Additional Coverage:
- Murderer Karmelo Anthony dealt new blow after sick vow to ‘lick blood off the blade’ emerged (themirror.com)
A judge has denied Karmelo Anthony’s motion for a new trial in the case involving the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf.
Anthony, 19, was convicted on June 9 of murdering 17-year-old Metcalf at a school track meet near Dallas, Texas, in April 2025. He received a 35-year prison sentence.
Last week, Anthony requested a retrial, arguing that his constitutional rights were violated during pretrial proceedings he was not allowed to attend, and that former Collin County Judge John Roach conducted unauthorized private conferences. His defense team claimed these actions infringed on Anthony’s Sixth Amendment right to a public trial.
However, the current judge overseeing the case, Michael Chitty, rejected the request. In his ruling, Judge Chitty stated that after reviewing the motion, the evidence, arguments, and relevant case law, the court found no grounds to grant a new trial. “It is therefore considered, ordered, and adjudged by the Court that the Motion for New Trial is denied,” the order read.
The decision followed the conclusion of testimony on Friday evening, which revealed new, unsettling information about both Anthony and Metcalf. The court learned that both parties had reached a “gentlemen’s agreement” prior to the trial, which involved withholding certain damaging information about the two young men. As a result, the jury only heard details related to the events that took place under the track team tent-the site of the stabbing.
Among the revelations were disturbing allegations against Anthony, including threats he made at age 16 to shoot up a school, and threats against his girlfriend, Valeria Perez, in 2024. Prosecutors shared testimony in which Anthony reportedly told Perez, “How many bullets you want coming out of your chest,” and that he fantasized about licking the blood off a blade after stabbing someone.
In addition, information about Metcalf’s past was disclosed for the first time during the hearing. Anthony’s legal team revealed that Metcalf had a history of arrests, school disciplinary problems, and allegedly engaged in racist behavior, including spray-painting graffiti with hateful messages such as “Kill all Black people” and racial slurs. Metcalf reportedly received a 12-month probation for the graffiti incident and had prior charges for assault causing bodily injury, including an incident in 2018 where he allegedly shoved a girl to the ground, causing serious injury.
Anthony admitted to stabbing Metcalf at the football stadium during the track meet but maintained that it was in self-defense. The case attracted national attention, touching on issues of race, politics, and privilege.
Despite these factors, the jury-which included members of Hispanic, Asian, and Indian backgrounds-did not accept the self-defense argument. They convicted Anthony of murder rather than manslaughter and swiftly handed down the 35-year sentence after just three hours of deliberation.