Overview
- A Collin County jury found Karmelo Anthony guilty of first‑degree murder on June 9 and ordered a 35‑year prison term for the April 2025 stabbing of 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high‑school track meet.
- Anthony has filed a notice of appeal and an indigency claim saying he cannot afford appellate counsel, even as reporting shows roughly $600,000‑$625,000 was raised for his family and some fundraising pages were later shut down.
- Defense and outside lawyers say the strongest appellate issues will target jury selection after prosecutors struck Black prospective jurors, invoking Batson principles that bar race‑based strikes, plus challenges to venue and other trial rulings.
- Judge John Roach’s courtroom management—including a ban on cameras, limits on devices and gag orders—and his public remark calling Anthony “a nice young man” are part of the record that appeals will review and that have drawn public scrutiny.
- The case has produced sustained public fallout: supporters and critics have traded heated commentary, a Texas parole supervisor was fired for inflammatory posts, and journalists report targeted online harassment that is affecting local institutions and coverage.