The Armstrong Family Murders: What Really Happened?

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July 2016 The Armstrong family's
glamorous facade was shattered

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when a savage killer ruthlessly
took the lives of Dawn and

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Antonio Armstrong, a picture
perfect couple beloved by their

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community.
The shocking murder sent

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shockwaves through their tight
knit neighborhood, leaving

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friends and neighbors in
disbelief.

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The ensuing investigation proved
to be an uphill battle from the

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start, With no signs of forced
entry or struggle at the crime

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scene, detectives were left
baffled as to how the

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perpetrator could have gained
access to the Armstrong's home.

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As law enforcement struggled to
find leads, the community was

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left grappling with the
unfathomable loss of two

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cherished members.
The couple's children who

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witnessed the heinous act were
now orphaned and scarred for

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life.
This senseless violence not only

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devastated their immediate
family but also deeply affected

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those who knew them.
As investigators delved into the

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timeline of events surrounding
the murder, they found

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themselves entangled in a web of
complex relationships and

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motives that only added to the
confusion.

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The seemingly perfect marriage
between Dawn and Antonio was

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nothing more than a facade with
hidden betrayals and secrets

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coming to light.
With little physical evidence to

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work with, detectives had to
rely on good old fashioned

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detective work to uncover the
truth.

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In the aftermath of this
horrific tragedy, the community

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rallied together to make sense
of what had happened and support

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the grieving family.
But one question loomed over

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everyone's minds.
Who would commit such a heinous

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crime and why?
Don and Antonio Armstrong were

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not just victims, they were
pillars of their community,

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respected and admired by all.
Antonio, a former NFL player,

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dedicated his life to giving
back and making a positive

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impact on those in need.
Dawn, a devoted wife and mother,

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provided unwavering love and
support to her family.

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However, as we delve deeper into
their lives, it becomes clear

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that their picture perfect image
was nothing more than a well

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crafted facade, hiding dark
secrets and lies that ultimately

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led to their tragic end.
As tensions in their marriage

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reached a breaking point,
Antonio's infidelities and

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underlying conflicts proved to
be the catalyst for this

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calculated and ruthless crime.
The mysterious knight cloaked

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the town, casting doubt on the
once beloved Armstrong family.

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Rumors of betrayal and a heinous
crime permeated the air.

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The meticulous investigation by
law enforcement revealed an

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unexpected culprit, their own 16
year old son, Aja.

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Wave of shock and disbelief
washed over the community as

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they struggled to come to terms
with how a privileged boy could

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commit such a brutal act.
As the dust settled, all that

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remained were shattered pieces
of trust and innocence.

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The Armstrong tragedy was more
than just a murder.

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It exposed the consequences of
greed, ambition, and deceit in

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even the most seemingly perfect
lives.

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While justice may have been
served, the wounds from this

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horrific event will never fully
heal.

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It serves as a haunting reminder
that darkness can lurk within us

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all, waiting to be unleashed
with devastating consequences.

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Welcome to No Tears for Black
Girls.

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Described as the quintessential
example of a traditional

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American family, Antonio and Don
Armstrong were the power couple

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at the helm in 2016.
Both aged 42, Antonio was a

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native Texan with roots in
Houston.

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His alma mater was Texas A&M
where he honed his skills on the

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football field, earning a full
scholarship before moving on to

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the NFL as a linebacker for the
Miami Dolphins in the mid 1990s.

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Unfortunately, ankle injuries
cut his career short, but he

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found success in playing
professionally for six years in

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Canada's CFL.
Alongside his wife Don, they Co

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owned and operated First Class
Training, a prestigious gym

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located in Bel Air.
Not only did Antonio XLS a

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personal trainer, but he also
used his platform as a

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motivational speaker and
advocate for general health and

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fitness.
Theirs was considered an idyllic

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union by all accounts, with
three children to complete their

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picture perfect family.
The eldest, Josh, was Don's son

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from a previous relationship and
by 2016 he had become a college

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student.
He had formed a close bond with

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Antonio and cherished his role
as an older brother to 16 year

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old AJ and 12 year old Kira.
AJ followed in his father's

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footsteps as a standout football
player and was highly regarded

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among his peers.
Together with their sister, they

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resided happily under one roof
with their devoted parents.

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On the night of July 28th, 2016,
the Armstrong family retired for

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bed around 10:00 PM after Kara
had dutifully set the home

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security system.
Don and Antonio slept in the

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master bedroom on the 2nd floor,
while Cara's room was down the

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hallway.
Meanwhile, AJ made use of the

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loft on the 3rd floor, which he
shared with Josh until recently

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when Josh moved into his own
apartment nearby.

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For hours the house remained
silent until 16 year old AJ

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alerted emergency services at
1:40 AM that he had heard

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gunshots in the house.
Upon realizing the door to his

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parents bedroom was slightly
ajar, a rarity as they always

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kept it locked, he refrained
from entering and calmly

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answered the dispatcher's
questions about medical

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assistance.
During the call, AJ expressed

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confusion as to how anyone could
have entered the secure home.

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Towards the end of the 16 minute
call, AJ deactivated the

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security system and met law
enforcement outside with Kara by

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his side.
Officers quickly entered the

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house, their footsteps echoing
through the empty rooms.

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A thorough search confirmed that
only Don and Antonio remained

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inside, both in critical
condition.

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Emergency medical teams rushed
them out for urgent care,

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Antonio Senior barely clinging
to life while his wife Dawn had

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already succumbed to her
injuries.

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The couple had been attacked in
their sleep, each shot with

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precision.
The killer had left behind a

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chilling message on a notepad in
the kitchen, taunting the police

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with cryptic writing.
The murder weapon, Antonio

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Senior's own handgun, was found
next to him on the bed where he

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lay wounded.
It seemed that the initial shots

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had awoken him, leading to
another fatal shot from the

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intruder.
Despite an obvious suspect and

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evidence that pointed to someone
inside the home, 2 family

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members were able to leave
unharmed, 12 year old Kira and

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16 year old AJ, who had called
911 himself.

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But when questioned by police,
AJ appeared emotionless and gave

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vague answers about his
relationship with his parents.

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As they gathered more evidence
and pieced together the events

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of that night, it seemed likely
that AJ was responsible for the

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gruesome attack on his family.
But in the midst of all this

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chaos and tragedy, AJ calmly
made a call to his brother,

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Josh, perhaps seeking an ally in
this twisted situation.

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He delivered the tragic news to
his brother that their parents

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had been gunned down.
Within moments, Josh appeared at

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the house, living just down the
street as he does.

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He lived in luxurious apartments
conveniently located right

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around the corner from his
family's residence on Maple

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Ridge.
Their relationship was strong,

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like Blood Brothers sharing a
deep bond with one another and

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with their father.
Despite any possible tensions

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between them and their mother,
they too were close in their own

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way.
The police questioned AJ at the

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crime scene while investigators
meticulously combed through for

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evidence.
Surprisingly, no usable

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fingerprints were found anywhere
in the house, including on the

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murder weapon or the note left
in the kitchen, while shell

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casings were discovered in both
the master bedroom and AJ's

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room.
Suspicions began to shift

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towards him when it was revealed
that he had recently shown off

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his father's gun to a friend and
fired it.

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Police then made a disturbing
discovery.

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Bullet holes in a pillow and
blanket inside a JS closet.

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This LED them to believe that he
may have been conducting test

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runs of the shooting prior to
carrying out the actual act.

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As Antonio Senior's life hung in
the balance at the hospital.

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His son was charged with two
counts of capital murder and

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released on bail.
However, despite seemingly

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damning evidence against him,
there were discrepancies and

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doubts regarding a JS
involvement in his parents

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deaths.
He showed no signs of having

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handled a gun or being covered
in blood or gunpowder residue.

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And as investigators dug deeper,
even more puzzling pieces of

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evidence emerged.
A freshly burnt area of carpet

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with a faint smell of gasoline
on the 2nd floor landing where

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access to escape would be
blocked and no trace of his

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parents blood on him or his
belongings.

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It seemed that this case may not
be as clear cut as it first

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appeared.
The house was completely void of

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any bloodied garments.
The 16 year old had clearly

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taken the necessary steps to
cover his tracks, leaving no

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trace of cleaning supplies in
any sinks or drains.

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However, DNA evidence was found
on the notepad and gun belonging

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to the Armstrong family but
unable to be linked to a

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specific individual.
This trend continued throughout

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the rest of the house as DNA
samples taken from other areas

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could not be isolated to a
single person.

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Despite initially lying to
police about playing with his

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father's gun, AJ stood by his
story that an unknown intruder

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had entered the house and he had
seen them fleeing while wearing

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a mask.
If convicted, AJ would face a

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life sentence with no chance of
parole for at least 40 years.

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However, his family remained
loyal and supportive as his

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defense team prepared for trial.
Before the case went to jury,

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Maxine Adams, a close friend of
the Armstrong family, came

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forward with a different theory
about the crime.

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According to Maxine, Antonio
Senior had been involved in a

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prostitution ring and even
received death threats due to

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their shady connections.
A JS defense argued that this

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information was withheld by the
state and pushed for dismissal

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of all charges against him.
In her interview with police,

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Maxine provided further evidence
supporting her claims, shocking

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and potentially exonerating the
Armstrong family from

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involvement in the murders.
However, these rumors and

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suspicious events following the
killings were ultimately deemed

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unsubstantiated by the Houston
Police Department.

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Despite efforts by a JS
attorney, Rick De Toto, to have

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the case dismissed due to lack
of evidence, the motion failed.

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As a result, 19 year old AJ went
to trial in spring 2019.

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In a surprising turn of events,
the defense presented yet

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another suspect, Josh Armstrong,
a JS older half brother who

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suffered from schizophrenia and
had reported violent thoughts in

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the years following the murders.
Jurors also heard from Hannah

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Pilon, Josh's ex-girlfriend, who
was living with him at the time

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of the murders.
She had been sleeping when the

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shots rang out.
Josh was home when she woke, but

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she couldn't confirm his
whereabouts for the hours prior.

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She assumed he had been lying
next to her in bed.

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Hannah testified that she woke
up when Josh received a call

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from AJ.
He told her there was someone in

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his parents house and then he
grabbed a shotgun and ran out

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the door.
Hannah also testified that

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Josh's mental state deteriorated
after his parents death.

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He heard voices and became
paranoid, depressed, and

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obsessed with the murders.
Eventually, he checked himself

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into a psychiatric hospital for
treatment.

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Cara Armstrong, now a teenage
witness, took the stand to speak

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about her brother and their
family dynamic.

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She told the jury that Josh had
always felt like the black sheep

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of the family, believing that
his parents favored his siblings

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over him.
She also noted that his demeanor

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drastically changed after
returning from college.

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Kara also addressed the key
piece of evidence against AJ,

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the security system.
According to her testimony, the

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system was unreliable and often
malfunctioned.

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The sensors didn't always work
properly, specifically the ones

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on the doors.
She explained this to

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investigators on the night of
her parents murder.

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The defense argued that the
alarm system reports showing no

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activity in the home for hours
prior to law enforcement

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arriving were inaccurate and
should not be used as evidence.

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Meanwhile, the motive behind a
JS alleged involvement in the

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murders remained unclear.
The prosecution attempted to

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show tension between AJ and his
parents by presenting text

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messages exchanged between them.
These messages revealed Don and

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Antonio seniors frustration with
AJ, smoking habits, slipping

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grades, and disregard for their
rules.

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In one message, Don wrote to her
husband about a JS lying

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behavior, saying she was beyond
disappointed. 8 weeks before the

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murders, AJ texted his parents,
acknowledging his mistakes and

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expressing a desire for a major
life change.

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His mother responded, expressing
her disappointment in his

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behavior and their efforts to
provide him with the best

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education and material
possessions.

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She questioned why he continued
to lie and not work hard in

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school.
Throughout the trial, moments of

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tension between the Armstrong
family and their son, AJ were

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evident.
There were also instances of

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praise from his parents for his
actions.

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His lawyers argued that his
messaging history was that of a

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typical teenager, not a
homicidal 1.

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00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:51,840
The jury heard over 39 hours of
testimony, including emotional

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moments such as a JS football
coach breaking down on the stand

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while discussing his
relationship with the

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00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:01,040
Armstrongs.
Despite this, AJ did not testify

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in his own defense.
After over 19 hours of

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00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,160
deliberation, the jury declared
themselves deadlocked and a

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00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,880
mistrial was declared.
The state announced their

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00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:15,680
intention to retry AJ in 2022
due to pandemic delays.

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00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:20,080
By then, he had become a father
himself and his girlfriend Kate

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00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,840
was still standing by him.
Changes in the second trial

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included the exclusion of
security footage from the night

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of the murders and the
presentation of medical records

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00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,040
from Josh Armstrong, which
suggested that he may have

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00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,720
witnessed and even confessed to
the murders due to his mental

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illness.
The timeline of events and phone

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records played a major role in
both trials, with disputed

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reports from the House's
security system causing much

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00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:49,960
debate about the sequence of
events that took place on that

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00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:55,400
tragic night in July 2016.
Between the time of the shooting

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00:15:55,400 --> 00:16:01,120
and the 911 call placed at 1:40
AM, both Don and Antonio Junior

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00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:04,880
were found with gunshot wounds
from Antonio's own gun.

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00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:10,000
Suspiciously, this was the only
period in which AJ wasn't active

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on his cell phone all day.
It is believed that during this

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00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:18,120
time, at 1:25 AM, the living
room motion sensor was

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00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,880
triggered, most likely when the
note and gun were left in the

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kitchen.
The prosecution's theory was

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that AJ spent this time cleaning
up the crime scene and himself.

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00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:33,800
At 1:57 AM, he deactivated the
security system to allow law

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00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,800
enforcement inside, and two
minutes later the system showed

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00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:41,240
that the kitchen door had been
opened, coinciding with when

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00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,440
responding officers checked the
property.

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00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:48,120
The prosecution brought in Tim
Rader, a security expert from

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00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,800
ADT who faced tough questioning
from Rick de Toto.

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00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:57,520
The defense uncovered 77 errors
in the security report for just

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00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:03,320
one month in July 2016 and over
120 failures in detecting

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00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:07,319
movements between June and July
of that year, mainly related to

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00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:09,440
external doors opening and
closing.

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00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,800
They also pointed out that Cara
and others had mentioned

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00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:16,040
problems with the garage door
not fully closing, but it could

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00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:20,760
still be armed using a key fob.
Prosecutor John Jordan argued

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00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:24,520
that AJ made a mistake,
evidenced by an audio clip from

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00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:28,000
the 911 call where he mentions
ringing in his ears.

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00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,880
The state also highlighted what
they deemed as a far fetched

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00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,800
story concocted by AJ.
Waiting five hours before

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00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,720
telling HPD about seeing a
masked intruder in the house on

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00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,840
the 16 minute call to 911, only
mentioning that his parents

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00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:48,240
bedroom door was slightly open.
It seemed like a fabricated

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00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:52,160
movie plot.
All signs pointed towards AJ as

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00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,080
the killer until an unlikely
twist was revealed.

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00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,760
According to the prosecution, it
was someone else who did it.

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00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:04,560
During the first mistrial in
2019, the jury was split eight

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00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:09,240
to four, with eight believing AJ
was guilty and four thinking he

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00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:13,080
was innocent.
In November 2022, another

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00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,520
mistrial occurred, but this time
the numbers were reversed,

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00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,960
favoring the defense.
Some jurors spoke anonymously to

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00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,160
the media afterwards about how
challenging it was to deliberate

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00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,200
in the jury room.
The state intends to try AJ

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00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,760
Armstrong for a third time, with
jury selection set for February

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00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:33,640
24th, 2023 and testimony
starting in March.

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00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:37,520
The judge filed an order to
change the location of the trial

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00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,720
due to the intense scrutiny the
case has received in Harris

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00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,840
County, which could impact
finding an impartial jury.

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00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,480
It's unclear how these pretrial
proceedings will affect the

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00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:49,960
timeline, but one thing remains
certain.

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00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:54,840
Since July 2016, according to
the state of Texas, Antonio

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00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:58,480
Armstrong Junior is responsible
for murdering his parents.

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00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,400
Eight years later, they still
have yet to prove it.

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00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:07,400
This is the story of Antonio
Armstrong Junior and the tragic

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00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,120
deaths of his parents, Don and
Antonio Senior.

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00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:15,920
Thank you for tuning in to No
Tears for Black Girls.

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00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,120
This series is skillfully
crafted by acclaimed writer and

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00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:23,240
producer Jon Reedberg with the
guidance of unapologetic host

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00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,600
Samantha Paul.
Catch new episodes every Tuesday

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00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,480
and Thursday on all major
podcast platforms.

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00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,720
You can listen anywhere,
anytime, and if you truly enjoy

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00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,240
our content, please leave a five
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00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,280
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