Karmelo Anthony is asking a Texas court to throw out his murder conviction and grant him a new trial, arguing that constitutional violations during his original proceedings denied him a fair trial.
The request comes just four weeks after a Collin County jury convicted Anthony of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf and sentenced him to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing at a high school track meet in April 2025.
According to newly filed court documents, Anthony’s new legal team—who did not represent him during the original trial—is seeking both a new trial and the recusal of the judge who presided over the case.
Among the attorneys’ primary arguments is the claim that Anthony’s constitutional rights were violated because portions of the trial were allegedly not fully accessible to the public. They also contend prosecutors interfered with Anthony’s right to testify in his own defense.
If the court agrees to grant a new trial, Anthony’s attorneys argue the case should be assigned to a different judge.
The filings mark the latest chapter in one of Texas’ most closely watched criminal cases.
Anthony was convicted of murder for fatally stabbing Metcalf during an altercation at a Frisco high school track meet on April 2, 2025. Throughout the trial, the defense maintained that Anthony acted in self-defense.
Prosecutors argued that Anthony was the aggressor, a position supported by multiple eyewitnesses who testified that he had provoked the confrontation before pulling a knife and stabbing Metcalf in the chest.
Notably, even one witness called by the defense offered testimony that undermined the self-defense claim.
As the trial progressed and testimony increasingly challenged that narrative, Anthony’s defense shifted strategy. Rather than seeking a full acquittal based solely on self-defense, his attorneys ultimately asked jurors to consider convicting him of the lesser offense of manslaughter instead of murder.
The jury declined.
Jurors also rejected the defense’s argument that the killing occurred in the “heat of passion,” a finding that would have reduced Anthony’s sentence under Texas law.
Instead, they returned a murder conviction and sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison.
Under Texas law, Anthony will become eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence. Parole eligibility, however, does not guarantee release.
The case drew national attention well before trial, fueled by intense public debate over race and the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.
Anthony also became the subject of widespread controversy after supporters raised more than $600,000 through an online crowdfunding campaign before his trial. Demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse throughout the proceedings, with many backing Anthony despite the murder charge.
Now, with a new legal team in place, Anthony’s attorneys are attempting to overturn the conviction altogether.
For a new trial to be granted, the court would first have to determine that the alleged constitutional violations materially affected Anthony’s right to a fair trial. If the motion is denied, the defense is expected to continue pursuing relief through the Texas appellate court system.
For now, Anthony remains incarcerated while the trial court considers the post-conviction motions.
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