Kayra Armstrong and Antonio Armstrong Jr. were born to their former NFL athlete father Antonio Armstrong Sr. and his wife Dawn Armstrong. Two of them along with their oldest maternal half-brother Joshua all lived in Houston, Texas.
On July 29, 2016, while they were sleeping in their bed, Kayra’s brother allegedly shot both of his parents. He then allegedly put a pillow over each of their heads before calling 911 to report hearing gunshots.
Antonio Jr. was found guilty of the killing of both of his parents in 2016 when he was just a teenager. For the shooting deaths of veteran NFL linebacker Antonio Armstrong Sr. and Dawn Armstrong in the family’s southwest Houston home, he was given a life sentence with the chance of release after 40 years, according to local station KHOU.
In the third trial the victims’ son has gone through in the seven years since their deaths, jurors deliberated for approximately 10-and-a-half hours before concluding that he killed them. Antonio Sr., who is now married and a father, has had two prior trials finished in hung juries. Since bonding out in 2017, he has been free on the condition that he wear an ankle monitor.
After listening to more than 40 hours of testimony from 31 witnesses over an 11-day period, the jury returned a guilty verdict.
Meet Kayra Armstrong, Antonio Armstrong Jr Sister
Back in April 2019, Kayra Armstrong took the stand on her brother Antonio Armstrong Jr’s trial. It was anticipated that, as the trial entered day 11, family members would testify on his side as character witnesses. But Kayra’s evidence was critical since she kept quiet about her elder brother, her parents’ 2016 murder, and the fact that A.J.’s lawyers are trying to blame their sibling Josh Armstrong for the crimes.
On July 28, 2016, the then 12-year-old still recalls spending a few days with her grandma before being picked up by her jovial 16-year-old brother AJ to head back home. She then admittedly spent some time with her mother before going to bed as usual, not realizing that this would be the final time she would see Dawn or have a full family.
In 2016 on the night of the killing, Kayra was asleep in her room when the shots rang out. Just a few hours later, AJ woke Kayra up to tell her that their parents had been shot in bed, something she had no idea really existed until she saw Antonio being carried away.
“He rushed me downstairs. He was frantic,” she recalled recently.
Kayra remembered A.J. leading her down the stairs, turning towards the front door, and seeing police officers and flashing lights through the window. She had no idea then that her life would forever change.
Now with a striking resemblance to her mother, Kayra recounted how officers separated her and A.J. that morning, putting them in the back of police cars.
Despite the typical child-parent conflicts, Kayra characterized A.J.’s connection with his parents as normal, when she was on the stand. Kayra also confirmed A.J.’s academic struggles at Kinkaid in the months preceding the killings. She did recall A.J. being enthusiastic about starting Lamar High School, his new school.
Kayra was asked to recollect the day of the murders, as well as the security system at her home. She admitted that their house occasionally hosted a large number of guests who entered and left through the garage. They had well-respected neighbors for parents.
“Anyone and everyone my parents knew” would come by, she said. Kayra also revealed there were problems with the alarm system at the house.
“Sometimes the alarm would set when a door is still open. Or sometimes, it would go off unexpectedly. It was really finicky,” she said.
In her testimony to the jury on the day of the killings, Kayra described returning home after spending a few days with her grandmother and being picked up by a happy A.J. Before going to bed, Kayra spent some time at home with her mother, Dawn Armstrong. She would awaken the following morning when A.J. told her to leave the house with him after visiting her bedroom on the second level.
Despite the first police presence, she remembered being half asleep and not fully absorbing what was happening. She also stated that she saw Josh enter the residence and that he smelled like cannabis and appeared to be high. She noted that A.J. appeared “a little concerned.”
Kayra recalled seeing her father being carried out of the house on a stretcher while still critically injured but rapidly losing consciousness. Kayra, who was visibly upset, admitted to the jury that she had been crying over the sight of her mother’s body. She claimed that after being questioned by police, she was given back to her grandparents.
Where Is Kayra Armstrong Now?
Kayra Armstrong went through a really difficult few months after that, but she never once believed her brother could have hurt their parents in any manner, shape, or form, according to the “20/20” program. “When I went back to school, I just kind of felt out of my body really,” she candidly stated. “They would talk about stuff and I couldn’t tell you what was being said because my mind was just gone.”
Kayra later added, “I would think about my parents; I would think about AJ… [There’s] not a single doubt in my mind. He couldn’t have. Nothing could ever be said that would make me believe AJ killed our parents.”
During questioning, Kayra was asked to describe Josh and his interactions with Antonio Armstrong, who was not his biological father. Kayra testified, adding the two had a conflict, “He was there but he wasn’t there. He was distant.” She added, “He acted like he was the black sheep of the family. He acted like our parents loved us more because we were biologically related to both of them.”
In her testimony, Kayra said that Josh had become violent. She explained that he increased his drug use in the months after the killings. She claimed he was hearing “demonic voices” and displayed several personalities.
Now in 2023, Kayra is a college student.
Kayra Armstrong Age
In 2023, Kayra Armstrong is 19 years old.
Kayra Armstrong Job
Kayra Armstrong graduated from Hightower High School in Missouri City, Texas. While there she was an athlete a volleyball athlete.
Kayra reportedly appears to be a sophomore at Louisiana State University in 2023. Her job details are not available and doesn’t have a LinkedIn profile.
Is Kayra Armstrong Dating Anyone?
The relationship status of Kayra Armstrong is not public yet.
Related FAQs
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When Is Kayra Armstrong Birthday?
Kayra Armstrong’s birthday details are not available.
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Is Kayra Armstrong On Instagram?
No, Kayra Armstrong doesn’t appear to be on Instagram.
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Where Does Kayra Armstrong Live?
Kayra Armstrong appears to be living in Baton Rogue, Louisiana.
