Texas prosecutor says evidence was withheld as Karmelo Anthony seeks new trial

A Texas prosecutor said Thursday that the prosecution and defense in the Karmelo Anthony case agreed to withhold evidence that could have heightened an already volatile case. The agreement is now a key issue in a pending motion for a new trial for Anthony, who is serving a 35-year sentence for the stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high-school track meet near Dallas.

Anthony, 19, sat at the defense table while his attorney argued that the off-record arrangement and other procedural errors compromised the June trial. Defense lawyer Russell Wilson told the judge that the original judge allowed a “shadow docket” that kept character information about both parties from the jury, and that the agreement limited access to that material.

Prosecutor Bill Wirskye said the decision to exclude the evidence was intentional, noting that it would have shifted focus to the events leading up to the stabbing. He reiterated that witnesses testified Anthony was the aggressor and that the killing was not self-defense. Wirskye also said he refrained from presenting evidence about Anthony’s prior text messages or his interest in weapons, as well as details about Metcalf’s past behavior, to keep the trial centered on the incident itself.

Both sides described the case as having attracted national attention and threats against participants, including the trial judge and witnesses. The judge who presided over the original trial was removed, and District Judge John Roach has been assigned to consider the retrial request.

The hearing on the motion is set to continue, with a ruling on the retrial pending.