Teen's lawyers eye potential 'person of interest' in double murder

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The 16-year-old charged with killing his parents -- former NFL player Antonio Armstrong and his wife Dawn Armstrong -- was back in court Thursday.

The court appearance was routine. The teen was assigned a judge who will hear his case in juvenile court from this point forward. But what happened after court raised some eyebrows, with the defense making big claims about someone they say could be a "person of interest" in the Armstrong murders.

VIDEO: Teen charged with murder of mother and father

Family and friends are mourning the loss of Antonio and Dawn Armstrong.

Defense attorney Chris Collings tells abc13 there was a break-in about a week ago at one of the Armstrong gyms. They believe that person could be connected to the murders.

"Based on video evidence and one of the officers that was at the scene -- (he) said that he reviewed the video evidence. It looked like the intruders were looking for something specific and when they didn't find it, they ended up stealing one of the cash registers and a computer," Collings said.

"We would say it's a person of interest. We are in the process of getting the video of the break-in at the gym. We would say there's a lot of stuff going on in the background of this case, and we're just trying to figure out how it's all connected," said Rick DeToto, another defense attorney.

The Armstrong's son appeared before a judge wearing a dark green jumpsuit, his hands and feet shackled. This was the first time cameras were allowed to get video of the teen in court.

VIDEO: Community works out to remember Armstrong family

Friends gather at memorial for the Armstrong family, Kaitlin McCulley reports.

Since he's underage, we are still not using the teen's name or showing his face.

The boy's grandmother -- Antonio Armstrong's mother -- approached the bench with her grandson and held his waist while the assistant defense attorney reread chilling details about what police say happened the night the Armstrongs were killed.

Prosecutors say they're still deciding whether or not to try the teen as an adult. The process could take months.

EXCLUSIVE: Antonio Armstrong's mother speaks out

Antonio Armstrong's mother leads service where he was assistant pastor.

"Certainly there are a lot of processes that need to take place so that we know as much as we can know before we make that decision," said John Brewer, Harris County assistant defense attorney.