Judge Denies Karmelo Anthony a New Trial

A Texas judge on Saturday denied Karmelo Anthony's motion for a new trial, leaving the 19-year-old's murder conviction and 35-year sentence for killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in place.

Judge Michael Chitty, brought in after the original trial judge was removed from the case, ruled after a two-day hearing that ended Friday evening.

"Upon reviewing the motion, the record, the evidence and argument, the briefs, and the relevant case law, the Court has determined that the motion should be denied," Chitty's order stated, according to the Daily Mail. "It is therefore considered, ordered, and adjudged by the Court that the Motion for New Trial is denied."

What the Defense Argued

Anthony's new attorney, Russell Wilson, argued the June trial was corrupted by what he called a "shadow docket" — undocumented conferences held by former Collin County Judge John Roach and pretrial hearings his client did not attend, per the Daily Mail.

The defense also argued Anthony was denied his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial by decisions that restricted courtroom access, and that jurors got improper instructions.

The core complaint was an unwritten deal. Both sides entered a "gentleman's agreement" to keep character evidence out and confine the case to "what happened under the tent," prosecutor Bill Wirskye testified. Defense attorney Toby Shook said that arrangement is why Anthony never took the stand: his plans to testify collapsed over fears prosecutors would break the deal and introduce damaging material about his past.

"It was essential that the jury hear Karmelo and hear his explanation," Shook said, according to The Independent.

What the Jury Never Heard

The hearing pried open the file both sides had agreed to leave shut.

Prosecutors said Anthony texted "imma shoot the school up tmr" in 2023, when he was 16 and attending Frisco Centennial High School, WFAA reported. They said he threatened his girlfriend, Valeria Perez, with violence multiple times in 2024 — including "How many bullets you want coming out of your chest" — and threatened to stab her, according to the Daily Mail. Prosecutors also described a photo of a knife sent to an ex-girlfriend who told a vice principal he was stalking her hours before the fatal stabbing.

In exchange, the defense agreed not to raise Metcalf's juvenile record. Houston Public Media reported that record involved spray-painted graffiti including an upside-down cross, the N-word, "KKK," "Kill all Black people" and "Heil Hitler." Metcalf and his twin brother were sentenced to 12 months' probation over the incident.

Anthony is black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides told jurors at trial that the killing had nothing to do with race.

Threats and Intimidation Around the Case

Wirskye testified the case was shadowed by threats. He said there had been threats against the judge who granted Anthony bond, fake autopsy reports circulating online, and attempts to intimidate witnesses, according to The Independent. Parents of some witnesses filed protective orders for their children because of threats, he said. The June trial was held under heightened court security, and both families have been targets of harassment.