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AJ Armstrong, a 23-year-old Texas man, was found guilty of capital murder of both his parents, who were killed in 2016 when he was just a teenager. On Wednesday, August 16, a Texas jury convicted Antonio “AJ” Armstrong Jr. and sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
AJ Armstrong was accused of fatally shooting his retired NFL linebacker father, Antonio Armstrong Sr. and mother, Dawn Armstrong, in the family’s southwest Houston home when he was 16 years old.
In July 2016, Dawn and Antonio Sr. were shot in the head with pillows placed over their faces, while asleep in their Houston home. The murder weapon used in the killing reportedly belonged to Armstrong's father, Antonio Sr.
Armstrong, who was entering his junior year of high school at the time, was arrested hours later. He has been out of jail with an ankle monitor since a bail in 2017, faced multiple trials in the case, which ended in a hung jury.
AJ Armstrong, now 23, was unanimously convicted in a third trial after the previous two trials ended in a hung jury. The verdict against the 23-year-old father was read in the presence of his wife, Kate Armstrong, formerly Kate Ober, who openly wept while her partner was sentenced to life. Armstrong married the mother of his son, his high school girlfriend, Kate Ober, who testified in his defense during his first trial.
AJ Armstrong was disciplined by his parents shortly before the murder
Seven years after AJ Armstrong was charged with killing his parents, he was found guilty of their murders on August 16, 2023. During the trial, prosecutors establishing a seemingly tenuous motive said that Armstrong murdered his parents as he resented them for disciplining him over acting out in school.
Prosecutors said that the teen, who was kicked out of a private school, was caught smoking marijuana in his room by his parents, who took away his cell phone and car shortly before the murder. Prosecutors also revealed in the days leading up to the murder that Armstrong fired his father’s gun muffled with a pillow through the floor of his bedroom.
During police questioning, Armstrong reportedly admitted he fired the gun in the room. Prosecutors said that the manner was similar to how his parents were killed.
Authorities also said that the teen’s fingerprints were found in the murder weapon. However, Armstrong, who maintained his innocence throughout the years, alleged that his parents were killed by an intruder with a mask who left an ominous note on the kitchen counter and the murder weapon. The note read:
“I have been watching you for a long time. Come get me.”
However, prosecutors said that the masked intruder theory did not add up as police did not find any record of a man entering the residence in the home security system.
AJ Armstrong's defense team alleged his older brother murdered his parents
During the trial, the Defense attorney tried to pin the murder on Armstrong’s older brother, Josh, who suffered from severe mental health issues, including paranoia and schizophrenia.
However, prosecutors tore into their argument stating that Josh only suffered through a mental health crisis after his parents were murdered. Josh’s then-girlfriend also testified that she and his cousin were with him at his apartment at the time of the killing. Shortly after the guilty verdict was announced, Defense attorney Rick Detoto said:
"He's devastated. He's one of the strongest young men I've ever known. His family is amazing, and obviously, they are devastated right now. This is a difficult time for them, but they will rally and they will help A.J. and his young son and his wife get through this."
Meanwhile, the defense attorney told KHOU they plan to appeal the verdict.
