Judge Upholds Karmelo Anthony Murder Conviction, Defense Vows to Fight On

Conviction Stands After Retrial Bid Fails

A Texas judge denied a new trial for Karmelo Anthony on Saturday in the stabbing death of a 17-year-old athlete at a high school track meet — a killing that drew national attention and led to harassment of the families involved. The ruling closes a significant chapter in one of the most polarizing criminal cases in recent Texas history, but it is far from the final word.

Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the April 2025 killing of Austin Metcalf, 17. A Collin County jury rejected his self-defense claim and found he intentionally stabbed Metcalf during an altercation. He is eligible for parole after 17.5 years.

A Brief Order With No Explanation

Judge Michael Chitty wrote in a brief order on Saturday: "Upon reviewing the motion, the record, the evidence and argument, the briefs, and the relevant case law, the Court has determined the motion should be denied." He offered no further elaboration. Chitty rendered his decision after testimony had stretched into Friday evening.

The path to Saturday's ruling was itself unusually complicated. Anthony's attorneys demanded a retrial partly because they said trial judge John Roach's courtroom rules were so strict that they limited the public's access to the proceedings — and in asking for Roach's recusal, they noted that he gave a post-trial interview with a Dallas TV station in which he said the jury "got it right." Anthony's defense team ultimately won the recusal it requested, meaning an outside judge was brought in to hear the case.

The defense also alleged that Anthony was "coerced" into waiving his right to testify. Attorneys for both the state and the trial defense took the stand during the two-day hearing, largely revisiting proceedings that happened behind closed doors regarding a "gentleman's agreement," which kept certain character evidence regarding the defendant and the victim out of the trial. The defense argued those measures went too far and that the lack of public access violated federal law.

Both Sides Respond to the Ruling

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said, "We respect, and expected, the court's decision denying the motion for a new trial." Lead prosecutor Bill Wirskye defended the trial as fair, arguing that the unusual rules were necessary because of threats, intense public pressure, and misinformation about the case — and that the restrictions protected the trial.

Attorney Russell Wilson, who led Anthony's new defense team, released a statement saying: "We are disappointed that the Court denied our motion for a new trial. We respectfully disagree with the ruling and remain firmly committed to protecting our client's rights. We believe the issues raised in our motion are substantial and deserve meaningful appellate review. The denial of our motion does not end this case. We will continue the appeal in the Fifth Court of Appeals and pursue every legal remedy available to our client."

What Comes Next

The case drew intense national attention, with viral social media posts emphasizing the races of the perpetrator, who is Black, and the victim, who was White. The week-long trial drew intense national attention, fueled by social media debate centered on the races of the two young men. Both legal teams had sought to keep race from becoming a central theme in the courtroom, but it proved impossible to contain outside of it.

With Saturday's ruling, the fight to overturn Anthony's conviction now moves to a higher court. The defense maintains that "serious constitutional and legal errors denied Karmelo Anthony the fair trial to which he was entitled," and that restrictions placed on public access raised fundamental Sixth Amendment concerns. Whether an appellate court agrees will determine whether this case continues to reshape conversations about race, justice, and transparency in the American courtroom — or whether a 19-year-old spends the next decade and a half waiting for a parole board to decide his future.