Karmelo Anthony: Major Setback as Judge Denies Request for New Trial after Conviction in Austin Metcalf Murder Case

A judge has rejected Karmelo Anthony’s request for a new trial. Anthony was convicted of killing athlete Austin Metcalf on June 9 and later received a 35-year prison sentence. He was found to have fatally stabbed the 17-year-old during a school track meet near Dallas, Texas, in April 2025.

Anthony’s attorneys argued that the murder trial was affected by strict courtroom restrictions and improper guidance given to the jury. They also disputed with prosecutors over an agreement concerning how much attention should be given to the events that preceded the fatal stabbing. The 19-year-old also claimed his rights had been violated during pretrial hearings that he was not present for.

Final Setback

Anthony’s attorneys also alleged that former Collin County Judge John Roach held conferences that were not properly documented. On Saturday, new judge Michael Chitty rejected Anthony’s request for a new trial.

In his order, Chitty wrote: “Upon reviewing the motion, the record, the evidence and argument, the briefs, and the relevant case law, the Court has determined that the motion should be denied.”

The order added: “It is therefore considered, ordered, and adjudged by the Court that the Motion for New Trial is denied.”

The ruling followed the conclusion of testimony on Friday evening, when tensions erupted in the courtroom after new details about Anthony and Metcalf came to light. The judge was told that both sides had voluntarily agreed to a “gentleman’s agreement” before the trial.

Metcalf’s attorneys argued that the agreement ultimately weakened the defense’s claim that Anthony’s rights had been violated.

As part of the agreement, highly damaging information about both Anthony and Metcalf was kept out of the trial. As a result, jurors were largely limited to hearing about “what happened under the tent,” referring to the track team tent where the stabbing took place.

Those previously excluded details were brought up in court on Friday. They included allegations that Anthony threatened to shoot up a school when he was 16 and made threats to shoot and stab his girlfriend.

Anthony, then 16 and a student at Centennial High School in Frisco, texted in 2023: “Imma shoot the school up tmr.,” according to testimony.

Prosecutors also said Anthony threatened his girlfriend, Valeria Perez, in 2024. He told Perez: “How many bullets you want coming out of your chest,” according to testimony.

State attorneys also alleged that Anthony threatened to stab her that same year.

Failed Attempt

A few weeks later, Anthony allegedly sent Perez a text describing a disturbing violent fantasy. The message read: “When I stab someone, I’m gonna lick the blood off the blade.” Perez continues to be in a relationship with Anthony and stood by him during the trial.

Prosecutors brought up the messages in an effort to challenge the defense’s claim that Anthony’s rights had been violated.

The hearing also brought previously undisclosed details about Metcalf’s past to light, including his arrests, disciplinary issues at school and alleged racist behavior.

Anthony’s attorneys said Metcalf had allegedly been caught spray-painting racist graffiti, including “kill all black people” and the N-word. According to one of Anthony’s lawyers, Metcalf received 12 months of probation over the incident and had previously faced an assault causing bodily injury charge.

The attorney also said Metcalf had been arrested over a May 2018 incident, when he was still in elementary school, in which he allegedly pushed a girl to the ground and injured her shoulder badly enough that she needed to be hospitalized.

Anthony admitted stabbing Metcalf at the Frisco football stadium during the track meet, but maintained that he acted in self-defense.

The case quickly attracted national attention after Anthony’s arrest, becoming a flashpoint in debates surrounding race, politics and privilege.

A diverse jury that included Hispanic, Asian and Indian members rejected Anthony’s self-defense claim and declined to convict him of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The jury reached a murder verdict in about three hours, finding Anthony guilty and sentencing him to 35 years in prison. Within days of the verdict, Anthony’s parents, Kayla Hayes and Andrew Anthony, said they believed their son had not received a fair trial and vowed to pursue a new one.

Two months after his conviction, Anthony brought in a new six-member legal team. His attorneys subsequently argued that his rights had been violated during the trial.

Roach, who presided over the original trial, was later removed from the case after Anthony’s legal team accused him of imposing overly strict courtroom rules and giving an interview after the proceedings ended.

His removal was met with cheers from Anthony’s supporters in the courthouse hallways and outside the building.