Attorneys file motion to dismiss murder charges against Houston teen accused of killing parents
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Attorneys representing a teen charged with shooting and killing his parents in their Bellaire-area home are asking a judge to dismiss murder charges against their client.
In a motion filed Tuesday, attorneys Rick DeToto and Chris Collings claim the case against Antonio Armstrong, Jr. should be thrown out after several violations by the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Antonio Armstrong, Sr. and his wife Dawn were found shot to death in their bedroom in July 2016. A.J. Armstrong was 16-years-old at the time.
According to the motion, the defense claims the DA's office failed to turn over audio recordings and 50,000 pages of phone records alleging Antonio was involved in a prostitution ring and received death threats before the murders. Allegedly, Antonio changed his life insurance policy "as a result of these death threats."
The court paperwork says a woman named Maxine Adams approached Houston police with this information in December 2017, five months after Antonio and Dawn were killed.
"The defense was told, during the pending juvenile case against Mr. Armstrong around March of 2017, that this allegation of prostitution...was investigated and that it was not credible thus indicating that their investigation was complete," the motion reads.
For 18 months, the defense says they were kept in the dark about the recordings, saying the discovery is a violation of their client's constitutional right to a fair trial under the Fourteenth Amendment.
"We were told that none exist," AJ's attorneys claim in the motion, only to be later given 50,000 pages of phone records and an audio interview about the subject by Houston police."
We have reached out to the Armstrong family for a response.
The Harris County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Monday:
"This document was submitted as a standard pre-trial motion by the defense in preparation for an upcoming trial. We welcome the opportunity to present all the facts regarding this matter to a judge- be that in writing or at a hearing, as determined by the court. We reserve additional comment until that time."
Neighbors and friends remembered Antonio and Dawn as being very active in the community and a loving family.
The former NFL football player was well-known in the Bellaire area as a fitness advocate, coach and even an associate pastor.
ABC13 has reached out to the Armstrong family for a response.
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