Texas Judge Defends 35-Year Sentence in Karmelo Anthony Murder Case Amid Racial Debate
A Collin County jury sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison for the murder of classmate Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high-school track meet, and the verdict ignited a racial debate. The Guardian reported that the trial began with a jury panel lacking Black jurors, raising concerns about racial representation. During the second day of the trial, CBS News described graphic autopsy photographs and emotional testimony presented to the jurors. The New York Post noted jurors’ visible reactions to the images while the defendant avoided looking at them. Dallas News said the defense later introduced witnesses to support a self-defense claim, and prosecutors rested their case. TMZ quoted a Frisco police detective who testified that the knife used in the stabbing was legal to possess in Texas.
Dallas News reported that a 12-person jury in McKinney began deliberations on murder and manslaughter charges. ABC News and CBS News announced that the jury found Anthony guilty of first-degree murder and moved to sentencing. CBS News and the BBC later reported that the Collin County jury imposed a 35-year prison term. CBS News added that Anthony filed a notice of appeal, sending the case to the Fifth District Court of Appeals. Forbes highlighted that the sentencing of the Black teenager prompted public criticism and accusations of racial bias, and that Judge John Roach Jr. said he had no regrets about the sentence.
