trial

A.J. Armstrong's brother's girlfriend tells jury he was home with her during double murder

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

AJ Armstrong faces brother's former girlfriend testimony

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Prosecutors began the sixth day of the A.J. Armstrong murder trial on Tuesday, putting his friends and family on the stand.

Just before noon, prosecutors questioned Josh Armstrong's former girlfriend, Hannah Pilon.

Pilon told jurors that she and Josh lived together in 2016 in an apartment a couple streets away from his parents' house.

The night before the murders, Pilon said Josh was playing video games in the living room with his cousin Trenton, like he did most nights.

Around 10 p.m., Pilon said she fell asleep in their bedroom, and around 2 a.m. she was awakened by Josh yelling, "Someone's in the house."

She said that Josh ran out of their apartment with Trenton, and minutes later, Josh called her from his parents' home yelling, "Someone shot my parents. They're gone."

Pilon said she called 911. During her testimony, jurors played the short, frantic police call.

Prosecutors wanted to prove that Josh was with Pilon when his parents were shot to death in their bed, but the defense pointed out that Pilon was asleep between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., so she technically couldn't say if Josh was still with her.

During opening statements, A.J.'s attorneys seemed to suggest his brother Josh, who they claim has a history of disturbing behavior, had access to the home.

Attorney Rick DeToto said there is evidence that Josh has been in and out of a psychiatric facility for the past three years.

"You're going to hear evidence that he's suicidal. You're going to hear evidence that he's homicidal. You're going to hear evidence that he's catatonic. You're going to hear evidence that he has a woman in his head that he's trying to kill," DeToto said.

Entering the new week of the trial, A.J.'s attorneys described the first four days as a long week of fighting.

"They have this theory that, because A.J. was not going to start at Lamar, he killed his parents," said DeToto.. "That's ridiculous. That's their motive. They don't have a motive, so they are reaching for straws."

Before the trial resumed Monday, jurors heard nearly 20 hours of testimony, including from the officer who interviewed A.J. on the morning of his parents' deaths, to experts on DNA and fingerprints.

The experts say no prints were found on the gun used to kill A.J.'s parents or the note left by the killer.

A.J. claims an intruder killed his parents, but prosecutors say the home's alarm system never went off.

The trial could last three more weeks.

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