A Collin County courtroom became the center of intense legal scrutiny Friday as a hearing over Karmelo Anthony’s bid for a new trial entered its second day with a key prosecution witness taking the stand.
Anthony was convicted in June of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a confrontation at a Frisco track meet on April 2, 2025. His new legal team is now pushing for a retrial, arguing that significant procedural issues undermined the fairness of the original proceedings.
On Thursday, defense attorney Mike Howard, who represented Anthony during the first trial, testified for hours about an informal pretrial agreement between both sides. That arrangement determined what evidence jurors would and would not hear, keeping out damaging character information about both Anthony and the victim.
Howard testified that a major dispute erupted when Anthony was preparing to testify. He said prosecutors argued the informal agreement would not protect Anthony if he chose to take the stand, resulting in a heated confrontation inside the judge’s chambers. Anthony ultimately declined to testify, saying he did not believe he would receive a fair opportunity to speak.
On Friday, Howard’s former co-counsel Toby Shook was expected to take the stand along with additional witnesses. Retired District Judge Michael Chitty is overseeing the hearing and has until Monday to issue a ruling on the motion for a new trial.
The retrial hearing follows the recusal of original trial judge John Roach. A San Antonio judge ruled Roach should be removed from post-trial proceedings after Anthony’s new defense team raised concerns about his public comments, including remarks in which Roach appeared to endorse the jury’s verdict and described Anthony as a young man who committed a crime.
The case stems from a deadly stabbing at Kuykendall Stadium during an 11-5A district track meet. Witnesses said the confrontation began when Metcalf asked Anthony to leave the area beneath a tent belonging to Memorial High School during a rainstorm. Anthony reached into his bag and issued a warning before stabbing Metcalf in the chest with a black knife when Metcalf pushed him.
Metcalf died in the arms of his twin brother Hunter who was present and attempted to stop the bleeding before emergency responders arrived.
Anthony admitted to the stabbing and claimed self-defense. Prosecutors called it a senseless killing with no legal justification. The case drew widespread national attention fueled in part by social media commentary about the racial backgrounds of both teenagers involved.
Austin Metcalf’s father Jeff has spoken publicly about his son’s academic achievements and athletic success and has closely followed the post-conviction proceedings. Jeff Metcalf noted that a new trial could potentially result in a longer sentence for Anthony.
