Texas Judge Denies Karmelo Anthony a New Trial in Fatal Stabbing of Austin Metcalf
A Texas judge has rejected Karmelo Anthony's request for a new trial, keeping intact the 35-year prison sentence he received for the 2025 fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco.
Retired District Judge Michael Chitty handed down the decision Saturday after a two-day hearing in Collin County, according to The Dallas Morning News, ABC News and The Guardian. In his order, Chitty said the motion should be denied after reviewing the court record, evidence, briefs and relevant case law.
Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to 35 years. His attorneys had argued that restrictions imposed by District Judge John Roach Jr., who oversaw the trial, denied Anthony a fair trial. Roach was later recused, and Chitty was assigned to consider the request for a new trial.
The defense also pointed to the breakdown of an informal agreement between prosecutors and defense lawyers. According to The Dallas Morning News, the so-called gentleman's agreement was meant to keep certain damaging information about Anthony and Metcalf out of the trial and focus the case on the confrontation under a tent. The collapse of that arrangement, the defense argued, kept Anthony from testifying in his own defense.
At trial, an eyewitness said Metcalf asked Anthony to move from underneath a tent reserved for his high school track team. Anthony reached into his bag and said, "Touch me and see what happens." When Metcalf tried to physically move him, Anthony pulled out a knife, stabbed Metcalf in the chest and fled, according to the eyewitness.
Had a new trial been granted, Anthony's murder conviction would have been vacated and he could have been released on a $250,000 pretrial bond. Instead, the case now heads to the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas, where his appellate lawyer, Russell Wilson, said the defense would continue its challenge.
In a statement, Anthony's legal team said it still believes "serious constitutional and legal errors" affected the trial and that the denial of the motion does not make those issues disappear. Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said the office respected and expected the decision. "The jury's guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process," he said.
The ruling keeps the jury's verdict in place for now, but it is unlikely to be the final word. The appeals process in Texas can take months or longer, and defense lawyers have signaled they will pursue every available legal remedy. The case has also renewed attention on how quickly confrontations at school sporting events can turn deadly and on the legal safeguards available to young defendants after conviction.