TX - Former NFL Antonio Armstrong & wife Dawn, both 42, fatally shot, Houston, *son charged* 29 Jul 2016 *Mistrials, 3rd trial in 2023 Guilty*

[arielilane]

4/6 Another blimp — prosecutors changed a lay witness from Alarm(.)com to an expert witness to dispute the defense claims that the alarm did not work correctly. Our ‘Anatomy of a Trial’ explains difference of expert witness vs. a lay witness https://click2houston.com/news/investigates/2023/06/09/what-is-the-difference-between-an-expert-witness-vs-a-lay-witness/

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5/6 These delays are the reason 1 juror stepped away. One of the original twelve jurors was excused for personal reasons. That means one of the four alternates is moving into the jury of 12 to hear the case, leaving the court with three alternate jurors.

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6/6 There’s so much to get into so I hope you’ll join us before trial gets underway at 8 on KPRC2+ We’ll continue bringing you expansive coverage. https://click2houston.com/watchlive/

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https://twitter.com/KPRC2Rilwan

 

[arielilane]

After 2 delays, AJ Armstrong's third capital murder trial is set to begin today. The first two trials for Antonio “AJ” Armstrong Jr. ended in hung juries. He's accused of killing his parents while they slept in their Bellaire-area home in 2016.

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https://twitter.com/KHOUStephanie

AJ Armstrong's third capital murder trial to begin Monday

The first two trials for Antonio “AJ” Armstrong Jr. ended in hung juries. He's accused of killing his parents while they slept in their Bellaire-area home in 2016.

www.khou.com

 

[arielilane]

This will be Armstrong's third time standing trial after being accused of killing his parents, who were found shot to death inside their southwest Houston home in July 2016.

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https://twitter.com/abc13houston

AJ Armstrong: 3rd capital murder trial to begin on Monday July 31, after several delays

This will be Armstrong's third time standing trial after being accused of killing his parents, who were found shot to death inside their southwest Houston home in July 2016.

abc13.com

 

[arielilane]

AJ Armstrong's 3rd capital murder trial begins Monday after delays, 7 years after parents' deaths

Seven years and two days ago, Antonio Sr. and Dawn Armstrong were found shot to death in their home. Now, their son will face his third capital murder trial after two hung juries.

abc13.com

AJ Armstrong's 3rd capital murder trial begins Monday after delays, 7 years after parents' deaths​

Monday, July 31, 2023 9:50AM

 

[arielilane]

Judge's ruling: Media will not be able to record any of today's opening statements. moo

 

[arielilane]

Opening statements begin @10:30 am CT.

Antonio ‘AJ’ Armstrong Jr. heads to trial again Monday

The son accused of killing his NFL dad and mother is expected to begin the third trial against him Monday morning. The first two trials against him ended in hung juries.

www.click2houston.com

 

[arielilane]

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[arielilane]

Posted about an hour ago. 30 minute video.

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[arielilane]

Short video posted 32 minutes ago. Trial is expected to last 2/3 weeks. Defendant AJ Armstrong is 23 years old.

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[arielilane]

Defendant was age 16 at the time his parents' were murdered in July 2016.

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[arielilane]

During opening statements that began around 11 a.m. today, we learned the reason the judge delayed Armstrong's third trial back in June.

Prosecutors said they discovered new blood spattered on the shirt AJ Armstrong was wearing. They said a blood spatter expert wanted to look at the pillows that were covering Antonio Armstrong Sr. and Dawn Armstrong at the crime scene. While the expert was in the property room, prosecutors said he noticed a sticker labeling the shirt AJ Armstrong was wearing. He peeled it back and saw two stains believed to be blood. Prosecutors said a rapid DNA test showed the blood belonged to Armstrong Sr.

AJ Armstrong's third capital murder trial gets underway with blood spatter bombshell from prosecutors

Antonio “AJ” Armstrong Jr. is accused of killing his parents in 2016 while they slept in their Bellaire-area home. His first two trials ended with hung juries.

www.khou.com

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

I haven't followed these previous trials, but it seems prosecutors must be pretty confident they got their guy to bring charges back for a third trial. I did a little bit of research on the case and it seems like there's nobody else that could possibly have done this except for his brother but from what I read, that doesn't really check out. Kind of feels like they're trying to put it on him because he has mental health issues. JMO

 

[arielilane]

New evidence presented in third AJ Armstrong trial | Houston Public Media

During his opening statement, Harris County Assistant District Attorney John Jordan confirmed the delay was due to new blood evidence that had come to light.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org

In addition to the blood evidence, Jordan presented a timeline of the night of the murders, saying that data from the home's alarm system suggests that no one came in or out of the home until Armstrong turned off the alarm in order to speak with police after the murders.

"I'm confident that, at the end of this trial, you may not know why the defendant killed his parents, but you'll know that he did," Jordan told the jury.

Meanwhile, the defense maintained that the newly uncovered flecks of blood may have been a result of cross-contamination between Armstrong's t-shirt and blood-covered pillowcases stored alongside it.

 

[arielilane]

New evidence presented in third AJ Armstrong trial | Houston Public Media

During his opening statement, Harris County Assistant District Attorney John Jordan confirmed the delay was due to new blood evidence that had come to light.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org

Instead, Defense Attorney Rick Detoto said the District Attorney's office as well as the Houston Police Department did not do their due diligence in pursuing all possible suspects.

"They considered AJ a suspect within 11 minutes," said Detoto. "The evidence will show that they didn't pursue all possibilities."

Detoto specifically said police did not sufficiently question Armstrong's older brother, Joshua, who lived in an apartment minutes away from the Armstrong home at the time of the murders.

The trial will continue Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, August 1st:
*Trial continues (Day 2) (@ 8:30am CT) – TX – Antonio & Dawn Armstrong (both 42) (July 29, 2016, Houston) – *Antonio “A.J.” Armstrong, Jr. (16 @ time of crime/17/now 23) arrested (7/29/16), charged (8/1/16) & arraigned (7/26/17) with capital murder. Plead not guilty. $200K bond. Out on bond 4/12/17.
First trial: after ~20 hours of deliberations verdict was 8 Guilty & 4 Not guilty. Judge declares mistrial.
2nd Re-trial After ~18 hours of deliberations verdict was 4 for Guilty & 8 not guilty. Judge Kelli Johnson declared (another) mistrial.
3rd Re-trial began on 5/2/23 with jury selection & ended 5/19/23 with total of 48 potential jurors back on 5/31/23 for final jury selection.
12 jurors & 4 alternates were selected. (6 women (4 white & 2 Hispanic women) & 10 men (4 Hispanic, 2 Black, 2 white & 2 Asian men). Four of these jurors are alternates, but those 4 are not being told that until it’s time to deliberate.
There are two Marines, engineers in the oil & gas industry, a retired teacher, a Space Center Houston worker & therapists who work or have worked with mental health patients. The jurors range in age from a 26-year-old man to a 65-year-old grandmother. 6/27/23 Update: One of the original twelve jurors was excused for personal reasons. That means one of the four alternates is moving into the jury of 12 to hear the case, leaving the court with three alternate jurors.
12 jurors & 3 alternates as of 6/27/23. (6 women & 9 men).
Trial began on 7/31/23. Judge Kelli Johnson presiding. Prosecutors John Jordan, Ryan Trask & Sarah Seely. Defense attorneys Rick Detoto, Jennifer Carpenter & Chris Collings.
Court info from 12/11/19 thru 10/26/22 (2nd trial) thru Jury Selection 5/31/23 thru 6/14/23 & thru 6/27/23 reference post #479 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...l-2016-mistrial-retrial-1-6-20.313665/page-24
7/31/23 Monday, Trial Day 1: Judge's ruling: Media will not be able to record any of today's opening statements.
Prosecutors said they discovered new blood spattered on the shirt AJ Armstrong was wearing. They said a blood spatter expert wanted to look at the pillows that were covering Antonio Armstrong Sr. and Dawn Armstrong at the crime scene. While the expert was in the property room, prosecutors said he noticed a sticker labeling the shirt AJ Armstrong was wearing. He peeled it back and saw two stains believed to be blood. Prosecutors said a rapid DNA test showed the blood belonged to Armstrong Sr.
Opening statements by Harris County Assistant District Attorney John Jordan & defense attorney Rick Detoto.
for more info see posts #493 & 494 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...16-mistrials-3rd-trial-in-2023.313665/page-25
Trial continues on Tuesday, 8/1/23.

 

[arielilane]

It’s Day 2 of the third capital murder trial for AJ Armstrong, Jr. On Day 1, we found out why this trial was delayed nearly two months: a newly discovered piece of blood evidence that @KHOU legal analyst @CarmenRoe says could be “a game-changer”.

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https://twitter.com/AdamBennettKHOU

 

[arielilane]

The defense argues that Antonio Sr.'s blood was found behind a badge stuck to A.J. clothes due to the way evidence from the case has been stored. He explained it with a red pepper flake demonstration.

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On day 1 of AJ Armstrong's 3rd murder trial, defense says new blood evidence is from evidence boxes

The defense argues that Antonio Sr.'s blood was found behind a badge stuck to A.J. clothes due to the way evidence from the case has been stored. He explained it with a red pepper flake demonstration.

abc13.com

Tuesday, August 1, 2023 7:57AM

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Before jurors were seated on day one of A.J. Armstrong's third capital murder trial, his team acknowledged to the court new blood evidence in the case, with defense attorney Rick DeToto addressing his client, asking, "Do you want this evidence to come in?"

"Yes sir," Armstrong responded.

This blood evidence was reportedly the reason for an eight-week delay in trial.

Twelve jurors plus four alternates were picked back on May 31 after a three week, exhaustive, one-on-one jury selection. One juror has since dropped out due to scheduling issues, per sources close to the case, moving up one of the alternates.

Prosecutor John Jordan addressed the delay in his opening statement, explaining to jurors the discovery happened when their blood expert went to examine the blood-stained pillows and comforter found on Antonio Sr. and Dawn Armstrong's bed, where they were murdered while asleep in the early morning hours of July 29, 2016.

Upon looking through physical evidence, the expert examined Armstrong's gray T-shirt and pants, which were already tested for DNA back in 2016, Jordan told the jury. But, the expert then discovered an HPD badge stuck on the T-shirt. Jordan said she peeled it back to discover "two stains" on the back of the badge.

 

[arielilane]

The first responding patrol officer and the lieutenant on scene were the first to testify in the third trial of AJ Armstrong.
@KPRC2 digital producer is in the courtroom and steps out during breaks to continually update our blog. Here’s a recap of day 1 https://click2houston.com/news/local/2023/07/31/antonio-armstrong-jr-day-one-of-his-3rd-capital-murder-trial/

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https://twitter.com/KPRC2Rilwan

 

[arielilane]

Just over 2 minute video

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[arielilane]

No live streaming, audio or cameras are allowed in the courtroom. moo