Teen accused of killing parents inside their home released on bond

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The teen accused of killing his parents last year has been released on $200,000 bond.

AJ Armstrong, 17, is accused of killing his parents Antonio and Dawn Armstrong in their Bellaire-area home on July 29, 2016.

RAW VIDEO: AJ Armstrong released from jail on bond

AJ Armstrong released from custody

On March 8, AJ was ordered to be tried as an adult for the shooting deaths of his parents. His family has maintained his innocence throughout the entire ordeal.

"Because of the magnitude of the charges against the defendant," said David Mitcham, the Trial Bureau Chief at the Harris County District Attorney's Office. "He's charged with a double homicide. In these matters, public safety comes into play."

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Police say Antonio and Dawn Armstrong were shot in their Bellaire-area town home in July 2016.

With his release, AJ is expected to return to court on Thursday where a judge will read his bond conditions. Those conditions include: house arrest, wearing an ankle monitor and random drug testing.

He is expected to stay at the home of his grandmother.

According to court documents, police found a handwritten note on the kitchen counter that read, "I have been watching. Get me." The alarm system had also been turned on when the family went to bed.

Also, a fire had been set outside the bedroom of Antonio and Dawn, then extinguished, documents stated. A bottle of gasoline and pillows with bullet holes were recovered from AJ's room. Prosecutors suggested he was using them as "trial runs" in the murders, which indicated he had a plan.

Although AJ is charged with capital murder, he is not eligible for the death penalty because of his age at the time of the murders.

HOW DID WE GET HERE? TIMELINE OF EVENTS IN THE CASE:

• July 29, 2016 - Antonio and Dawn Armstrong were found shot dead inside their Bellaire-area home. Hours later, their son, AJ, was charged with their murders.

• November 2016 - A judge refuses to release AJ Armstrong out on bond.

• January 2017 - Family of AJ Armstrong continues to support the teen and reiterates their belief that he is innocent.

• March 8, 2017 - Judge certifies AJ Armstrong as an adult in the shooting deaths of his parents.

• April 11, 2017 - A judge sets bond for $200,000 in the case.

• April 12, 2017 - AJ Armstrong is released on bond after nearly nine months in jail.

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