In seeking a new trial to overturn the sentence he was convicted of, Karmelo Anthony received bad news when a Texas state judge denied his petition on August 22.
Anthony was tried following the stabbing death of a 17-year-old boy at a school track-and-field competition, a homicide that drew national attention and provoked harassment of the families involved.
Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the death of Austin Metcalf, which occurred in April 2025.
Judge Michael Chitty denied the request for a new trial with a half-page ruling, after a two-day hearing held near Dallas, based on the analysis of the evidence and the arguments presented.
Russell Wilson, Anthony’s lawyer, said the defense would appeal the decision.
“Our commitment to our client has not changed. We will continue to vigorously defend him through all available legal avenues,” Wilson said.
The focus of the request for a new trial for Anthony was an informal agreement between the prosecution and the defense team to exclude from the proceedings damaging evidence about the reputations of both teenagers. Both sides agreed not to present evidence that risked inflaming a case already heated by racial tensions and death threats.
The case drew a great deal of attention, partly due to a wave of social media posts that framed the homicide through a racial lens. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was White. Nevertheless, lawyers for both sides told the jury that the case had nothing to do with race.
According to his lawyers, the fear that the prosecution would breach the agreement arose when Anthony was preparing to testify, after a heated dispute between the lawyers on both sides that led them to modify their defense strategy at the last minute. Ultimately, Anthony chose not to testify. Prosecutor Bill Wirskye defended the impartiality of the trial.
“We respected and expected the court’s decision to deny the request for a new trial,” said Greg Willis, the Collin County district attorney, after the denial was announced.
“The verdict of guilty issued by the jury remains firm, and we continue to have faith in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers continue to accompany the Metcalf family after the painful hearing last week,” he added.
Anthony’s lawyers also sought a new trial, arguing that the rules imposed by Judge John Roach in the courtroom were so strict that they limited public access to the hearings. Also, when seeking Roach’s recusal, they noted that he had granted an interview after the trial to a Dallas television station, in which he expressed his agreement with the jury’s verdict.
Roach maintained that his rules were necessary to ensure a fair trial, while the prosecution insisted that no irregularities had occurred.
The jury rejected Anthony’s version, who claimed to have acted in self-defense during a confrontation with Metcalf in the stands at a track-and-field meet.
Anthony and Metcalf were athletes from different high schools in Frisco, a suburb of Dallas, where several teams competed that rainy spring day on which the sporting event was held.
Anthony sat under the tent of Metcalf’s team; witnesses testified that both Metcalf and others repeatedly asked him to leave. This situation led to a confrontation that escalated in intensity.
The prosecution said that Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses identified him as the aggressor.
At one point, Anthony reached into a bag and said: “Touch me and you’ll see what happens,” according to a police report. Witnesses testified that Metcalf shoved Anthony, who drew a knife and stabbed him in the chest. Since then, the case drew nationwide attention and has been followed through to Anthony’s sentencing.
