A high-profile legal team announced Monday that it will represent Karmelo Anthony as he appeals his murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence in the death of Frisco teenager Austin Metcalf.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after Anthony filed a pauper’s oath requesting court-appointed legal assistance, saying he could no longer afford an attorney. The filing came the same day Anthony notified the court of his intent to appeal.
In a news release issued by Stand with Karmelo, six attorneys from North Texas and Austin said they will represent Anthony pro bono while conducting what they described as a fresh and independent review of the trial record.
The legal team, made up of appellate, civil rights and criminal defense attorneys, includes former Dallas County prosecutor Russell Wilson, Michael Ware, director of the Innocence Project of Texas, and Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe. Attorneys Brooke Cluse of Ben Crump Law, Sean Daredia and Justin A. Moore are also part of the appellate team.
Anthony was convicted by a Collin County jury on June 9 in the April 2025 death of Austin Metcalf following an altercation at a Frisco track meet. Anthony maintained that he acted in self-defense.
Jurors later sentenced Anthony, now 19, to 35 years in prison.
The attorneys say they will hold off on interviews, but they released a statement addressing their role in the case.
“Our appellate team has been retained following the conviction to conduct a fresh, independent review of the trial record. We recognize the profound loss suffered by one young man’s family and the uncertainty facing another, and we extend our respect to everyone whose lives have been forever changed by these events.”
The attorneys added: “Our responsibility is to determine whether a legal error occurred and to ensure that every issue supported by the record is fully and vigorously presented on appeal.
The appellate process exists for precisely this purpose.”
Anthony was represented at trial by privately retained defense attorney Mike Howard.
A couple of weeks ago, one of the attorneys now representing Anthony told NBC 5 that the appeal process is expected to take time and likely would not reach the 5th District Court of Appeals until later this year. Any appeal beyond that level could take significantly longer.
The announcement follows the recent public release of trial exhibits, including 911 calls, surveillance video, police body camera footage and crime scene photographs that had previously only been shown to jurors because cameras were not allowed in the courtroom.