High school athlete's murder retrial bid over Texas stabbing rejected by judge

A convicted murderer’s request for a retrial over the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old fellow athlete has been denied by a Texas judge.

Karmelo Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder in June, and sentenced to 35 years in jail, over the killing of Austin Metcalf in April 2025.

Both teenagers were athletes from different high schools in the Dallas suburb of Frisco when Anthony fatally stabbed Mr Metcalf in the chest at a meeting.

Judge Michael Chitty denied the retrial motion on Saturday in a half-page order following a two-day hearing this week near Dallas after a review of the arguments.

Anthony's lawyers said the defence would appeal the decision.

At the centre of Anthony's request for a retrial was an informal agreement between the prosecution and the defence team to keep evidence that would inflame racial tensions out of the proceedings.

The case had attracted widespread attention, and a flood of social media posts, that had cast the killing in racial terms, because of Mr Metcalf being white and Anthony black.

Concerns that the prosecution would renege on this agreement as Anthony prepared to testify emerged after a heated argument between the lawyers on both sides.

The defence changed their defence strategy at the 11th hour, and, ultimately, Anthony decided not to testify.

Jurors rejected Anthony's claims that he was defending himself during a confrontation with Mr Metcalf during the track meet.

Anthony's lawyers also argued a retrial was necessary because they said trial judge John Roach's courtroom rules were so strict that they limited the public's access to the proceedings.

When demanding Justice Roach be recused from presiding over future proceedings in the case, they noted that he gave a post-trial interview with a Dallas TV station in which he expressed agreement with the jury's decision.

"Whatever they say, they got it right," Justice Roach said.

On the day of Mr Metcalf's death, Anthony sat under the tent that belonged to the other student's team, who repeatedly told him to leave, witnesses said.

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This led to a confrontation, in which prosecutors said Anthony provoked Mr Metcalf.

Witnesses identified Anthony as the aggressor.

At one point, according to a police report, Anthony reached into his bag, and said: "Touch me and see what happens".

It was after this that Anthony pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest, witnesses said.

(c) Sky News 2026: High school athlete's murder retrial bid over Texas stabbing rejected by judge