🔴 LIVE Last updated: July 20, 2026 at 16:58 UTC
Kemetic Minds is tracking every verified development in the case of Karmelo Anthony, convicted in June 2026 of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas track meet on April 2, 2025, and sentenced to 35 years in prison. Anthony’s new legal team is now fighting for a new trial and the removal of the trial judge. This page refreshes automatically as new developments are confirmed — newest update at the top.
Karmelo Anthony Found Guilty of Murder: Inside the Trial That Gripped the Nation – gaukurinn.is
Karmelo Anthony Found Guilty of Murder: Inside the Trial That Gripped the Nation gaukurinn.is
Source: gaukurinn.is
New judge appointed to hear Karmelo Anthony's post-trial recusal motion to decide if Judge Roach stays or not – MSN
New judge appointed to hear Karmelo Anthony's post-trial recusal motion to decide if Judge Roach stays or not MSN
Source: MSN
Senior Judge Sid L. Harle assigned to hear recusal motion as handshake-deal details emerge
A post-trial judge, Senior Judge Sid L. Harle, was named to preside over the motion seeking to remove trial judge John Roach from the case. Newly surfaced court documents show Anthony’s original defense team, led by Mike Howard, had only about 10 minutes to decide whether Anthony would take the stand after prosecutors walked back an alleged off-the-record “gentleman’s agreement” that would have limited testimony to the events of April 2, 2025 and excluded character evidence and prior bullying/racism allegations involving Austin Metcalf and his twin brother. The prosecution team responded: “The entire prosecution team conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the court’s rulings.”
Source: TheGrio
Anthony's attorney publicly slams trial judge over post-verdict TV interview
Karmelo Anthony’s new legal team escalated its criticism of Judge John Roach after he gave a television interview discussing his own rulings and the jury’s verdict — the same comments now cited in the recusal motion. Asked on air if the jury got it right, Roach said, “Yeah, they did,” and defended his handling of jury selection, saying, “I followed the law in that case,” and “did it to a T,” adding he was “proud of that” but “not here to satisfy perceptions.”
Source: TMZ
New pro bono legal team files for a new trial and asks Judge Roach be removed from the case
A new legal team led by attorney Russell Wilson, working pro bono after Anthony said he could no longer afford counsel, filed motions seeking a new trial and Judge John Roach’s recusal. The filings argue Anthony’s Sixth Amendment right to a public trial was violated because only 27 public seats were available and no media cameras were allowed in the courtroom; that prosecutors breached an off-the-record evidentiary agreement on the final day of testimony, forcing Anthony to choose between testifying and “exposing himself to damaging evidence”; and that the jury instructions made it “difficult for the jury to consider Anthony acting in self-defense.” Roach is expected to refer the recusal request to a regional administrative judge for a hearing.
Source: FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
Jury sentences Anthony to 35 years, rejecting a 'sudden passion' defense
Hours after the guilty verdict, the same jury heard the sentencing phase and rejected defense arguments that Anthony acted in “sudden passion,” which could have reduced his prison time. After roughly two hours and twenty minutes of deliberation, the jury set Anthony’s sentence at 35 years — well below the 99-year maximum the murder charge carried.
Source: CBS News Texas
Jury finds Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder after roughly three hours of deliberation
A Collin County jury found Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in the April 2025 killing of Austin Metcalf, deliberating for about three hours before returning the verdict, which was read by Texas District Court Judge John Roach Jr. The murder charge carried a maximum sentence of 99 years.
Source: CNN
Grand jury indicts Anthony on a first-degree murder charge
A Collin County grand jury formally indicted Karmelo Anthony on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Austin Metcalf’s death, sending the case toward trial.
Source: FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
Bond reduced from $1 million to $250,000; Anthony released on house arrest
Collin County Judge Angela Tucker reduced Anthony’s bond from $1 million to $250,000. He posted bond the same day and was fitted with an ankle monitor, released under house-arrest conditions requiring court approval before leaving home.
Source: KERA News
Austin Metcalf is fatally stabbed at a Frisco ISD track meet; Karmelo Anthony arrested same day
During a UIL District 11-5A track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, an argument broke out after Karmelo Anthony, then 17 and a student at Frisco Centennial High School, was asked to leave the tent belonging to Frisco Memorial High School, whose team included 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. A witness on the Memorial track team said Anthony pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest before running away. Metcalf was pronounced dead at the hospital. Anthony was arrested at the scene and told officers, “I’m not alleged. I did it,” asking, “Is he going to be okay?” Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, said his other son, Austin’s twin brother, “watched his brother die in his arms.”
Source: FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
References
ABC News. (2026, June 9). Karmelo Anthony sentenced to 35 years for murder in Texas track meet stabbing. https://abcnews.com/US/karmelo-anthony-murder-trial-verdict-reached-texas-track/story?id=133687338
Bossip. (2026, July 17). Karmelo Anthony: New judge appointed for recusal hearing, Anthony's attorney flames previous judge. https://bossip.com/4603789/new-judge-appointed-for-karmelo-anthony-recusal-hearing/
CBS News Texas. (2025, April 14). Karmelo Anthony's bond reduced, granted house arrest in fatal Frisco stabbing case. https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/karmelo-anthony-frisco-stabbing-austin-metcalf-bond-reduced-house-arrest/
CBS News Texas. (2026, June 9). Karmelo Anthony sentenced to 35 years in Texas track meet murder of Austin Metcalf. https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/karmelo-anthony-sentenced-frisco-track-meet-murder/
CNN. (2026, June 9). Karmelo Anthony: Texas teen sentenced to 35 years for fatally stabbing another athlete at a high school track meet. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/09/us/karmelo-anthony-texas-verdict-murder
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth. (2026, July 7). Karmelo Anthony seeks retrial, judge's removal. https://www.fox4news.com/news/karmelo-anthony-seeks-retrial-judges-removal
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth. (2026, July). Frisco track meet stabbing: Everything we know about Karmelo Anthony, Austin Metcalf. https://www.fox4news.com/news/frisco-track-meet-stabbing-karmelo-anthony-anthony-metcalf
KERA News. (2025, April 14). Karmelo Anthony bond set at $250K by Collin County judge, accused of murder in Frisco track meet death of Austin Metcalf. https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-04-14/karmelo-anthony-bond-set-at-250k-by-collin-county-judg-accused-murder-frisco-track-meet-austin-metcalf
NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. (2026, July 7). Karmelo Anthony seeks new trial, new judge in track meet murder. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/karmelo-anthonys-attorneys-ask-for-new-trial-new-judge-in-frisco-track-meet-murder-case/4046043/
NewsNation. (2026, July 7). Karmelo Anthony appeal: Broken 'gentleman's agreement' kept him off the stand, defense team claims. https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/southwest/karmelo-anthony-gentlemans-deal-witness-stand-reports/
TMZ. (2026, July 16). Karmelo Anthony's lawyer rips trial judge. https://www.tmz.com/2026/07/16/karmelo-anthony-attorney-slams-trial-judge/
TheGrio. (2026, July 17). New judge assigned to Karmelo Anthony's case as handshake deal between prosecutors and Anthony's old legal team comes to light. https://thegrio.com/2026/07/17/karmelo-anthony-new-judge-prior-deal-prosecutors/
Yahoo News. (2026, July 17). New judge assigned to Karmelo Anthony's case as handshake deal between prosecutors and Anthony's old legal team comes to light. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/judge-assigned-karmelo-anthony-case-002100071.html
Methodology: Entries are added only after confirmation from at least one named outlet (wire services, Texas TV/print, or court filings reported by a named outlet). Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years on June 9, 2026; his new legal team has filed a motion for a new trial and to recuse the trial judge, and that motion remains pending before Senior Judge Sid L. Harle. No court has yet ruled on the recusal or new-trial motions. This page will keep updating as the court, attorneys, or families release new information.