HOUSTON – It’s been just over a year since Antonio “AJ” Armstrong was convicted of killing his parents. His wife, Kate Ober, filed for divorce in September, according to court records.
The couple had been together since high school, and Ober stood by Armstrong throughout all three of his murder trials.
Antonio “AJ” Armstrong Jr. was found guilty of murdering his parents, Dawn and Antonio Sr., in the family’s southwest Houston home in 2016. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.
Following the verdict in 2023, deputies escorted Armstrong out of the courtroom. He blew a kiss to Ober, who began crying.
Because Armstrong was a minor at the time of the crime, he will be eligible for parole after serving 40 years. He has since filed an appeal against his conviction.
KPRC 2’s ‘The Bench’ covered the case in depth, explaining complex legal terms, breaking down trial strategies, and offering daily courtroom updates.
Three months after the conviction, Ober gave her first and only interview with KPRC 2’s Rilwan Balogun.
“I mean, I lost my best friend and my husband and the father of my child in one moment, and I haven’t been able to see him,” she said. “As soon as he was transferred to the state prison, I haven’t been able to talk to him on the phone or have any real contact with him, so that’s been really hard. I’ve been really worried about him. That’s not an easy thing to be put through.”
A month later, KPRC 2 became the first outlet to interview Armstrong from prison. Separated by a glass partition and speaking through a phone, Armstrong declared his innocence and expressed his desire to share his side of the story for the first time since being accused—and now convicted—of murdering his parents.
The couple shares a son, and Balogun asked Armstrong about parenting during the interview. Armstrong shared his perspective:
“Being a parent, it’s a blessing. I absolutely love it, you know. And I’m grateful that I had the time with my parents, and they were the great parents that they were,” Armstrong told Balogun in 2023. “And they instilled so much in me in those 16 years that I feel like I’m prepared to be a father even at a young age. But, you know, it’s just…I definitely see why my parents were the way they were, but I’m grateful for it.”
