Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial Begins with All‑White Jury in Texas

The murder trial of 19‑year‑old Black teenager Karmelo Anthony started in Collin County, Texas, after a jury selection process that produced an all‑White panel. Anthony is charged with first‑degree murder for the April 2025 stabbing of 17‑year‑old white high‑school football player Austin Metcalf during a track meet in Frisco. From roughly 600 potential jurors, no Black juror was selected; the defense argues that three Black teachers were struck from the pool for racial reasons, while prosecutors say the strikes were race‑neutral because the jurors were educators.

Judge John Roach, Jr. accepted the prosecution’s explanation, allowing the all‑White jury to proceed. Anthony’s lawyers claim self‑defense, noting he was a minor at the time and therefore ineligible for the death penalty. If convicted, he faces five to ninety‑nine years or life imprisonment. The case has drawn criticism from social‑justice groups such as the Next Generation Action Network, which label the jury composition as unfair and call for protection of Anthony’s constitutional rights. Donors have raised about $600,000 to support his defense.