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Retrial for Antonio 'AJ' Armstrong Jr., accused of killing Bellaire parents as teen

By Shelby Rose
Published  October 3, 2022 11:13am CDT
Bellaire
FOX 26 Houston

Antonio Armstrong Jr. re-trial: Jury selection begins Monday

Antonio Armstrong Jr. was 16 years old when with his parents while they were sleeping back in 2016. The case gained national attention and was declared a mistrial back in 2019 after jurors couldn't come to a unanimous verdict.

BELLAIRE, Texas - A retrial has begun Monday for Antonio "AJ" Armstrong Jr., who was accused of shooting and killing his parents inside their Bellaire home in 2016.

This comes after a judge declared a mistrial in 2019 after days of a deadlocked jury.

PREVIOUS: Judge declares mistrial in Antonio Armstrong Jr. capital murder case

His parents, former NFL linebacker Antonio Armstrong Sr. and his wife Dawn, were shot in the head in July 2016.

Armstrong, who was 16 at the time, called 911 after the shooting blaming the murders on an intruder. However, investigators were unable to validate those claims, and he was then charged as an adult.

Retrial begins for Antonio 'AJ' Armstrong Jr.

Antonio "AJ" Armstrong Jr. is accused of shooting and killing his parents inside their Bellaire home in 2016.

The first trial began in April 2019. The state argued the home's alarm system never showed anyone entering or leaving the morning of the murders. Armstrong and his sister were the only people home at the time.

RELATED: Alarm system under scrutiny in case of murdered parents

The defense claimed it was faulty, even attempting to shift the blame to Armstrong's older brother, Josh, who has a history of being mentally unstable.

RELATED:  Antonio Armstrong Jr.'s brother claims he witnessed parents' murder, records say

However, three weeks later, it ended in a mistrial as the jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision after several days of deliberation.

Jury selection is now underway, and if convicted, Armstrong faces life in prison.