Karmelo Anthony is seeking a new trial after a Texas jury rejected his self-defense argument and found him guilty of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at an April 2025 track meet in Frisco, Texas.
He was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing, but his new high-profile legal team has since argued that Anthony deserves a new trial because the prosecution breached an unrecorded pre-trial agreement where both sides pledged not to introduce “character, reputation, or extraneous-conduct evidence concerning” the victim, his twin brother, and Anthony.
The Anthony team scored a victory in court on Wednesday when Judge John Roach, who presided over the June trial, was removed from the case after he refused defense calls to recuse himself. Retired District Judge Michael Chitty was named in his place and oversaw Thursday’s retrial hearing.
It was during that hearing that the prosecutor in the case dropped bombshell new allegations about Anthony’s behavior in the lead up to the crime.
The Revelations
During Thursday’s hearing, Collin County District Attorney Bill Wirskye acknowledged there was an agreement in place to not delve into the character of the victim or defendant during the trial – which would have included, among other things, allegations Metcalf graffitied racially charged messages and texts supposedly sent by Anthony in which he fantasizing about stabbing someone – and said he offered it to the defense because he believed his case was strong enough to secure a conviction.
He then dove into some of what prosecutors had uncovered about Anthony. According to The Daily Mail’s MaryAnn Martinez, who was in the courtroom, Wirskye told the court that, on the morning of the stabbing, Anthony’s high school girlfriend confided to an assistant principal that she was scared because he was stalking her following a breakup.
The girlfriend said she received a text message from Anthony on April 2, 2025, with a picture of a knife and the message, “I’m low key on the verge.” Wirskye described Anthony as “spiraling” and, hours later, he stabbed Metcalf.
Martinez reported the D.A. said Anthony had a history of violence and wanting to stab someone, telling the court about an October 2024 text message in which he allegedly “fantasizes about stabbing someone and licking the blood off the blade.”
Anthony was also allegedly obsessed with starting fights. Wirskye shared that the defendant had been enrolled in a program at Louisiana State University for kids who can’t keep their hands to themselves when he lived in Louisiana prior to moving to Texas.
According to independent journalist Sarah Fields, who has extensively covered this case, the prosecution only scratched the surface at the hearing. “I hope you all understand that IF a retrial is granted, EVERYTHING – texts, behavior, history – all of Karmelo’s dirty laundry could potentially be aired. And I promise you, it’s not good,” she posted on X.
Legal Analysis
On Thursday’s show, Megyn was joined by attorneys Arthur Aidala, Dave Aronberg, and Ashleigh Merchant to discuss the revelations and what they reveal about how the case was initially tried. Watch:
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Aidala, Aronberg, and Merchant by tuning in to episode 1,383 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.