17-Year Old Antonio Armstrong Jr. Will Be Tried As An Adult For Executing His Parents

In a heartbreaking turn of events, Antonio Armstrong Jr., 17, will be tried as an adult for murder. Last July, he allegedly shot both of his 42-year old parents in the head. The teen has been charged with capital murder in spite of his adamant claims that he is innocent. If he is found guilty, AJ could face life in prison with a chance for parole at the 40-year mark.

On the surface, the Armstrong family was living the good life. Dad was an All-American football player at Texas A&M who was drafted by The San Francisco 49ers in 1994. After a few years in the NFL and the CFL, he retired from the sport, started motivational speaking, became an associate pastor, and opened a chain of fitness clubs called 1st Class Training with his wife Dawn. They had three children together—AJ, a 20-year old son, and a 12-year old —and called the affluent Houston suburb of Bellaire their home.

Prior to the shooting, AJ had been in some trouble that was used as evidence against him when the judge was trying to determine probable cause. His parents pulled him out of private school because of poor grades and had enrolled him in public school. They also caught him smoking marijuana in his room. Reportedly, his parents had just taken away his car and his cell phone in June right before they were executed. Police allegedly found a crack pipe in his room the night of the shooting. But, are all of these reasons to execute your parents???

Something just doesn't add up. There was no gunshot residue found on the boy and his fingerprints were not found on the murder weapon. AJ says that he saw a masked intruder in their home after he heard the gunshots, but when police responded to AJ's 911 call, they couldn't find any signs of a forced entry. The teen admitted to firing the .22-caliber pistol in his room (why???) the same night, but why no residue and no prints? Could he have been set up? Was he under the influence and hallucinating?

If the tearful scene in the courtroom was any indication, either AJ is innocent, distraught and grieving, or he is guilty and remorseful. One thing's for certain, if he loved his parents then—guilty or innocent—his mind and heart will likely be imprisoned by this horrid memory for the rest of his life.