Texas judge removed from Karmelo Anthony murder case as appeal proceeds

A Texas appellate judge ordered District Judge John Roach removed from the murder case of Karmelo Anthony, a 19-year-old who was convicted of stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high-school track meet. Anthony, sentenced to 35 years, is pursuing a new trial and an appeal, arguing that Roach imposed overly strict courtroom rules and gave an interview after the trial concluded. A new judge will preside over a hearing on the retrial request scheduled for Thursday.

The incident occurred last year in the bleachers of a suburban Dallas stadium, where a dispute over a team tent escalated into a fatal stabbing. Prosecutors said Anthony provoked the victim and was the aggressor, while witnesses reported that Metcalf pushed Anthony before he produced a knife. Anthony did not testify at his original trial.

The case drew national attention after social-media posts framed the killing in racial terms; Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white. Both defense and prosecution told jurors the motive was unrelated to race. After the removal order was announced, supporters of Anthony gathered outside the courthouse, chanting slogans demanding his release. Attorneys for both families declined to comment on the ruling.