Murderer Karmelo Anthony’s shameless bid to get new trial as secret ‘gentlemen’s handshake’ in court is exposed
Karmelo Anthony, who was convicted of murdering teenager Austin Metcalf at a Texas school athletics meeting, is seeking a new trial. His lawyers allege that prosecutors abandoned an informal pre-trial agreement over what evidence could be presented, changing the defence’s strategy and contributing to Anthony’s decision not to testify; prosecutors dispute the claims and maintain that the trial was fair.
Anthony received a 35-year sentence for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Metcalf on 2 April 2025 in Frisco, Texas, and may seek parole after serving half of it. The defence says both sides had agreed to exclude potentially damaging character evidence about Anthony and the Metcalf twins, but that prosecutors later argued the agreement would not apply if Anthony took the stand; the alleged agreement was not recorded publicly.
- Anthony seeks a new trial over an alleged broken evidence agreement.
- He was sentenced to 35 years for Austin Metcalf’s killing.
- Prosecutors deny wrongdoing and support the verdict.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A new trial could be justified if there is credible evidence that an undisclosed courtroom understanding affected the fairness of the original proceedings. Advocates would argue that allegations of substantial abuse at home may be relevant to Anthony’s mental state, culpability or the adequacy of his defence, and that the justice system must be willing to correct procedural unfairness even in grave cases.
The case against
Opponents would argue that a conviction and sentence should not be reopened without clear, material evidence that any alleged private arrangement caused a miscarriage of justice. They may contend that a victim’s family and the public have a strong interest in finality, and that difficult personal circumstances, while potentially important context, do not by themselves erase responsibility for a fatal stabbing.