Trial continues for Bellaire teen accused of killing his parents

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - On the fifth day of the trial, prosecutors brought forth additional witnesses to the stand, most notably two of AJ Armstrong’s former football coaches including Stephen Hill, his coach when Armstrong was at Kinkaid and Theadis Reagins, his would-be coach at Lamar High School.

For the first time in the trial, jurors are hearing testimony from people who knew the Bellaire teen well and spent a significant amount of time with Armstrong.

A lot of questions from both sides Monday were aimed at establishing a better sense of who AJ Armstrong is: his character, his attitude, his work ethic off and on the field, and his relationship with his parents.

Prosecutors said early on they would not comment on the case while the trial is ongoing.

After Monday’s testimony wrapped up, defense attorney Rick DeSoto commented on the emotional testimony from one of Armstrong’s coaches.

“One of the most important things from today’s testimony is that last coach was with him right up until the incident happened. He was at practice before. And the last thing he said was 'I don’t have anything bad to say about AJ.' But more importantly, he was always happy, happy go lucky. He had a good attitude so that doesn’t fit in with their theory of the case,” DeSoto said.

Before the trial came to a close for the day, prosecutors played an audio clip of a 911 call of a young girl, who appeared to be very emotional. Prosecutors have not specified the girl’s identity.

The trial resumes in the morning on Tuesday, April 9.

Opening statements began Tuesday, April 2 in the trial of the Bellaire teen accused of killing his parents.

We don't want to live in a world where a child would execute his parents, but that's what prosecutors say happened.

Antonio Armstrong, Jr., is being tried as an adult even though he was 16 when his parents were killed. The fact that he will be tried as an adult, was being argued up until the end of last week, because his defense attorneys wanted him tried as a juvenile. The judge said no.

It was July 29, 2016 when his parents were killed. Prosecutors say he is the person who held a pillow over his mother and father's faces and shot them both. He has denied doing any of that.

"That really means something. It means if you are a murderer and you put a pillow on somebody's head, you don't want to see what you did," prosecutor John Brewer told the jurors.

 

He called 911 in the early morning hours back in 2016. Investigators say they found no evidence of forced entry at their Bellaire home, and they said the 16-year-old at the time couldn't come up with a convincing story about what happened and he became the only murder suspect.

The now-19-year-old man says he's innocent and says he saw a masked intruder in the early morning hours.

His father, Antonio Armstrong Sr., was a former Texas A&M football star who played professional football in the NFL and the Canadian Football League. Together with his mother, the couple owned a small chain of gyms.

"Within 11 minutes. Eleven minutes of going into the house. Before any evidence had been processed. Before they knew anything about the crime scene, they made up their minds he did it," his lawyer said. 

There was no DNA linking him to the crime, no fingerprints on the weapon, and more importantly no search for any other suspects. They found the gun and a note that read "the scene here tells the story."

"A.J. tells the police that there was a masked man in the house. Reasonable doubt," said Detoto.

Reasonable doubt is the key. The defense has to sow seeds of doubt in hate minds of jurors.The prosecution has to prove the case. 

This is a developing story.