Jury rules that ex-NFL player and wife were murdered by their own son

Antonio 'AJ' Armstrong Jr. has been declared guilty by a Texas grand jury for the murders of his parents, committed when he was just a teenager back in 2016.

Antonio Armstrong Jr., now 23 years old, has received a life sentence in prison, with the possibility of parole after 40 years, for fatally shooting his retired NFL linebacker father, Antonio Armstrong Sr., and his mother, Dawn Armstrong.

The incident occurred in their family home located in southwest Houston in 2016 and, after two previous trials, this jury concluded that Armstrong Jr. was responsible for his parents' deaths, after deliberating for almost 11 hours.

This was the third trial he faced in the span of seven years since the tragic incident. The previous two trials had resulted in hung juries.

The decision came after the jurors listened to over 40 hours of testimony from 31 witnesses across an 11-day period.

As the verdict was announced, Armstrong Jr. displayed no emotional response, while his wife Kate Armstrong, with whom he has a long-standing partnership, openly wept in the courtroom.

What happened to Antonio Armstrong Sr.?

The crime occurred when Armstrong Jr. was 16 years old. On July 29, 2016, he allegedly shot both his parents while they were sleeping in their bed, placing pillows over their heads before calling 911 to report the sound of gunshots.

His mother, Dawn, was fatally shot twice in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Antonio Sr. was rushed to the hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Both victims were 42 years old.

It was reported at the time that the killer left a note along with the murder weapon, a .22-caliber pistol owned by Antonio Sr., on the kitchen counter.

"I have been watching you for a long time, come get me," it read.

Now, it has been determined by this jury that Armstrong Jr. was the one responsible.

Antonio Armstrong Sr. was a sixth round NFL draft pick in 1995, and spent time on the rosters of the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams, before moving to Canadian football.

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