Karmelo Anthony's Texas Murder Conviction Faces New Appeal as Legal Team Assembles

A coalition of attorneys—including Dallas criminal lawyer Russell Wilson II, Texas NAACP president Gary Bledsoe, and civil‑rights counsel Brooke Cluse—has filed a substitution of counsel and announced an independent review of the trial record in the case of Karmelo Anthony. Anthony, now 19, was convicted in June 2025 of first‑degree murder for the stabbing death of 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf at a high‑school track meet in Frisco, Texas, and sentenced to 35 years. The new team will pursue every available avenue of appeal, arguing that legal errors and the absence of Black jurors may have denied a fair trial.

While the appeal proceeds, Anthony is serving his sentence at the Wallace Pack Unit near Houston under protective custody. Reports indicate he has been provided with meals such as pancakes, burritos and fried eggs, and receives medication for his epilepsy. Prison officials monitor his correspondence due to the high‑profile nature of the case. The Metcalf family continues to mourn, emphasizing the lasting impact of the loss.