MCKINNEY, Texas (Court TV) — A Texas judge denied a teenager’s motion for a new trial, sending him back to prison to serve his 35-year sentence.
Karmelo Anthony appears in court. (Sketch by Pat Lopez)
Karmelo Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder in the death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, who was killed at a track meet. Anthony never denied stabbing the victim, but had argued at trial that he was acting in self-defense. The two teens had started arguing at the track meet in April 2025 because Anthony was standing under the tent for Metcalf’s school, which the defendant did not attend.
While Anthony’s appellate attorneys successfully had trial Judge John Roach recused from the case, they could not convince Judge Michael Chitty to reverse the jury’s decision.
Anthony’s defense had argued in its motion for a new trial that Roach had violated the defendant’s right to a fair and open trial by limiting media and public access to the courtroom. The motion also alleged that prosecutors violated a “gentleman’s agreement” in which both sides had agreed not to introduce any character evidence for either the defendant or the victim.
Mike Howard, who served as Anthony’s lead defense attorney at his trial, testified at the hearing on the motion for a new trial, saying he had assumed the agreement with prosecutors covered a scenario in which his client took the stand, WFAA reported. Howard recalled prosecutor Bill Wirskye approaching him during a break on the first day of trial to tell him that their deal would not cover a “testifying defendant,” leaving Howard “absolutely shocked.” Wirskye argued that he believed the agreement had been voided by Howard’s mention of Anthony’s participation in his school’s chess club; while Roach disagreed with Wirskye’s assessment, the judge admitted there was no way to legally enforce the off-the-books “agreement.”
The testimony wasn’t enough to sway the new judge. “Upon reviewing the motion, the record, the evidence and argument, the briefs and the relevant case law, the Court has determined that the motion should be denied,” Chitty wrote in his order.
“We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a statement to CBS News. “The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing.”
One of Anthony’s attorneys, Russell Wilson, told CBS News, “We respectfully disagree with the ruling and remain firmly committed to protecting our client’s rights. We believe the issues raised in our motion are substantial and deserve meaningful appellate review. The denial of our motion does not end this case. We will continue the appeal in the Fifth Court of Appeals and pursue every legal remedy available to our client.”
