Karmelo Anthony seeks new trial after 35-year sentence in killing of Austin Metcalf | Texas
Karmelo Anthony’s legal team is seeking a new trial and a recusal from the state judge, a month after a Texas jury found the 19-year-old guilty of murder and sentenced him to 35 years in prison for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a 2025 track meet.
In a motion filed Tuesday, Anthony’s defense attorneys argued that their client’s conviction should be overturned because, among other reasons, prosecutors forced him to waive his right to testify.
Defense attorneys accused prosecutors of breaking their promise to build their case “based solely on what happened under the tent that day” rather than “evidence of irrelevant conduct” regarding the characters and reputations of Metcalf or Anthony.
According to the defense team’s court filing, the two sides reached the agreement after numerous off-the-record meetings. This was not in writing and was not clearly stated in the court filings to prevent any previous misdeeds involving either youth from being reported in the media.
Consistent with that agreement, attorneys said they did not further question students on the stand about recorded statements made to police regarding Metcalf’s alleged temperament.
On the final day of evidence, prosecutors said in their opening statement that a detail about their client playing chess “opened the door” to character-related evidence, according to Anthony’s lawyers.
Anthony chose not to testify due to court advice that his testimony would “almost certainly” open the door to “non-criminal evidence.”
Anthony’s attorneys also argued that their client’s constitutional right to a public hearing was violated by restrictions on camera and broadcast access, and that the jury was improperly advised to disregard Anthony’s claim of self-defense.
“In a record where self-defense is at the heart of the case, this error was not harmless and warrants a new trial,” the attorneys wrote in the motion.
The Collin County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to a request for comment on the attorney’s allegations Tuesday evening.
After the jury decided on a 35-year prison sentence, the district attorney said “justice has been served” at a press conference alongside the Metcalf family.
The fatal encounter, which occurred in Frisco, a suburb 28 miles (45 km) north of Dallas, attracted national attention and sparked online debate over perceived racial dimensions (Anthony was Black, Metcalf was white), especially among conservative media.
Far-right extremist Jake Lang and his controversial group, Protect White Americans, protested in Frisco and touted racist narratives about how the event was symbolic of a “violent Black culture.” He was banned from entering Texas last month after allegedly making terroristic threats against Anthony.
During jury selection, the case received attention once again after three African-Americans were removed from the jury. prosecutors rejected The move was said to be about race and their background as educators.
