Where is AJ Armstrong now? Timeline of parents' deaths explored as Houston man gets convicted

Trigger Warning: This article contains references to homicide

On Wednesday, the court sentenced A.J. Armstrong Jr. to lifetime imprisonment and possible parole after 40 years for killing his parents. Armstrong has been prosecuted three times for capital murder on the grounds that he killed his parents when they were fast asleep. When the jury couldn't agree on a unanimous guilty or not guilty decision twice, a mistrial was declared. A.J. was now found guilty of the offense by a third jury.

In 2016, A.J. was just 16 years old when his parents were fatally murdered in their bedroom. An epic seven-year legal battle began with the horrible incident. After the verdict was passed, the defense attorney said in a statement, “We tried to give him hope, you know, it's a long road. Everybody's in shock and disbelief and it's going to take some time to process everything that's just occurred."

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Timeline of AJ Armstrong Jr's case

In their house in southwest Houston on July 29, 2016, Dawn and Antonio Armstrong, Sr. were discovered shot. The house was occupied by A.J. and his sister, who was 12 years old. Following his 911 call, A.J. was arrested by the police. A.J. was accused of the murders within a short time. In March 2017, A.J., who was then 17 years old, is declared an adult in the killings by the judge. After spending months in detention, a judge sets the bond at 200,000 dollars. A.J. is then freed. Since then, he has been required to wear an ankle monitor.

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A.J.'s initial death penalty murder trial got underway in March 2019. A mistrial is declared by the judge when the jury was unable to agree on a verdict. Deliberations lasted for more than two days. By the start of A.J.'s second trial in October 2022, he married his then-girlfriend, and become a father to a little child. A mistrial is again ruled in a few weeks. Before declaring they couldn't reach a judgment, the jury again debated for more than two days.

Selection of the jury for the third trial began in May 2023. Numerous prospective jurors were interrogated in-depth over the course of three weeks. Lawyers spent almost 150 hours on the case. Later, the case was put on hold while the court evaluated potential new evidence in the case for a few weeks even though the jury had already been chosen. In July 2023, the third trial for A.J. on the capital murder accusations started seven years after Dawn and Antonio were killed.

On Tuesday, August 15, attorneys make final remarks before the jury starts deliberating A.J.'s fate. The jury returned a unanimous guilty judgment the next day. A.J. was given an instant life sentence with the option of parole after 40 years. Many of Armstrong's relatives, including his sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, showed up for the trial to support him. His paternal grandmother Kay Winston and his sister Kayra, who was 12 years old when their parents were murdered gave witness testimony on his behalf.

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