- Anthony convicted of murder, sentenced to 35 years, now appealing conviction and sentence.
- Jury selection and racial bias issues are expected to be raised on appeal.
- Supporters of Anthony and the victim clash outside court, leading to two arrests.
It is NOT over!
Karmelo Anthony is moving forward with an appeal after a Collin County jury convicted him of murder and sentenced him to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school reunion in Frisco, Texas. The notice of appeal was filed less than 24 hours after the verdict and sentencing, marking the first formal step in challenging both the conviction and the sentence imposed by the court. Under Texas law, he will be eligible for parole after serving a portion of that sentence.
According to court records cited by Fox 4Anthony’s legal team has now formally notified the court that it intends to appeal. Legal experts note that filing a notice of appeal is a routine procedure in serious felony cases and does not automatically result in a new trial or reversal of the conviction. Instead, the appellate courts will examine whether there were legal errors during the case that could have affected the outcome.
Seam BOSSIP has previously reportedAnthony’s highly publicized trial centered on the April 2025 confrontation at Kuykendall Stadium that ended in Metcalf’s death. Prosecutors argued that Anthony committed an unwarranted and deliberate attack after a dispute under a team tent during a rain delay. Defense attorneys maintained throughout the trial that Anthony acted in self-defense, arguing that he feared for his safety during the confrontation. Jurors ultimately rejected this argument and found him guilty of murder.
Potential issues expected to be raised on appeal include concerns Anthony’s supporters have previously expressed about jury selection. The defense protested during the trial after no black jurors were ultimately seated, although the trial judge rejected claims that prosecutors improperly excluded jurors based on race. Supporters have continued to argue that racial bias played a role in the case, while prosecutors have maintained that the conviction was based solely on the evidence presented in court.
Anthony has since been transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice while the appeals process begins, a process that could take months or even years to resolve.
Outside court, supporters of Anthony and supporters of Metcalf clashed in heated confrontations that led to two arrests. One arrest was a black man named Sholdon Daniels, who is a Dallas-area attorney and former Republican congressional candidate, charged with public intoxication. The second arrest was of a man named Jerome Winston for illegally carrying a weapon.
BOSSIP will continue to monitor the complaints process and will publish new information as it becomes available.
