Antonio ‘A.J.’ Armstrong Jr. has been convicted of the murder of his parents, Dawn and Antonio Sr., at their residence in 2016.
After over 10 hours of careful consideration on Wednesday, a jury determined that the 23-year-old was responsible for the fatal shooting. This trial marked the third endeavor by prosecutors to establish that Armstrong Jr. was indeed the perpetrator behind his parents’ deaths. The trial spanned a duration of 11 days, during which 31 witnesses provided their testimony.
In July 2016, Armstrong Jr. placed a call to 911 to inform the police that he had heard a series of gunshots originating from his parent’s bedroom. This incident occurred while his 12-year-old sister was asleep on a lower floor. Armstrong Jr. informed investigators that he saw a masked individual, standing at a height of 6 feet, hastily leaving their residence.
Prosecutors highlighted that he revealed this piece of information only after a considerable span of interaction with law enforcement during the questioning process. Furthermore, records from the home’s security alarm system did not indicate any instances of someone entering the property on the night of the murders.
Dawn, who suffered two gunshot wounds to her head, was declared deceased at the location, while Antonio Sr. was swiftly transported to a hospital, where he also passed away due to his injuries. The alleged suspect reportedly left a sinister note on the kitchen counter, alongside the murder weapon—a .22-caliber pistol owned by Antonio Sr. The contents of the note read as follows: “I have been watching you for a long time. Come get me.”
Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
