AJ Armstrong trial: Closing arguments end, jury to deliberate verdict
HOUSTON - The jury will now deliberate a verdict in the capital murder trial for Antonio "AJ" Armstrong Jr.
Closing arguments wrapped up just before 2 p.m. Tuesday.
He is accused of shooting and killing his parents in their Bellaire home in July 2016, when he was 16 years old.
After four hours of closing arguments from both prosecutors and defense attorneys Tuesday, the third capital murder trial for AJ Armstrong Junior now rests in the hands of a Harris County Jury. Over the course of the last two weeks, the trial has seen more than 30 witnesses.
Prosecutors have focused largely on new blood evidence found on a sticker on Armstrong’s shirt, home alarm time stamps and cell phone records.
"The evidence doesn’t lie, he lies. Everything, everything points to him that’s why they can’t talk about the evidence. They call names and say how dare you because they don’t want you to look at the evidence," said John Jordan, a Harris County Prosecutor.
Meanwhile, defense attorneys have attempted to cast doubt on all the evidence and asked jurors to clear Armstrong’s name.
The defense continued to suggest instead that Armstrong’s brother, Josh, who suffers from mental issues, may have been responsible.
At one point, the defense had another attorney physically lie on the courtroom table to explain how the bullet trajectory allegedly doesn’t add up.
"You have the ability to stop this madness. You have the ability to say enough is enough, and let this man get back to his life," said defense attorney, Rick DeToto.
SUGGESTED: Opening statements in AJ Armstrong's trial
This is the third time he is being tried for their murders. During his first two trials in 2019 and 2022, the juries were unable to come to a unanimous verdict. The last two trials have taken jurors 19 hours and 18 hours of deliberations to come to a verdict.
This third trial was supposed to start in early June but the Friday before, two spots of the father’s blood were found under the HPD visitor sticker that had been placed on AJ's shirt while he was handcuffed, and it was still on the shirt seven years later in the evidence room.'
Defense Attorney Rick Detoto said the dried blood was likely there seven years later as a result of cross-contamination.
Both sides talked about the blood evidence and much more when opening statements began on July 31.
Prosecutors pointed to a timeline saying cell phone and home alarm records show AJ is the killer. Defense attorneys called the alarm system finicky and full of errors. Prosecutors also argued the parents were upset at AJ for his grades and behavior.
MORE: Texts between Armstrong, his parents shown in court
MORE: Prosecutors look at security alarm evidence
At one point Tuesday afternoon, after approximately an hour and a half into deliberations, the jury requested to see a piece of evidence.
The last two trials in 2019 and 2022 ended in a hung jury because jurors were not able to reach a unanimous verdict.
Judge Kelli Johnson has said that if a verdict is not reached by the end of the day Tuesday, the jury will be sequestered until they’re able to reach a unanimous decision.