TEXAS – On Thursday, Antonio ‘AJ’ Armstrong Jr. was moved to his fourth prison, the place where he will likely carry out his life sentence for killing his parents, Dawn and Antonio Sr.
In July 2016, the couple was sleeping in their bed when they were shot to death. A.J. was immediately named a suspect by officers. He was tried three times in total, the first two ending in a mistrial, and the third and final one, which happened in August, finding him guilty.
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Since being convicted, A.J. has bounced all around the Texas jail system. He spent his first few weeks at the Harris County jail before being moved to the Garza West Unit located in Beeville, Texas on Sept. 21. A few days later, he was moved to the George Beto Unit in Tennessee Colony and then later moved to the Byrd Unit in Huntsville.
A.J.’s appeal attorney Patrick McCann told KPRC 2 that his client was being moved“out of concerns for his safety.”
Now, more than three months after being convicted, A.J. will call the Robertson Unit in Abilene, Texas -- which is located west of Dallas -- his new home.
A.J. is serving life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years, which will make him 63 before he’s able to get out. A.J.’s other option remains with the Court of Appeals.
Last month, KPRC 2 was the first to report that A.J. will not be granted a new trial due to a procedural deadline, meaning the judge in his trial, Judge Kelli Johnson did not sign an order granting or denying A.J’s request for a new trial in the allocated time.
His family says A.J. remains in good spirits and will continue to fight the conviction with their appeals attorney.
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