What Jurors Didn’t Hear in the Karmelo Anthony Case

The jury that convicted Karmelo Anthony of the murder of Austin Metcalf never heard the full story of either teenager’s background. It’s been over two months since the Black Texas teen was handed a 35-year sentence– one that his family and civil rights activists continue to criticize.

Now, a retrial hearing is revealing shocking details about both teens that were previously kept from public view. For months, many have viewed the case through two opposite character identities: the promising young white athlete who was killed and the Black teenager accused of killing him.

But the latest hearing is showing that neither boy’s history was quite that simple.

According to records discussed in court, Metcalf had a history that included allegations of bullying, fights and racist behavior. He and his twin brother, Hunter, were placed on juvenile probation after being accused of spray-painting graffiti containing racial slurs, references to the Ku Klux Klan and “Heil Hitler.”

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More than that, Austin allegedly had a history of bullying. One instance involved a Black student, and another in which he allegedly knocked a female student to the ground and punched her in the stomach, according to records obtained by CBS News. He was also suspended after allegedly talking about bringing a gun to school.

The documents present Metcalf as a student with anger issues, for which he sought counseling. Still, those allegations do not explain Metcalf’s killing, nor do they clarify what exactly happened during the confrontation with Anthony.

We previously told you the Metcalf brothers approached Anthony, who was seated under a tent during a track meet in April 2025. When the brothers asked Anthony to leave their tent, a physical altercation broke out, and Anthony, who brought a knife to the event, stabbed Metcalf in the chest.

His lawyers claimed self-defense, but prosecutors argued the killing happened in cold blood. Much like Metcalf, Anthony’s past has also drawn scrutiny as investigators and attorneys examine his prior history.

Prosecutors presented evidence involving messages about fighting, weapons and violence, according to CBS News. Anthony’s former girlfriend reportedly told a school administrator that she was afraid of him and that he would not accept their breakup. He allegedly threatened to kill her multiple times and reportedly brought a gun and knife to school on different occasions.

Prosecutors also pointed to a message Anthony allegedly sent shortly before Metcalf’s killing that they say reflected his emotional state at the time.

When the trial began this year, prosecutors and defense attorneys reached an informal agreement to keep potentially inflammatory character evidence about both teens away from the jury, according to Fox News.

Attorneys were concerned that bringing these details into a case involving a Black defendant and a white victim could further inflame racial tensions. But that agreement may have had another consequence.

His former attorney testified that he had been expected to testify, but Anthony’s lawyers now argue that concerns about what could come out if he testified kept him off the witness stand.

Prosecutors disagree. They say the agreement did not prevent Anthony from testifying and that he had an opportunity to discuss the decision with his lawyers and family before ultimately telling the judge he did not want to take the stand.

That dispute is now central to Anthony’s request for a new trial, under a new judge, Michael Chitty, after the previous judge was removed this week.