Texas judge denies new trial for Karmelo Anthony in high school track meet stabbing
A Texas judge has rejected Karmelo Anthony’s request for a new trial in the stabbing death of 17-year-old high school athlete Austin Metcalf, a case that attracted national attention and sparked harassment directed at both families.
Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to 35 years in prison for Metcalf’s death in April 2025. Judge Michael Chitty denied the request Saturday after a two-day hearing near Dallas, saying he had reviewed the evidence and arguments presented by both sides but offering no additional explanation.
Anthony’s attorney, Russell Wilson, said the defense plans to appeal and remains committed to challenging the conviction through available legal channels.
A key issue in the request for a new trial involved an informal agreement between prosecutors and Anthony’s original defense team to keep potentially damaging character evidence about both teenagers out of the trial. The agreement was intended to prevent additional inflammatory material from being introduced in a case that had already generated racial tensions, threats, and intense public scrutiny.
The case became a major topic on social media, where some posts framed the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white, although attorneys for both sides told jurors that race was not a factor in the case.
Anthony’s attorneys argued that a heated dispute between prosecutors and defense lawyers raised concerns that prosecutors might abandon the agreement if Anthony testified. They said the dispute forced the defense to change its strategy shortly before Anthony was expected to take the stand. Anthony ultimately chose not to testify.
Prosecutors maintained that Anthony received a fair trial and said they expected the judge to reject the request for a new one. Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said the guilty verdict remains in place and that Anthony has the right to appeal.
The defense also challenged courtroom restrictions imposed by the judge who presided over Anthony’s trial, John Roach, arguing that the rules limited public access to the proceedings. They further sought Roach’s removal after he gave a television interview following the trial in which he indicated that the jury had reached the correct verdict.
Roach defended his courtroom procedures as necessary to ensure a fair proceeding, while prosecutors rejected the defense's claims of misconduct.
At trial, jurors rejected Anthony’s argument that he acted in self-defense during a confrontation with Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, a Dallas suburb.
Anthony and Metcalf attended different high schools and were participating in the rainy spring track event when the confrontation occurred. Witnesses testified that Anthony had been sitting beneath a tent designated for Metcalf’s team and was repeatedly asked to leave.
The encounter escalated, with prosecutors portraying Anthony as the aggressor. According to a police report, Anthony reached into a bag at one point and warned, “Touch me and see what happens.”
Witnesses said Metcalf then pushed Anthony, who pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf in the chest.
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