Karmelo Anthony's Team Files Motions for New Trial and Judge Recusal

Nineteen‑year‑old Karmelo Anthony was convicted in June by a Collin County, Texas jury of first‑degree murder for the April 2025 stabbing death of 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high‑school track meet. He received a 35‑year sentence, with eligibility for parole after 17 years.

Anthony’s new appellate, civil‑rights and criminal‑defense team filed two 63‑page motions. One seeks a new trial, arguing multiple constitutional violations: the trial was closed to the public, the jury had no Black members, restrictive camera limits denied a public hearing, and prosecutors allegedly broke an off‑the‑record agreement that barred character evidence, pressuring Anthony to waive his right to testify. The motion also contends that jury instructions weakened his self‑defense claim.

The second motion asks Collin County District Judge John Roach to be removed from all post‑trial proceedings, citing Roach’s public comments praising the verdict and defending the all‑White jury. Prosecutors, represented by First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye, said the trial was conducted ethically and will respond to the filings. The appeal is pending.