HOUSTON — A mistrial has been declared in the capital murder trial of Antonio Armstrong Jr., who is accused of killing his parents in 2016.
Harris County prosecutor John Brewer said the district attorney's office plans to bring Armstrong to trial again.
“We appreciate the tremendous effort by the jury," Brewer said in a statement posted to Twitter. "Antonio Armstrong Jr. murdered two citizens of our county and we will continue to fight for justice and bring him to trial again."
Defense attorneys earlier asked for a mistrial but the judge denied the request and told jurors to keep trying.
Jurors agreed to stay late Friday to continue deliberations.
Armstrong, 19, is accused of killing his parents inside their southwest Houston home in 2016.
Former NFL and Texas A&M linebacker Antonio Armstrong Sr. and Dawn Armstrong were shot to death inside their home near Bellaire.
They began deliberating Wednesday afternoon following closing arguments.
Armstrong told police a masked intruder killed his parents but they didn't buy his story. He was charged with capital murder and ordered to stand trial as an adult.
Because of his age at the time of the crime, a conviction would mean automatic life in prison with a minimum of 40 years before he would be eligible for parole.
The murders in July of 2016 shocked family and friends, who described the Armstrongs as the all-American family.
“They’re the family that everyone wanted to be like," cousin Vaun Lee said shortly after their deaths. “Her and Antonio together, they are what they call a power couple, a power team.”
Antonio Sr. played football for Texas A&M and the Miami Dolphins and coached both of his sons when they were younger.
He later became an associate pastor and a motivational speaker. He and his wife also owned a gym in Bellaire.
“She never had an unkind word to say to anybody," her cousin said. "She saw the positive in every situation.”