Karmelo Anthony, the Texas teen who fatally stabbed high school track athlete Austin Metcalf to death after being asked to leave a team tent, will not receive a new murder trial after an appeal, a judge ruled on Saturday afternoon.
🚨BREAKING: A Texas judge has denied a bid for a new trial murder for Karmelo Anthony, who had been sentenced to 35 years in prison for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet. pic.twitter.com/yspWWfQEVJ
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 22, 2026
Karmelo Anthony has been denied a retrial by Texas judge, per CBS.
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) August 22, 2026
JUST IN: Karmelo Anthony loses his bid for a new trial, keeping his murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence in place.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 22, 2026
A Texas judge rejects the 19-year-old's challenge after two days of testimony over courtroom restrictions, hearings held without Anthony present and a… pic.twitter.com/gViPWG9ZJ1
“Upon reviewing the motion, the record, the evidence and argument, the briefs, and the relevant case law, the Court has determined the motion should be denied," Kaufman County District Judge Michael Chitty, according to ABC News.
The motion for a new trial from Anthony’s defense team was predicated on an unwritten “gentlemen’s agreement” which prosecutors claim had prevented Anthony from testifying in his own defense.
Information that was revealed in the appeals process included text messages from Anthony on the day of the stabbing in which he expressed a desire to “lick [the] blood off the blade” when stabbing someone.
🚨 BREAKING: KARMELO ANTHONY DENIED A NEW TRIALA Texas judge has rejected convicted murderer Karmelo Anthony’s request for a new trial, according to CBS.
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) August 22, 2026
The decision comes as prosecutors revealed disturbing texts they say Anthony sent the morning Austin Metcalf was killed,… pic.twitter.com/9y0E9pFzgG
The case made national headlines after Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico alleged that Anthony did not receive a fair trial because the jury lacked a black person.
Anthony is currently serving a 35-year sentence for the murder. He is eligible for parole after 17.5 years.
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