Texas track meet killer Karmelo Anthony will not get a new murder trial, a Texas judge decided Saturday.
Following a two-day hearing last week in Collin County, Judge Michael Chitty denied the retrial motion after reviewing “evidence and argument,” according to the order.
AP News reports that the judge “did not elaborate” on his decision.
“We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a statement.
“The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing.”
As Criminal Enterprise reported, a Collin County jury found Anthony guilty in June for the 2025 murder of 17-year old Austin Metcalf.
The decision came swiftly, with the twelve-person jury deliberating for around two and a half hours. Anthony is now serving a 35-year prison sentence at the Wallace Pack Unit in Grimes County.
Anthony, a Centennial High School student at the time, attacked Metcalf, a Memorial High School student, over a seating dispute in April 2025, during a track meet at Frisco’s David Kuykendall Stadium.
The incident happened after Anthony, who reportedly skipped school to attend the meet, sat under a tent designated for Memorial students and refused to leave when confronted by members of the Memorial track team.
While the prosecution argued that the attack had been an unjustified “sneak attack,” the defense argued that Anthony acted in self-defense, fearing for his safety after being swarmed by a group of Memorial students.
The stabbing, according to Collin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura, left a gaping wound, measuring two-and-a-half inches, on the left side of Metcalf’s chest. It penetrated through his pericardium, reaching the right ventricle of his heart.
Following the murder conviction, Anthony’s defense pushed for a retrial, arguing that that Collin County District Judge John Roach Jr., who presided over the murder trial, should be recused.
In August, Visiting Judge Sid Harle ordered Roach’s recusal, citing Roach’s public comments after the murder trial.
During a televised interview with WFAA-TV, Roach said that they jury had “got it right,” in reference to the guilty verdict.
“My primary goal in every case is to make sure the defendant and the prosecution get a fair trial. Period,” Roach said. “I know I made people mad but I’m not here to make them happy either.”
Chitty, a retired Kaufman County District Judge, subsequently took over the case.
Anthony’s defense team also argued that an informal evidence deal fell apart, which prevented Anthony from testifying in his own defense.
Since he did not testify, the defense argued that that the jury did not have an explanation specifically from Anthony as to for why he thought the stabbing had been in self-defense.
Further, the defense argued that there were public access restrictions to the courtroom and issues with the jury instructions that made the trial unfair.
“We respectfully disagree with the ruling and remain firmly committed to protecting our client’s rights,” Russell Wilson, one of Anthony’s defense lawyers, stated after Chitty’s decision.
The defense team reportedly plans to file an appeal and will pursue the case in the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas.
Check back for updates.
[Featured image: Metcalf/Hudl; Anthony/Texas Department of Criminal Justice]
