Son of Former NFL Player Antonio Armstrong Found Guilty Of Killing Parents

The son of a former NFL player was found guilty of capital murder earlier this week for killing both of his parents in 2016.

According to KHOU 11, Antonio “AJ” Armstrong Jr., son of former Miami Dolphins player Antonio Armstrong Sr., was found guilty on Aug. 16 of capital murder for the death of his father and his mother, Dawn Armstrong. Both were killed in their sleep in their Houston home.

The 23-year-old, who was 16 when the crime was committed, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after he serves 40 years.

The jury arrived at the verdict after two days of deliberations. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg made a statement at a news conference after the verdict was announced.

“In trying to speak for those who no longer had a voice to defend themselves or say what happened, our job was to find justice for them,” Ogg said. “Antonio Sr. and Dawn Armstrong died because they were trying to be good parents because they wanted their children to do right — not to lie, to work to be law-abiding, contributing adults.”

This was the third time Armstrong Jr. was tried; the first two ended in hung juries.

After the first trial in 2019, jurors were deadlocked and couldn’t reach a unanimous decision, so a mistrial was declared. The second trial, which took place in October 2022, found that jury also deadlocked, with eight votes to acquit Armstrong Jr. and four to convict. The judge in that case declared a mistrial.

Before his death, Armstrong Sr. worked as a motivational speaker, and he and his wife owned 1st Class Training in Bellaire. He’d played collegiate football at Texas A&M, then went to the NFL and played for the Miami Dolphins. He coached both of his sons when they were younger. Armstrong Sr. was also an associate pastor, according to police. Dawn Armstrong’s Facebook page said they “serve in ministry together.”