A courtroom sketch provided by Pat Lopez shows Karmelo Anthony (C) at the defense table, the jury on the left, and the presiding judge on the right, in McKinney, Texas, on June 4, 2026, during the trial of a teen accused of fatally stabbing another during a track meet in suburban Dallas last year. Pat Lopez via AP, File
Collin County District Judge Michael Chitty denied Anthony’s retrial request on Aug. 22.
In June, a jury found Anthony guilty of murdering then-17-year-old Austin Metcalf during an altercation at a track meet on April 2, 2025.
The altercation came about as Anthony, a student of Centennial High School, took a seat along a section of bleachers being used by a competing team from Memorial High School. When Metcalf asked Anthony to leave, Anthony refused, and as the dispute escalated, Anthony stabbed Metcalf with a folding knife.
A jury rejected a lesser charge of manslaughter and instead convicted him of the first-degree murder charge. Following his conviction, Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Anthony and his legal team requested a new trial. They argued Anthony, who is African American, had his right to a fair trial curtailed because prosecutors struck all African Americans during jury selection.
Related Stories
“The absence of Black jurors in this high-profile, racially divisive case involving a Black defendant” and the brevity of the trial were concerning, the Collin County NAACP posted on its Facebook page following the verdict.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis welcomed the decision to reject Anthony’s retrial motion on Saturday.
“We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial,” Willis said in a statement shared with The Epoch Times.
“The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing.”
Anthony’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Stacy Robinson contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional details.
