa Rica, but was eventually arrested, tried, and convicted of the murder in a 2023 trial here in Austin.

A new Netflix documentary premiering this week looks beyond the headlines and into Wilson's life and legacy.

Here's the trailer for the film, "The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson".

(phone trilling) - [Dispatcher] Austin 911.

- Um, my friend is laying on the bathroom floor.

It's hard, kind of reliving it.

(dramatic music) - [Man] She was a once-in-a-generation athlete.

- [Officer] You see a bike?

No bike.

- [Man] She had that sense of urgency underlying everything she did.

- [Caitlin] There's blood everywhere!

- [Dispatcher] Is she breathing?

- [Caitlin] No.

- Somehow, her soul knew that she had less time than most people.

(ominous music) - [Man] There was no forced entry into the residence.

- It could have been a home invasion, a robbery.

But the more we started digging into it, it became likely that something else was going on.

- [Man] Colin Strickland was the last person to see Moriah alive.

- Colin, is that your first name?

- Yes.

- [Detective] Do you own any firearms?

- [Colin] I bought a pistol and I have actually never shot it.

- Nobody could figure out a reason why somebody would wanna kill this person.

(ominous music continues) - Grief is like a big mud puddle.

I feel a lot of guilt.

But I told her mom she was okay and in good hands.

- [Woman] From Colin's phone, we realized he had Moriah in as Christine Wall.

- [Attorney] This was the area not swabbed for DNA.

- It raises all these questions of, like, do you ever really know anyone?

- I said, the only person I could think of that didn't like her was... (ominous music continues) - We previously spoke with Moriah's parents, Eric and Karen Wilson, about their daughter's tragic death and their effort to honor her memory.

They were in town for a premier screening of the film at South by Southwest.

And joining us now are Karen and Eric Wilson.

Thank you so much to you both for being here.

- You're welcome.

- You're welcome.

- So, it's hard to believe it's been nearly four years, and we read that you guys were involved with the documentary film from the start.

Why was it important to you to have Moriah's story told in this way?

- Well, for me, I think Moriah was just, had a beautiful spirit and character, and I think it was just important to us to have that told in a way that was not told in some other previous publications.

And we just really felt that people could learn from her story, and that we can learn from her story.

And also, we started the Moriah Wilson Foundation in 2023, and we really feel that it can help us with that and the mission moving forward that we're trying to do with the foundation.

So, really, those two reasons for me.

- I mean, the process of making the film in itself in many ways was sort of therapeutic.

It just made us revisit so many aspects of the whole story.

And when you face those hard things, it helps you, I think, process them.

So, I think there's just a lot of inner processing going on.

It gave us a chance to just express our grief and express so many aspects of the story outwardly, rather than holding it all in.

So, in many ways I found it very therapeutic, even though it's not always easy.

But that's okay.

- And her story is such an incredible one.

It was incredible to hear about what a remarkable young woman Moriah truly was.

And you're right, everyone saw the headlines in 2022, and then again in 2023, during the trial.

But so much is missed in that.

What do you think is the biggest misunderstanding about your daughter and the way her death was covered that you hope this film clears up?

- Right away, what comes to my mind is the ridiculously sensational term of the love triangle.

We were like, "That is just ridiculous."

Moriah never even told me, "I'm in love with Colin."

There was no intense, passionate love thing going on, but they made it sound like it was like that.

And I was just like, "That is just so ridiculous."

(laughs) So, clearing that up.

Even in one part of the film where she just writes, "I'm okay with this relationship not being what I thought, maybe, it was.

I got other guys on my mind."

She was not all wrapped up in just this one person.

It was just so much about the professional relationship they had as cyclists and Colin wanting to maybe help her with getting sponsors.

Red Bull was one, and he was trying to help her with that.

And they would be riding, they were sponsored by, they were both sponsored by Specialized, so that was like a family in itself.

And they were intertwined in that world.

So, to just act like they didn't know each other, it was kind of ridiculous.

- Something that I was personally struck by, watching your documentary, was your family's composure during such unimaginable moments, like during your statement to Kaitlyn Armstrong and how you addressed the press after the verdict.

I know I wouldn't have been able to do that.

So, how were you able to do that, and what's going through your head in a moment like that?

- I- - A lot of prayer.

- Yeah.

I mean, I give so much credit to my strength from my creator, and I depend on my faith.

People are like, "Oh, you're so strong."

It's not me.

(laughs) It's the God who lives in me that gives me my strength.

In our weakness, he makes us strong.

And it's real thing, it's a real thing.

It's not fabricated.

It's so real to me in every day.

- And we know a lot of people are praying for us through that time, and continue to pray for us.

And we feel that, and we, God says he will be, he's with us.

He will not forsake us.

And that when you suffer, when you're suffering, we all suffer in various ways in life.

That's kind of the human experience.

And I think it does bring you closer to God when you suffer, because you look, it changes your, like Karen said, it changes your perspective and you think more about, particularly in the case of a death, you think more about the eternal.

And we just have that.

It has strengthened our faith, and that we trust that Moriah is with God and that we will see her again someday, and that- - It's temporary separation.

- That really does give us some hope.

- And another interesting storytelling technique that we noticed from the documentary was getting to hear Moriah's own voice, in a sense, through her journal entries that were read aloud.

What was it like for y'all to hear her deepest thoughts come to life and hear her voice again in that way?

- It just makes, I mean, as I said last night, I have a lot of conflicting feelings.

Because on one hand, it's very beautiful, and I'm so proud of how she, the person she had become, and through this process of her life and her cycling and just the maturation that she was going through.

And I think, so, there's the pride of the young woman that she had become, and I think it was very beautiful.

And what she said, in many ways, was just so beautiful.

And yet, there's the pain of the loss, too, and what was taken from her in just an instant.

- I love her journals and I read them periodically, especially when we're, if I'm going through something where I need to write a piece for our website or make a decision about a grant application and who we wanna give to through the foundation.

I'm always, a lot of times, I'll just turn and open her journals and just tune in with her.

(laughs) And some of her words are just, I just love them.

And just, of course, they were private and they were her internal thing.

But I think sharing that with the world's a good thing.

It's not a bad thing.

And I don't think we're violating her privacy or doing something that she wouldn't want us to do.

- And after everyone sees this documentary when it comes out, what do you hope people remember about your daughter and about this story?

- I'm hoping that people will walk away wanting to live their life full and with joy, and with kindness and with integrity, and with the things that are really important.

You're not gonna say at your deathbed, "Man, I wish I worked more," or, "Man, I," live your life intentionally and the way she did.

She was very intentional with how she lived her life.

So, I think there's so many lessons that I am still learning through all of this that she's teaching me continually through her spirit and through the mark she left here.

So, I hope that will ripple out to those people who watch the movie.

- Well, Karen and Eric Wilson, thank you so much for joining us and for sharing your daughter's story.

"The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson" comes out on Netflix on April 3rd.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

(upbeat music) - It's a tale of two movies that helped put Austin's film scene on the map by legendary local filmmakers, though quite different in nature.

This year marks 25 years since "Spy Kids", directed by Robert Rodriguez, and 10 years since "Everybody Wants Some!!

", a loose sequel to "Dazed And Confused" by Richard Linklater.

The Austin Film Society marked these two important anniversaries.

Take a look.

- Parents are international spies, good ones, but they've been mostly inactive for the last nine years.

- What are you talking about?

- I was assigned to protect your family, but something's gone wrong.

I have to take you to the safe house.

- My parents can't be spies!

They're not cool enough!

- [Laura] It's been 25 years since Carmen and Juni Cortez first saved the world, and now these Spy Kids are grownups.

- I mean, we knew it was special, but you never know that a movie's gonna do this.

(dramatic music) - [Laura] The movie, which was a major hit and spawned a franchise, was honored at this year's Texas Film Awards by the Austin Film Society.

- I knew it would be my favorite movie.

I knew it was a movie that was close to me.

But yeah, when people embrace it and families embrace it, it's why you make movies.

The first trailer for the movie was on "The Grinch that Stole Christmas".

I was about eight, I just remember standing up, and then just being like, "That's me!"

- No way, did you?

- Yeah.

And the guy next to me was like, "That's you, that's crazy!"

- [Laura] It was also a film family reunion at Robert Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios where "Spy Kids" was shot.

- We did so much growing on these stages that it feels like a second home.

- Daryl and Alexa, they were seven and 10, seven years old and 10 years old when the movie was made.

And then, to continue to still be, they're like children, we adore them.

- I took a picture of them with their power suits from "Spy Kids 3", which I have, still.

And I told 'em, "Here, stand behind it."

So, I had them put their heads behind it.

- [Laura] Oh, my God, please show that to them!

That is iconic.

- (laughs) That's so funny.

- You know what, they look like they still fit.

- They do, she hasn't grown an inch.

- [Laura] Since the premiere, "Spy Kids" has been selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

And now, the Spy Kids are parents themselves.

- Let's go find mom and dad.

- Good idea.

- When I was on tour with my wife, we're scrolling through the channels, and "Spy Kids 3" popped up.

And my five-year-old was like, "Dad, that's you!"

- When my kids first watched it, I think they were a little too young.

I might've been a little too eager to show them, and they were not interested at all.

- Boring!

- They were like, "Lame!

Let's watch 'Blippi'!"

- And finally, for "Spy Kids" fans, some good news.

Are there any future "Spy Kids" on the horizon?

- There definitely will be at least one more.

- [Laura] Also inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame that night were Sydney Chandler, Sonny Carl Davis, and Julian Schnabel.

Austinite Sydney Chandler starred in "Alien: Earth" last year.

Her dad, Kyle Chandler, beloved for his role as Eric Taylor on "Friday Night Lights", presented her the award.

- It's a very strange job to try and describe to other people.

So, having someone like my dad, who also understands the business and who is a really grounded person, has been a really great person to look up to.

- [Laura] Sonny Carl Davis is a longtime Texas character actor.

He's appeared in "Lonesome Dove", "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," and perhaps most famously, in this monologue from "Bernie".

- And then, in Central Texas, you got the People's Republic of Austin.

- I love that he's getting to take a victory lap and talk about how he has big roles in small movies and small roles in big movies.

- [Laura] Oscar-nominated director and artist Julian Schnabel grew up in Brooklyn, until his father moved them to the Rio Grande Valley when he was a teenager.

- I think the fact that Robert and Matthew and Rick built this society and this community where young people can make films and have a sense of a place is a beautiful thing.

- [Laura] Speaking of Matthew and Rick... - It'd be a lot cooler if you did.

- [Laura] It was another reunion for "Everybody Wants Some!!

", directed by Richard Linklater.

♪ See, I am Wonder Finn and I'd like to say hello ♪ - Say hello, Finn!

- [Laura] A so-called spiritual sequel to his iconic film, "Dazed and Confused".

- Such a great group of guys.

We had so much fun making this movie.

I had made my high school movie, "Dazed and Confused", and that was all about repression and oppression, getting stuck in your parents' house, and this was just pure fun.

- [Laura] It was the first movie audition and first movie role for several on the cast, who were real-life college students.

- I was at the University of Texas at Austin studying theater and dance.

And it was my professors there, they were like, "Oh, Quinton, you seem like you'd be a good fit."

- We get a little liquid courage and we go in.

And they're like, "Hey, so what are your favorite college stories?"

And I'm like, "I'm sorry.

This is the audition."

A week later, they call me, and I thought it was one of my buddies messing with me.

And poor Vicki had to call me back and be like, "Hi, I'm so sorry, but Richard Linklater would like to meet with you guys."

Oh, God!

- [Laura] Prior to filming, the cast built a camaraderie by spending time together on Linklater's land that translated on screen.

- Being at the ranch, playing baseball, doing all of our crazy games, jumping in the pool, probably all of that.

The prep for the movie was the best part.

- Everybody say hello to Austin Amelio!

- [Austin] I'm sorry I couldn't be there.

- Austin's one of my best friends.

All these guys are best friends.

That was the special part about making the movie.

- [Laura] They still count Linklater as a mentor.

- I can't tell you how proud I am when I see like Quinton Johnson, a UT musical theater guy.

He's in my movie, and then he's in "Hamilton", "Hamilton" on Broadway.

And I go to that, I just feel like, "Holy crap!"

I've been lucky to, by making films here and do that, to give those opportunities.

(upbeat music) - Before we go, we want to note the passing of an Austin singer/songwriter who's been on the scene here for decades.

Jon Dee Graham, whose music spanned punk, country, and rock, died last week at age 67.

Longtime Austinites may remember his band, The Skunks.

They opened for The Clash once at Armadillo World Headquarters.

More recently, he performed with his son, William.

These are images from a performance just a couple weeks ago at a South by Southwest showcase.

He's been called a music treasure.

According to a social media post, the father-son duo will soon release a new album, and so the music of Jon Dee Graham will live on.

And that's our show.

Thanks so much for watching.

You can watch our stories on the Austin PBS YouTube channel or catch up on full episodes any time in the PBS App.

We'll leave you with this, Jon Dee Graham's "Big Sweet Life".

We'll see you next time.

♪ Why don't you come outside ♪ ♪ Get a look at that sky ♪ ♪ It's like a dream I had one time ♪ ♪ Oh, the sky was on fire ♪ ♪ Yeah, but that was just a dream ♪ ♪ And this is real life ♪ ♪ And it's a big sweet life ♪ ♪ It's a big sweet life ♪ ♪ I had the fear in my legs ♪ - [Announcer] Support for "Austin InSight" comes from Sally and James Gavin, and also from Daniel L. Skret.

(cheery flute music)