HOUSTON — A jury was finalized Wednesday in the third capital murder trial of Antonio “AJ” Armstrong Jr.
The diverse jury is made up of six women and 10 men with four alternates. Over the last month, prosecutors and defense attorneys have questioned the jurors individually instead of in a group in hopes of putting together a jury that will reach a verdict.
Previous trials last October and in 2019 ended in mistrials due to hung juries. A conviction would mean Armstrong Jr. would face a sentence of life in prison and would be eligible for parole after 40 years.
One more pretrial meeting is scheduled for Thursday. Opening statements in the trial are scheduled to start Monday.
Prosecutors said Armstrong Jr. shot and killed his parents, Antonio Sr., and Dawn Armstrong, while they slept inside their southwest Houston home in 2016. Armstrong Jr. was 16 at the time. He has been out on bond since 2017 and has since got married and had a child.
During past trials, prosecutors said Armstrong Jr.’s parents were upset with him over poor grades and alcohol and drug use. Prosecutors said alarm and phone records point solely to Armstrong Jr. as the killer.
Defense lawyers argue there’s no physical evidence linking Armstrong Jr. to the crime. They said Armstrong Jr. saw a masked intruder the night of his parent's deaths. They've also pointed the finger at an older brother who knew the alarm codes to the house.
For nearly seven years, Armstrong Jr. and his family have come and gone from the 19th floor of the Harris County Criminal Courthouse trying to put the case behind them. Prosecutors have been trying to put the now-23-year-old behind bars.