OAN Staff Lillian Mann
6:17 PM – Wednesday, June 10, 2026
A day after he was convicted for the fatal 2025 stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet, Karmelo Anthony has filed a notice of appeal in the closely watched murder trial.
On Tuesday, jurors rejected Anthony’s self-defense claim for murdering Metcalf during a confrontation at a high school track meet on April 2, 2025 in Frisco, Texas. After deliberating for roughly three hours, a Collin County jury reached a unanimous verdict, sentencing Anthony to 35 years in prison for first-degree murder.
On Wednesday, the 19-year-old submitted a motion for appointment of counsel on appeal alongside a pauper’s oath, effectively requesting a waiver of appellate fees and the assignment of legal representation.
“After the conclusion of the trial yesterday, we gave the court our official notice that Karmelo Anthony is filing an appeal. We believe there are several important issues for the appellate courts to consider. An appeal is the next part of the legal process and a right afforded every American,” the appellant’s lawyer, Mike Howard told TMZ.
The incident took place during a track meet at Memorial High School and included students from multiple other schools. Witnesses reported that Anthony, a student from a rival school, entered a tent assigned to Metcalf’s school. Metcalf and other students asked him to leave, but Anthony stayed and allegedly challenged Metcalf, provoking him to try to physically remove him.
The verbal fight quickly escalated into a fatal encounter after Anthony pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed Metcalf directly in the chest.
The case, which drew national attention since the moment of Anthony’s arrest, ended with a heartbreaking courtroom scene where Metcalf’s twin brother, who had watched Austin die in his arms, confronted Anthony during victim impact statements.
Hunter Metcalf gave a raw and deeply emotional statement, looking directly at Anthony as he spoke.
“You took a son, a brother, a friend, and my best friend from this world. You took someone who was supposed to be an uncle and godfather to my kids. Now I want everything taken from you,” he said, according to CBS Texas.
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