A Texas teenager convicted of murder in the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old athlete at a high school track meet is seeking a new trial and a new judge, arguing that the original judge did not preside fairly over the high-profile case. Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was sentenced to 35 years in prison in June after a Collin County jury rejected his claims of self-defense in the confrontation with Austin Metcalf.
Hearings on Anthony's requests were scheduled to begin Wednesday in a suburban Dallas court. Anthony's legal team contends that a retrial is warranted due to overly strict courtroom rules enforced by state District Judge John Roach and incomplete jury instructions. Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before reaching their verdict at the end of the nearly weeklong trial.
The case garnered significant attention, partly fueled by social media posts that framed the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black, and Metcalf was white. Both prosecution and defense attorneys, however, told the jury that race was not a factor in the tragedy. Anthony did not testify during his trial.
During the proceedings, students testified that the fatal encounter stemmed from a dispute over Anthony's refusal to leave a tent belonging to Metcalf's team on a rainy spring day. The teens attended different high schools. Witnesses stated that Metcalf and others repeatedly asked Anthony to leave the Memorial High School tent, which was set up in the bleachers during a track meet, leading to an escalating confrontation. Prosecutors argued that Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses described Anthony as the aggressor. According to a police report, Anthony reached into a bag and warned, "Touch me and see what happens." Witnesses also testified that after Metcalf pushed Anthony, Anthony produced a knife and stabbed Metcalf in the chest.