Karmelo Anthony was found guilty of murder after a jury heard that he stalked an ex‑girlfriend, obsessed over weapons and sent threatening texts just hours before stabbing Austin Metcalf to death. The conviction carries a 35‑year prison term.
Key Evidence Excluded
Collin County Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye presented a statement from an ex‑girlfriend who told a school assistant principal on April 2, 2025, that Anthony had been stalking her and was obsessed with guns and knives, The New York Post reported. She said he sent her a photo of a knife with the caption, “I’m low‑key on the verge.”
The texts and the stalking claim were not admitted at trial because the prosecution and defense agreed to exclude prior conduct and focus solely on the day of the stabbing, Wirskye told the court. The agreement kept the jury from seeing a pattern of threatening behavior.
Wirskye said, “He was spiraling,” as he described Anthony’s mental state during the hearing. The prosecutor emphasized that the excluded evidence showed a escalating threat.
The deal also barred Metcalf’s juvenile record from evidence, a move Wirskye said was intended to prevent racial tensions from inflaming the case. Metcalf’s record included graffiti that prosecutors called “vile racist stuff,” though no details were disclosed.
During the trial, the prosecution argued Anthony was the aggressor from the start, and witnesses testified that he warned, “Touch me and see what happens,” after reaching into his bag. The warning underscored the prosecution’s claim that the confrontation turned violent instantly.
Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison. He has appealed the conviction, arguing the trial judge should be removed.
The court ordered Judge John Roach’s removal on Wednesday and assigned retired District Court Judge Michael Chitty to review Anthony’s retrial motion.
