Texas judge to weigh request for new trial in teen's murder conviction

A judge in McKinney, Texas, will consider a motion filed by the attorneys of Karmelo Anthony, 19, seeking a retrial for the stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet. Anthony, who received a 35-year prison sentence, appeared at the hearing in a prison jumpsuit while his parents and members of Metcalf’s family were also present.

The motion follows the removal of District Judge John Roach, who presided over the original trial, after a television interview in which he said jurors “got it right” with the guilty verdict. Judge Michael Chitty has been assigned to rule on the request.

Anthony’s lawyers argue that the June trial was compromised by strict courtroom procedures and improper jury instructions, and that Anthony’s decision not to testify resulted from a dispute with prosecutors over the scope of the case. They also contend that the jury rejected Anthony’s self-defense claim despite testimony describing a heated exchange over a tent in the bleachers.

The case drew national attention, partly due to social-media commentary that framed the incident in racial terms; Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white. Both sides told jurors the matter was not racially motivated.

During the recusal hearing, prosecutors presented the interview with Judge Roach, in which he affirmed that the jury “got it right” and defended his courtroom management. The families of both the victim and the defendant have reported harassment since the case gained public scrutiny.

Witnesses described the confrontation escalating after Metcalf and others repeatedly asked Anthony to leave a tent. According to a police report, Anthony responded, “Touch me and see what happens,” before Metcalf pushed him, after which Anthony allegedly produced a knife and stabbed Metcalf in the chest.