HOUSTON – Antonio “A.J.” Armstrong Jr., the 23-year-old found guilty of killing his mother and father while they slept, has been moved to three prisons in less than two weeks.
But why?
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KPRC 2 is speaking exclusively to A.J.’s attorney Patrick McCann Thursday afternoon to find out.
On Tuesday, KPRC 2 was the first to report A.J. being moved. McCann said he had been moved “due to concerns for his security.”
“I do have faith that the moves have been made out of concerns for his security,” McCann tells us. “At some point, they will have to figure out how to keep him.”
He also added that A.J. has not been provided a proper physical or had all of his vaccinations that are required from him to be admitted into a facility.
The 23-year-old, who was first accused of killing his parents in 2016, went through two mistrials before being found guilty of capital murder during the third trial. He was sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility for parole in 40 years.
“I understand Mr. Armstrong has obtained a certain notoriety and celebrity status, and I think the moves are designed to keep him safe,” said McCann. “Because this way there’s no one place that has him for a very long time.”
A Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson said it’s typical for inmates to move around before staying at a permanent facility.
“TDCJ is following its standard intake process. It is not uncommon for inmates to be moved to other units during the intake process and during their incarceration in TDCJ,” the spokesperson said in a statement to KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun. “Movement can be for a variety of reasons such as capacity, programming, medical, etc.”
“I think that is fair,” McCann said responding to TDCJ’s statement. “You’re typically not placed in three processing units. You’re placed in one and then you move. You could be moved closer to family, absolutely. None of the units he’s been at would be his permanent place.”
The TDCJ spokesperson said a typical inmate is moved around frequently to make sure they are at the facility that will service their needs.
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According to a copy of a 2017 TDCJ “Offenders Orientation Handbook,” the inmate intake process includes a physical examination, mental health screening, testing and assessment “to determine educational, psychological, and substance abuse treatment needs,” and a sociology interview.
McCann said TDCJ updates the Armstrong family regularly.
The appellate attorney said the 23-year-old is not in “administrative segregation,” but is “in a section of the processing unit that would allow very few contacts. It reduces chances for inmates to make a mistake and do something silly.”
McCann spoke with Armstrong this week and said he is in good spirits.
“Everybody, including TDCJ, Mr. Armstrong’s family, and myself want him to be safe. So, keeping him moving and keeping him relatively isolated when he is in a unit for now makes sense,” McCann said. “I think it’s being done with his best interest at heart.”
