Texas Collin County retired judge Michael Chitty rejected Karmelo Anthony’s motion for a new trial on Saturday, August 22, maintaining his conviction for the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in April 2025 and a 35-year sentence.
According to reports from CBS and NBC 5, Judge Chitty made the decision on Saturday after the conclusion of testimony on Friday, August 21. Anthony will continue to serve his sentence. If the motion had been granted, the original verdict would have been overturned, and the prosecution would have had to decide whether to retry the case, potentially leading to Anthony being released on $250,000 bail.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis released a statement saying, “We respect and anticipated the court’s decision to reject the new trial motion. The guilty verdict from the jury remains unchanged, and we have confidence in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and after last week’s hearing, our thoughts are with the Metcalf family, and we pray for them.”
Anthony’s new defense team expressed disappointment with the ruling but stated they would not be discouraged. They argued that there were significant constitutional and legal errors during the original trial, including restrictions on public attendance, disagreements over evidence agreements between both sides, and jury instructions, which affected Anthony’s ability to defend himself.
Russell Wilson, Anthony’s defense attorney, said, “We respect the ruling but do not agree with it. The issues we raised in the motion are crucial, and despite the rejection of the retrial motion, the case is not over.” He added that they would continue to appeal to the Fifth Court of Appeals to help their client seek legal recourse and protect his rights.
The testimony on Friday followed a tense court hearing the day before, where new background information about Anthony and Metcalf was revealed. Anthony’s defense team argued that the original trial was not conducted properly and that the guilty verdict and sentence should be overturned.
The main controversy includes allegations that the original trial involved a “gentleman’s agreement,” where both sides agreed not to disclose negative backgrounds of Anthony and Metcalf to the jury and public to focus on the core of the case.
Allegations against Anthony included interests in firearms, knives, and fights, as well as accusations of stalking, threatening his ex-girlfriend, while Metcalf and his twin brother faced charges related to graffiti, using racial slurs, bullying, and assault.
During the original trial, Anthony’s defense lawyers, Mike Howard and Toby Shook, testified that while there was a plan for Anthony to testify, the prosecution believed the agreement did not apply to him personally, leading to his belief that he would not receive fair treatment and choosing not to testify in court. The defense argued that this decision affected Anthony’s right to a fair trial.
Prosecutor Bill Wirskye, who was the lead prosecutor in the original trial and the hearing, denied ever blocking Anthony from testifying. He stated that the unusual rules were necessary to protect the fairness of the trial due to threats, strong public pressure, and misinformation in the case.
However, Anthony’s lawyers argued that these measures were excessive, claiming that restricting public attendance violated federal law and the Sixth Amendment. Judge John Roach was recused from the case due to the defense’s request, and Judge Chitty presided over this hearing.
The murder case occurred on April 2, 2025, during a track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, where Anthony, a 17-year-old student at Centennial High School, and Metcalf, a 17-year-old student at Memorial High School, got into a dispute under the bleachers.
The incident attracted national attention, partly due to social media amplifying racial issues in the case, as Anthony is Black and Metcalf was White.
Witnesses claimed Metcalf asked Anthony to leave his school’s tent, leading Anthony to open his backpack and say, “Touch me and see.” After Metcalf pushed him, Anthony pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest before fleeing the scene. Despite efforts by police and paramedics, including CPR and blood transfusions, Metcalf tragically died in the arms of his twin brother, Hunter Metcalf.
Anthony had admitted to the police that he stabbed Metcalf, asking if it could be considered self-defense and inquiring about Metcalf’s condition. In June of this year, a Collin County jury rejected Anthony’s self-defense claim, finding him guilty of intentionally stabbing Metcalf and sentencing him to 35 years in prison.