Who is AJ Armstrong and where is he now?

May 2024 · 3 minute read

TRAGEDY struck Houston, Texas, in 2016 after a former NFL player and his wife were killed.

True crime enthusiasts want to know more about the couple's son and his connection to the case.

Who is AJ Armstrong?

Antonio "AJ" Armstrong Jr is famously known as the son of Antonio and Dawn Armstrong.

To most, he seemed like a normal kid, but his life was turned upside down on July 29, 2016, after he called the police to report gunfire from his parent's room.

When police arrived, they found his parents in bed with gunshot wounds to their heads, according to ABC News.

Dawn was pronounced dead at the scene, and her husband later died at a local hospital.

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Police took AJ in for questioning, where he claimed to have seen a masked intruder.

However, authorities found no signs of forced entry, leading them to believe that the then 16-year-old had committed the crime.

He was later arrested and charged with his parent's murder after they found more suspicious evidence linking him to their deaths.

That evidence included a bullet hole in his bedroom that came from his father's gun, which was later identified as the murder weapon.

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At first, he denied touching the gun, but during interrogation, he admitted showing it off to a friend.

AJ claimed that the bullet hole was from when he accidentally fired the gun weeks prior, according to ABC News.

He is the subject of a 20/20 episode that airs on December 15, 2023. The episode is titled "All American Murder."

What was AJ Armstrong charged with?

Over the years, AJ has maintained his innocence, claiming that he is not responsible for the death of his parents.

"There's no way possible. I couldn't even fathom the idea of killing my parents," he told 20/20's Matt Gutman in an exclusive interview.

His case first went to trial in 2019 and ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury. Prosecutors then tried the case again but got the same result.

In an attempt to prove his guilt in a court of law, the case was tried a third time, but AJ's grandparents pleaded for the DA's office to drop it so they could heal.

"We have stood by our grandson’s side every day since 2016," AJ's grandfather, Keith Wiley, said via KHOU11.

"Everyone in the family supports him and believes he’s innocent of the charges. Our family hurts and grieves."

AJ was convicted for the murder of his parents and sentenced to life in prison in August 2023.

He still maintains his innocence and told KPRC 2 "I didn’t kill my parents. I would say falsely convicted because I don’t believe the conviction was the result that should have happened"

"It should have been either another hung jury or a not-guilty verdict," AJ continued.

Who were AJ Armstrong's parents?

Antonio was a football linebacker born in Houston, Texas on October 15, 1973.

He first made a name for himself playing college football at Texas A&M University and became a household name thanks to his NFL career.

The former All-American joined the NFL in 1995 as a member of the Miami Dolphins.

He was later a part of the San Francisco 49ers and St Louis Rams organizations before joining the Canadian Football League.

Antonio met Dawn at church, and later married her and adopted her son Josh Armstrong, according to KHOU 11.

Antonio and Dawn were also the parents of Kayra Armstrong.

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