Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico is finally commenting on the case involving convicted-murderer Karmelo Anthony, and he’s siding with the killer.
James Talarico says Karmelo Anthony was convicted because "there were no black members of the jury" and the "system is not working for black Texans."
— Brandon Gill (@realBrandonGill) August 20, 2026
Karmelo Anthony stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf to death for absolutely no reason.
And @jamestalarico sides with the killer. pic.twitter.com/kFIPWiMxp2
Talarico joined the popular podcast and radio show The Breakfast Club, where he announced his belief that Anthony was found guilty for the murder of Austin Metcalf because of racial bias on the jury.
“Right now we’ve got a system that doesn’t serve all Americans equally,” Talarico said. “We know that black Texans have not gotten the justice they deserve.”
“I know that there were no black members of the jury,” Talarico continued. “To me, that’s all of the evidence that you need to prove that this system is not working for black Texans.”
In April 2025, Anthony stabbed high school track athlete Metcalf at a track meet during a confrontation. Witnesses claim that Metcalf had requested that Anthony leave his team’s tent, a request which was made 15 times. Prosecutors claimed that Anthony attacked Metcalf in a “sneak attack” while wielding a concealed knife when he threatened Metcalf, saying “touch me and find out” with his hands inside of his backpack.
In June, a jury would convict Anthony of murder and would dole out a sentence of 35 years with the possibility of parole after half the sentence served.
Despite Talarico’s claims, the 589 person jury pool contained multiple prospective black jurors. Prosecutors dismissed potential black jurors after it was found that some admitted to being incapable of impartiality.
Anthony’s defense team is currently fighting for a retrial. Judge John Roach Jr., who presided over the initial trial, has been recused from the appeals process.