Texas man Gabriel Armandariz accused of killing two sons sent photo of baby boy hanging from rope

A TEXAS man accused of killing his two sons sent their mother a series of gruesome text messages, including a picture of one boy hanging with a rope around his neck.

The photos were sent just hours before he strangled them, prosecutors said in a Texas court.

The man, 32-year-old Gabriel Armandariz, is on trial for capital murder, accused of killing sons Luke, eight months, and Gatlin, 2, on April 13, 2011.

Prosecutors say he hid their bodies in a space undeeath the house they shared with relatives in Graham, in north central Texas. Police searched the house for several hours before they found the bodies.

NY Daily News reports Armandariz sent his ex-girlfriend Lauren Smith, who lived in Sudan, northwest of Lubbock, a text hours before the murders. It read: “I commend the spirits of these two boys to the Lord. I would much rather be with them than to be out partying with friends.”

Another said: “Look, I’m trying to offer you another opportunity to see our children. But as usual you would much rather be with your friends.”

Mr Armandariz then sent a picture of their eight-month-old baby Luke hanging from a closet ceiling with what appeared to be a rope around the neck, prosecutors said.

Gabriel Armandariz posted this photo of himself with his two sons to Facebook. Source: Facebook

He also took a photo between the two boys before they were killed on a bed. The caption read, “We love u, goodbye.”

Texts sent to Mr Armandariz’s phone by Ms Smith suggest she believed she was talking to a woman whom Armandariz was seeing at the time. One of the texts read: “If I were you I’d get the hell away from him. Looks can be deceiving.”

According to the Graham Leader, Mr Armandariz called Ms Smith to confess to the murders 10 hours before police found the boys’ bodies. He claimed his ex-girlfriend made him do it.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.