Son of ex-NFL player found guilty of killing parents, sentenced to life in prison
The son of a former NFL player Antonio Armstrong was found guilty of killing his parents and sentenced to life in prison.
Antonio "A.J." Armstrong, 16 at the time, shot and killed both parents in 2016 in their townhome.
Son of ex-NFL player found guilty of killing parents, sentenced to life in prison https://t.co/Lib3GSAGlu
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 17, 2023
The shooting
"Dawn Armstrong was pronounced dead at the scene and Antonio Armstrong died in a hospital with a gunshot wound to the head," Fox News reported.
"There were two mistrials before the conviction this week. The jury was hung in a deadlock in 2019, and in 2022, they could not agree on a verdict," it added.
— kalifani-cas9 (@kalifani6) August 17, 2023
The details
"During week one, the state took up all five days, speaking to more than 20 witnesses and showcasing hundreds of text messages between A.J., his parents and his girlfriend, which showed him lying, setting a fire at his home, getting in trouble at school, sneaking out of the house, making bad grades and smoking marijuana," the Spun reported.
"We also saw emotion from A.J. during the first week, and the mood of the courtroom changing when his parent’s autopsy photos were shown to the jury. He visibly started crying. The prosecutors went to great lengths to only let the jury see the photos," it added.
GUILTY | Antonio Armstrong Jr. listens as the verdict was read in court this afternoon. Jurors found Armstrong Jr. guilty of capital murder in the deaths of his mother and father in 2016.
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— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) August 16, 2023
What's next?
"His family is amazing. Obviously, they're devastated right now. This is a difficult time for them, but they will rally and help A.J. and his young son and his wife get through this," lawyer DeToto said, according to KHOU-TV Houston.
"He said the case will be appealed," the report added.
The verdict comes after two previous cases that were inconclusive in providing a verdict.
The family now finds justice in the ruling despite sadness over the future for the son of the deceased parents. Armstrong Jr. will be able to apply for the possibility of parole in 40 years, according to the ruling.
The tragic loss of lives now has some sense of closure for those involved though an appeal to the case may lead to further court actions in the days ahead for Armstrong that will impact the family.
