Karmelo Anthony's defense team is mounting a challenge to his murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence, alleging prosecutors broke agreements and coerced the teenager into surrendering his right to testify during trial.
Anthony, 19, was convicted last month by a Texas jury of fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf, 17, at a track meet in 2025. The incident occurred in Frisco, a Dallas suburb roughly 30 miles north of the city.
In a motion filed Tuesday, Anthony's lawyers argued the conviction should be overturned on multiple grounds. The core claim centers on an alleged unwritten understanding between the defense and prosecution that evidence would focus solely on what transpired at the track meet that day, excluding character or background information about either teenager.
According to the filing, this agreement emerged from off-the-record conversations but was never formally documented to prevent media attention. Prosecutors, the defense asserts, violated that compact by citing details about Anthony playing chess in their opening statement as justification for introducing character evidence.
When prosecutors signaled their intention to present this broader material, Anthony faced a strategic bind. A court advisor warned him that testifying would "almost certainly open" the door to damaging extraneous evidence. Rather than risk that exposure, Anthony chose not to take the stand, a decision his lawyers now argue was effectively coerced by prosecutorial overreach.
The defense also raised constitutional concerns, claiming the trial's restrictions on camera and streaming access violated Anthony's right to a public proceeding. They further contended the jury received improper instructions to disregard the self-defense claim that formed the centerpiece of Anthony's case.
"On a record in which self-defense was the heart of the case, that error was not harmless, and it requires a new trial," the motion stated.
The Collin County District Attorney's Office did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations. At a news conference following the jury's verdict, the DA declared "justice was served" alongside members of the Metcalf family.
The case attracted significant public attention, sparking debate about racial dimensions after three African-American prospective jurors were removed during selection. Prosecutors attributed the strikes to the individuals' backgrounds as educators rather than race-based reasoning. The case also drew attention from far-right activist Jake Lang, whose group Protect White Americans staged protests in Frisco. Lang was banned from entering Texas following allegations he made a terroristic threat against Anthony.
Author James Rodriguez: "This motion highlights how quickly trial strategy can hinge on prosecutorial credibility, and whether agreements struck off the record carry weight when a young defendant's decades of freedom hang in the balance."
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