Yes. A.J. Armstrong is still in jail, serving a life sentence at the French Robertson Unit in Abilene, Texas, for the 2016 capital murders of his parents. His earliest possible parole date is August 3, 2063. He continues to maintain his innocence, and as of February 2026 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals had not yet decided whether he will get an evidentiary hearing that could reopen the case.
Where He Is Held
Armstrong was moved to the French Robertson Unit in Abilene by November 2023, a few months after his August 2023 conviction, and it has been his long-term facility since.1KPRC Click2Houston. Where Will AJ Armstrong Likely Spend the Rest of His Life Sentence The Robertson Unit houses inmates at custody levels G1 through G5 and includes security detention housing.2Texas Department of Criminal Justice. French Robertson Unit – Unit Directory
In a May 2025 interview from the facility, Armstrong called his time in prison “life-changing” and said his religious faith had given him a sense of peace, while continuing to insist he did not kill his parents.3KPRC Click2Houston. I’m Glad I Came to Prison: AJ Armstrong Reflects on Prison Life One Year After Conviction
The Sentence and Parole Date
Armstrong was 16 when his parents were killed. Because of his age at the time of the offense, both the death penalty and life without parole were off the table. Under Texas Penal Code Section 12.31(a)(1), anyone convicted of capital murder who was under 18 at the time receives a mandatory life sentence. Texas Government Code Section 508.145(b) then requires 40 calendar years of actual time served, with no credit for good behavior, before parole eligibility.4FindLaw. Matthew Payam Shalouei v. The State of Texas
That puts his first parole eligibility date at August 3, 2063, when he would be in his early 60s. Eligibility is not release; a parole board would still have to approve it.
Why He Says He Is Innocent
It took three trials to convict Armstrong. The first, in April 2019, ended in a hung jury. The second, in October 2022, ended the same way after nearly 18 hours of deliberation.5KHOU 11. Guilty: AJ Armstrong Devastated After Jury Convicts Him of Killing His Parents in 2016 – Section: First Capital Murder Trial The third trial, in August 2023, produced a guilty verdict after roughly 10.5 hours of deliberation.6FOX 26 Houston. AJ Armstrong Found Guilty of Capital Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison
The difference in the third trial was two specks of Antonio Armstrong Sr.’s blood found on a Houston Police Department visitor badge stuck to A.J.’s t-shirt. That evidence had not been presented in the first two trials and was discovered years after the murders by forensic analyst Celestina Rossi. Houston police officers who dealt with Armstrong on the night of the murders testified they had seen no blood on his shirt at the time.7KHOU 11. AJ Armstrong Files Federal Lawsuit Against City of Houston
Rossi later faced allegations of planting DNA evidence in a separate Montgomery County capital murder case and was terminated. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office defended her, saying a “nearly identical complaint” had already been submitted to the Texas Forensic Science Commission and dismissed after a full review, and called the allegations “false, irresponsible, and directly contradicted by her record, her scientific credentials, and the findings of the Texas Forensic Science Commission itself.”8ABC13 Houston. AJ Armstrong Case: Appeals Court Rules Hearing Be Held on Armstrongs Motion for New Trial
Armstrong’s defense team argues prosecutors never disclosed the complaint against Rossi before or during the third trial, which they say is a Brady violation. Under the Brady rule, the prosecution must turn over evidence favorable to the defense. If jurors had known about the allegations against the analyst who found the blood, the defense contends, the outcome could have been different.
The Appeal That Could Change Things
Armstrong’s defense filed a motion for a new trial in September 2023, arguing the verdict went against the weight of the evidence and raising the Brady issue. The trial court refused to hold a hearing on the motion, and it was overruled by operation of law in October 2023.9FOX 26 Houston. AJ Armstrong Case: Fourteenth Court of Appeals Rules Hearing Must Be Held on Appeal for New Trial
In November 2025, the Fourteenth Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge had abused his discretion by refusing to hold a hearing. The court found Armstrong had raised “reasonable grounds” for further review and ordered the trial court to hold a full evidentiary hearing by January 6, 2026.10KPRC Click2Houston. Dispute Over Forensic Evidence Drives Latest AJ Armstrong Appeal
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office then asked the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to block that hearing, arguing the Fourteenth Court overstepped its authority. As of February 2026, the Court of Criminal Appeals had not ruled. If it sides with prosecutors, the hearing is canceled. If it denies the state’s request, the hearing goes forward, and new evidence about Rossi and the disputed blood could be formally developed and reviewed. Until that ruling comes down, Armstrong remains at the Robertson Unit with his conviction and life sentence intact.10KPRC Click2Houston. Dispute Over Forensic Evidence Drives Latest AJ Armstrong Appeal