A Texas judge on Saturday denied Karmelo Anthony's request for a new trial in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high school track meet last year, leaving his murder conviction and 35-year sentence in place.
Background
Anthony was convicted in a Collin County court in June 2026 in the stabbing death of Metcalf, which occurred at a tent at a Memorial High School track meet in 2025. Retired District Judge Michael Chitty presided over a two-day hearing in McKinney before ruling on Anthony's motion for a new trial; his order did not include a detailed explanation for the decision.
What the defense argued
Anthony's appellate attorneys raised two central claims: that restrictions on public access to the courtroom, which prosecutors said were necessary because of security concerns tied to the high-profile case, violated his right to an open trial; and that an off-the-record agreement between the defense and prosecution over what evidence could be presented effectively coerced Anthony into waiving his right to testify. According to court filings cited in reporting on the case, prosecutors had withheld information about Metcalf's history of fights and racist graffiti, while the defense withheld what it described as Anthony's own documented pattern of interest in weapons and fighting.
What happens next
Anthony's attorney, Russell Wilson, said the legal team "will continue to advocate vigorously" as the case moves to Texas's Fifth Court of Appeals. The denial of the new-trial motion does not end Anthony's legal options; his conviction and sentence remain subject to the ongoing direct appeals process.
