AJ Armstrong case: Harvey Armstrong, uncle of AJ, maintains his innocence, speaks out
HOUSTON - A day after AJ Armstrong was found guilty of murdering his parents and his family members say they are left "devastated and in disbelief."
Antonio Armstrong Jr. has been free on bond for years, but now he is in the Harris County Jail and will be transferred to a Texas prison after a third jury found him guilty of murdering his parents seven years ago when he was just 16 years old.
"I was crushed emotionally," says AJ's great Uncle Harvey Armstrong.
The murders of Antonio Sr. and Dawn Armstrong in their own home in 2016 as they slept is an absolute tragedy. Family members say they now have the added pain of a jury finding their son, Antonio Jr., guilty of shooting his parents to death in their own bed.
"I hit the floor in the middle of the airport in front of my gate. I was that devastated. Everybody was rushing to me thinking I fainted. I just fell to my knees and crying like a 2-year-old," Harvey Armstrong explains.
AJ’s uncle says he believes there would have been a different outcome if certain information was allowed in court, such as a recording of AJ’s brother, who suffers mental illness.
"It was video of Josh saying what he tried to do, burn down the house and things. It was on video," Harvey says.
Prosecutors say Josh was thoroughly investigated, and they told jurors evidence including alarm records show "a burglar or a brother" never entered that house.
Harvey Armstrong says the alarm was known to malfunction. He also believes the family’s housekeeper should have been allowed to testify.
"She knew the gun had been moved. She knew some things that were going on prior to that week. Somebody showed up at the house, and they didn’t have a clue to who he was and banging on the door. There’s a conversation she heard Antonio having with people that seemed to be after him," Harvey Armstrong explains.
The Armstrong's were murdered with their own gun, which was left on the kitchen counter after the shootings, along with a note written on the family’s paper with a pen from a kitchen drawer. Investigators say all the doors and windows at the house were still locked.
His uncle says he hasn’t heard any evidence to convince him his nephew is guilty.
"Now this kid is going to prison for life, but I’m going to fight this. We’re going to fight this as a family," Harvey adds and he says it’s suspicious blood was found on AJ’s shirt under a police visitation sticker seven years later.
He also points to the couple’s gym they owned being broken into and Antonio’s computers were stolen. He says that raises reasonable doubt, along with Antonio Sr’s business partner dying in 2019.
"Both of these young men ended up dead within two years," Armstrong says. But Cecil Adams, the business partner, died after his car stalled on the freeway and someone smashed into it.
"I know AJ. I know in his heart he could not kill his father and mother," the uncle says.
A jury now says otherwise.
"You give me 40 years, saying I did something that I know I didn’t do. How do you handle that? I know how hurt, sorry," Harvey stops talking and places his hand over his face, crying.
Harvey Armstrong, who played eight seasons in the NFL, watched Antonio Sr. follow in his footsteps into the league. He’d hoped for the same for AJ.
"He said uncle, when I get out of this whole stuff, this mess, I want to go back and play football," Harvey Armstrong says.
AJ has now been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
"God will find a way. I’m convinced of that. Faith over fear. I’m going to have faith that my nephew will be home soon."
AJ’s first two trials ended in hung juries. He is appealing after this third jury found him guilty.
Harvey Armstrong says after the family has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, he plans to reach out to some NFL friends to raise enough money to continue to help with AJ’s defense.