Teen faces retrial in parents’ shooting deaths
Jury deadlocked in April trial; new trial will start in October
A Houston teen accused of fatally shooting his parents will be retried in October, several months after a Harris County jury forced a mistrial in the case.
Antonio Armstrong Jr., who is now 19, is due back in court on Oct. 4 for a new trial, attorney Rick DeToto said.
“It’s good to be away for a while but we’re ready to get back,” DeToto said on Tuesday morning. “We know this case inside and out and we’re looking forward to a second trial and showing 12 people that A.J. is not guilty of this crime.”
Dawn Armstrong and Antonio Armstrong Sr. were fatally shot in their beds on July 29, 2016. Their son, who goes by A.J., was arrested on a capital murder charge but has maintained his innocence from the start.
He contended that intruders were responsible for the slayings, and defense attorneys said Armstrong’s older brother could be to blame. They disputed prosecutors’ established motive, that Armstrong was a manipulator and liar who was angry for being continually disciplined by his par
ents.
The house showed no signs of forced entry and alarm records didn’t indicate a break-in, prosecutors said. The killer left behind a threatening note and the murder weapon, which belonged to the father.
After a month of testimony during the first trial in April, jurors deadlocked at an 8-4 vote, with the majority believing that Armstrong was guilty.
After the trial, state prosecutors vowed to bring Armstrong to trial a second time.
“We appreciate the tremendous effort by the jury,” Assistant District Attorney John Brewer said in a statement at the time. “Antonio Armstrong Jr. murdered two citizens of our county and we will continue to fight for justice and bring him to trial again.”