Anthony has hired a new pro bono appellate team while Austin Metcalf\u2019s father says he\u2019s never received an apology from the Anthony family<\/p>\n
Karmelo Anthony, the Texas teen turned felon, convicted in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, has assembled a new team of prominent appellate attorneys. This comes just weeks after being sentenced to 35 years in prison. In a new press release, the group says it will independently review the trial record and pursue every available avenue of appeal.<\/p>\n
The announcement Monday came after a Collin County jury convicted Anthony of murder in the April 2025 killing of 17-year-old Metcalf. Additionally, newly released surveillance video, police body camera footage and other evidence from the case have been released to the public. The brutal footage and evidence are what jurors viewed during the trial.<\/p>\n
According to a statement released by Anthony\u2019s new legal team, the attorneys will serve pro bono and will review the trial record for potential legal errors that could form the basis of an appeal.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur appellate team has been retained following the conviction to conduct a fresh, independent review of the trial record,\u201d the attorneys said in the statement. \u201cOur 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The group includes Dallas appellate attorney Russell Wilson II, former Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit chief Michael \u201cMike\u201d Ware, Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, Brooke Cluse of Ben Crump Law, veteran criminal defense attorney Sean Daredia, and trial lawyer Justin Moore. The attorneys also acknowledged both families in their statement, saying they recognize \u201cthe profound loss suffered by one young man\u2019s family and the uncertainty facing another.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, the announcement coincides with the release of dozens of exhibits from the trial, including surveillance footage from the track stadium and body camera video from responding officers. The surveillance video, recorded from a distance and without audio, captures the moments immediately after the stabbing during a rainy high school track meet in Frisco.<\/p>\n Scroll to continue reading<\/p>\n The footage shows a figure identified during trial as Anthony running down the stadium bleachers before stumbling, getting back to his feet, and continuing to run around the track. Body camera footage released after the trial shows Anthony surrendering to police before becoming emotional.<\/p>\n \u201cHe put his hands on me,\u201d Anthony can be heard telling officers while crying. \u201cI told him not to. He put his hands on me.\u201d Anthony was taken into custody without incident.<\/p>\n Jurors ultimately rejected Anthony\u2019s claim that he acted in self-defense.<\/p>\n Appearing Monday on Fox News host Will Cain<\/a>, Austin Metcalf\u2019s father, Jeff Metcalf, said he has never spoken with Anthony\u2019s family and believes they have shown no remorse since his son\u2019s death.<\/p>\n Asked whether he had ever received an apology, Metcalf responded, \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey weren\u2019t there for the sentencing, and they were not there for victim impact statements,\u201d Metcalf told Cain. \u201cThey left that poor child up there by himself. As soon as the verdict was read \u2026 his family and some other advocates left the courtroom and turned in their badges.\u201d Metcalf also criticized what he described as efforts to inject race into the case following the stabbing, as well as blasting The View\u2019s Sunny Hostin<\/a> for \u201cmonetizing his son\u2019s death for clicks.\u201d. Anthony\u2019s family has not publicly responded to Metcalf\u2019s latest comments.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Metcalf died in the arms of his twin brother, Hunter, despite attempts by coaches and first responders to save him. Multiple 911 calls were released, where a coach can be heard saying, \u201cStay with me, Austin,\u201d breaking the hearts of jurors and those in the gallery. Anthony admitted stabbing Metcalf but maintained throughout the case that he acted in self-defense after Metcalf made physical contact with him. Again, the jury did not buy it was self-defense, or even \u201csudden passion.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Following a weeklong trial, jurors found Anthony guilty of murder on June 10 and later sentenced him to 35 years in prison. Under Texas law, he will become eligible for parole after serving 17.5 years.<\/p>\n With the conviction now entered, Anthony\u2019s newly assembled appellate team will begin reviewing thousands of pages of trial transcripts, motions and evidence to determine whether any alleged errors warrant review.<\/p>\n Anthony is currently incarcerated at the Wallace Pack Unit, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility in Grimes County near Navasota. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice\u2019s inmate database, his current assignment is Pack I, where newly sentenced inmates often undergo intake, classification and evaluation before any potential transfer to another state prison. Anthony remains there while his new appellate team begins challenging his conviction.<\/p>\n Los Angeles spoke to former Associate Warden at Brooklyn\u2019s Metropolitan Detention Center or MDC, Dr. DeWayne Hendrix, who offered Anthony some advice. \u201cFrom a correctional perspective, young adults who fare the best behind prisons walls are those who refuse to become a part prison culture. As Mr. Anthony is pursuing an appeal, he should stay clear from gangs, drugs, and violent activity. Prioritizing his safety, and protecting his mental and physical health is paramount to his future. Staying connected to his family and community will be important to this effort.\u201d<\/p>\n