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

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Update! I shall go ahead & post this - so I can shorten it up when trial starts.
And - if anyone sees how many men & women are on the jury - please post - I would like to add that to my notes. TIA! :) Oh - and who is the prosecutor in this case?


Wednesday, May 31st:
*Final Jury Selection continues (Day 15)-DONE! (@ 9am 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 (multiply). 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 & end 5/19/23 with total potential jurors: 48 will be back on 5/31/23 for final jury selection.
12 jurors & 4 alternates were selected.
Trial set to begin on 6/5/23. Judge Kelli Johnson presiding. Defense attorneys Rick Detoto, Jennifer Carpenter & Chris Collings.
Court info from 12/11/19 thru 10/26/22 (2nd trial) thru 5/1/23, Jury Selection Day 1-14 (5/1-5/31/23) reference post #417 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...l-2016-mistrial-retrial-1-6-20.313665/page-21
5/31/23 Wednesday, Final Jury Selection Day 15: Before choosing the 12 jurors & 4 alternates, 5 jurors were dismissed before noon on Wednesday. There were 43 jurors remaining before noon. By the end of the day, a total of 12 jurors & 4 alternates were chosen to decide Armstrong Jr.’s fate.
For more info see post #419 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...l-2016-mistrial-retrial-1-6-20.313665/page-21
Trial begins on Monday, 6/5/23 with opening statements.
 
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Well - this is strange - the court site has jury selection continuing for today - ??
are the articles wrong?

Settings:
Date Court Post Jdgm Docket Type Reason/ Appearance Court Results/ Setting Type Defendant Future Date Comments Attorney Appearance Indicator
6/01/2023 09:00 AM 178 Trial Docket
Jury Trial
Data Not Entered To Be Set

5/31/2023 09:00 AM 178 Trial Docket
Jury Trial
Reset By Agreement Of Both Parties N/A Present 6/1/2023 FINAL VOIRDIRE Present

Next/Last Setting Date 6/1/2023

link: Office of Harris County District Clerk - Marilyn Burgess | Search Our Records

OR - it is just in case they did not select the jury on Wednesday? and have not updated the court site?
 
@Niner, jury selection is complete. See linked article and video within the article, please. Trial begins on Monday, June 5.

From the article:

A pre-trial hearing for A.J. Armstrong will be held Thursday ahead of his third murder trial. The other two trials ended in hung juries.

We have a breakdown of everyone selected.

There are four white women, four Hispanic men, two Hispanic women, two Black men, two white men, and two Asian men. Four of those jurors are alternates, but those four are not being told that until it's time to deliberate.

The pretrial hearing on Thursday will focus on whether some evidence can be used at trial. The jury will not be present.

abc13.com

Pre-trial hearing for AJ Armstrong will decide if some evidence can be used at 3rd murder trial

The pretrial hearing on Thursday will focus on whether some evidence can be used at trial. The brand new jury will not be present for this.
abc13.com abc13.com
 
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Thursday, June 1st:
*Pretrial Hearing (@ 9am 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 & end 5/19/23 with total potential jurors: 48 will be back on 5/31/23 for final jury selection.
12 jurors & 4 alternates were selected.
Trial set to begin on 6/5/23. 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 5/1/23, Jury Selection Day 1-15 (5/1-5/31/23) reference post #422 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...l-2016-mistrial-retrial-1-6-20.313665/page-22
6/1/23 Update: There are four white women, four Hispanic men, two Hispanic women, two Black men, two white men, and two Asian men. Four of those jurors are alternates, but those four are not being told that until it's time to deliberate. The pretrial hearing on Thursday 6/1/23 will focus on whether some evidence can be used at trial. The jury will not be present. Trial begins on 6/5/23.
 
Antonio and Dawn Armstrong were shot and killed nearly seven years ago.

Now their son, AJ Armstrong, is about to go to trial for the third time after previous trials ended with hung juries.

The Trial of AJ Armstrong Timeline

https://twitter.com/x/status/1664100081245487106

www.click2houston.com

The Trial of AJ Armstrong Timeline

Antonio and Dawn Armstrong were killed in 2016. Their son, AJ Armstrong, has been on trial twice in their murders and is about to go back to court for the third time. KPRC 2 Investigates breaks down key moments over the past seven years ahead of the latest trial.
www.click2houston.com www.click2houston.com

Published: April 28, 2023

Houston – Antonio and Dawn Armstrong were shot and killed nearly seven years ago.

Now their son, AJ Armstrong, is about to go to trial for the third time after previous trials ended with hung juries.
 
www.click2houston.com

Last-minute evidence and motions allowed in Antonio Armstrong Jr.’s 3rd murder trial

Last-minute motions and evidence were admitted in the third trial against Antonio Armstrong Jr. Thursday.
www.click2houston.com www.click2houston.com

June 1, 2023
HOUSTON, Texas – Last-minute motions and evidence were admitted in the third trial against Antonio Armstrong Jr. Thursday.
[.....]
Armstrong Jr.’s team is asking for donations to aid the legal team. In a since-deleted post from the Instagram account @donateajarmstrong, the team appears to be asking for more than $10,000 in donations for a new legal expert.

That’s because prosecutors are trying to bring in Alarm.com Vice President of Consumer Operations Jason DaCosta as an expert witness who can testify about the alarm system at the Armstrong home.

DaCosta’s name has appeared in court records from previous trials, but this would be the first time he’s called on as an expert.
[......]
Typically, there is a 20-day notice of expert testimony to allow both sides plenty of time to set up arguments, but there isn’t enough time with four days until opening statements.

“I’m not saying it’s in bad faith,” defense lawyer Rick DeToto told the court. “We are arguing he should not be allowed to testify and should be excluded.”

Judge Kelli Johnson is taking that under consideration before making a ruling.

Another witness the judge is considering is Antonio Armstrong Jr.’s aunt.
[.....]
There was a small back-and-forth dealing with the crime scene and autopsy photos. Judge Johnson ruled to allow all of them into evidence.

The last flash point deals with Antonio Armstrong Jr.’s cell phone.

He was called to the judge’s bench to answer a series of questions and acknowledged that what was recovered could be used for and against him.

Judge Johnson put stipulations on the phone. Only messages dealing with Armstrong’s parents, wife, and about setting a fire can be used between April 1 - July 29, 2016.
[.....]
Opening statements begin at 10:30 a.m. on Monday [6/5/23].
 
Opening statements are scheduled for tomorrow in the third capital murder trial of Antonio 'A.J.' Armstrong. He's accused of killing his parents in the family's Bellaire home in 2016.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665490867665137665


www.khou.com

AJ Armstrong trial: Opening statements set to begin Monday after delay

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 www.khou.com

6/4/2023

Opening statements are scheduled to begin on Monday in the third capital murder trial for Antonio "AJ" Armstrong, Jr. He's accused of killing his parents in their southwest Houston home in 2016.

Armstrong has stood trial twice already -- once in 2019 and again last October. Both ended in mistrials as juries failed to reach a unanimous verdict.

If convicted this time around, Armstrong would face a sentence of life in prison and would be eligible for parole after 40 years.

Below is the background of the case and reports from the first two mistrials.
 

Can 12 new jurors do what 24 others couldn’t in the trials against Antonio Armstrong Jr.?​


www.click2houston.com

Can 12 new jurors do what 24 others couldn’t in the trials against Antonio Armstrong Jr.?

Attorneys selected a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates - six women and 10 men - on Wednesday to decide whether Antonio “AJ” Armstrong is innocent or guilty.
www.click2houston.com www.click2houston.com

May 31, 2023

HOUSTON – Attorneys selected a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates - six women and 10 men - on Wednesday to decide whether Antonio “AJ” Armstrong is innocent or guilty.

That is the question the Harris County jury will be tasked with answering starting on June 5 - an answer two previous juries failed to agree on.

The investigation first started in July 2016 when Dawn and Antonio Sr. were shot to death.

Armstrong Jr. was 16 years old at the time when questioned by detectives over his parents’ deaths, ultimately leading to charges of capital murder on March 29, 2017.

Two years from that day, prosecutors took Armstrong Jr. to trial. The teenager pleaded not guilty before the first jury.

The jury listened to witnesses and evidence for 22 days before deliberating. After two days, the jurors became deadlocked.

Judge Kelli Johnson declared the first mistrial.

The case didn’t end there.
 

‘The Bench’ offers multi-platform experience for third murder trial of AJ Armstrong​

Latest KPRC 2 news innovation continues Monday morning on KPRC 2+​


www.click2houston.com

‘The Bench’ offers multi-platform experience for third murder trial of AJ Armstrong

It’s a trial that's different from most, so our approach to covering it will be different too. 'The Bench' offers innovative live coverage from the Harris County Criminal Justice Center courthouse that allows a lay person trial watcher to track the intricacies of the case.
www.click2houston.com www.click2houston.com

June 2, 2023

HOUSTON – Opening statements start Monday in the third trial in the high-profile murder case of a former NFL player and his wife. 12 jurors and 4 alternates are now in place after nearly a month of jury selection.
 
www.click2houston.com

5 Things to know about the start of AJ Armstrong’s third murder trial

KPRC 2 Investigates is taking an innovative, multi-platform approach to cover the third murder trial of Antonio Armstrong Jr. to help the community understand the intricacies of the investigation and why this is a critical legal case.
www.click2houston.com www.click2houston.com

June 4, 2023

5 Things to know about the start of AJ Armstrong’s third murder trial​


HOUSTON – It’s official. A jury will begin hearing the case against Antonio Armstrong Jr. Monday.
It’s the third time Harris County Prosecutors are bringing him to trial.
The case has captured media attention from around the world because the previous two trials ended in a hung jury.
Here is what you can expect to see Monday.

[...]

Cameras may be filling the hallways of the 19th floor in the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, but they won’t be in the courtroom.

Judge Kelli Johnson is trying to limit the potential exposure of media coverage surrounding the trial.

Reporters will go old school, using pens and notepads to take down notes and report daily proceedings.

If you are going to the trial, we recommend not bringing your phone. An order is in place to prevent any electronic messaging or videos from inside the courtroom.

[...]

The trial against Armstrong Jr. will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 5.
 
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Monday, June 5th:
*Trial set to begin (@ 10:30am 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.
Trial set to begin on 6/5/23. 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 5/1/23, Jury Selection Day 1-15 (5/1-5/31/23) reference post #426 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...l-2016-mistrial-retrial-1-6-20.313665/page-22
6/1/23 Update: Pretrial hearing held. Evidence already seen in previous trials has been introduced & Judge will allow it for trial 3: AJ texts with Mom/Dad/then girlfriend; autopsy photos; AJ statement to police. Trial begins on Monday, 6/5/23.
For more info see posts #428 & 430 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...l-2016-mistrial-retrial-1-6-20.313665/page-22
Armstrong Jr. faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years. He is not eligible for the death penalty because he was a juvenile at the time of the killings.
 
www.click2houston.com

Judge resets Antonio Armstrong Jr.’s murder trial due to ‘issue outside of court’s control’

Antonio “AJ” Armstrong Jr. is headed to trial for the third time, accused of murdering his mother, Dawn, and father Antonio Armstrong nearly seven years ago.
www.click2houston.com www.click2houston.com

Armstrong Jr.’s retrial has been reset for another week, until Monday, June 12, for an “issue outside of the court’s control,” according to Judge Kelli Johnson. The nature of the issue was not immediately released.
 
The video in question, according to AJ Armstrong's attorney, is evidence that there is "another perpetrator" since Armstrong was already booked in jail for his parents' murder.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1664482315966218240

abc13.com

AJ Armstrong trial: Presiding judge determining if robbery video should be admitted into evidence

The video in question, according to AJ Armstrong's attorney, is evidence that there is "another perpetrator" since Armstrong was already booked in jail for his parents' murder.
abc13.com abc13.com
 
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