Context:

During a 2026 hearing, prosecutors disclosed that Karmelo Anthony’s former girlfriend warned officials he was stalking her and fixated on knives and guns hours before he stabbed a rival at a Texas track meet. The defendant had previously appeared in court records as having sought help for behavioral issues, and evidence suggested a pattern of escalating anger, with a photo of the knife used and a remark indicating he was near a breaking point. The April 2025 incident at Frisco’s track meet culminated in a guilty verdict after testimonies from students who doubted self-defense. Anthony was sentenced to 25 years in prison, while defense lawyers sought a new trial and a judge recused himself from certain appeal issues. Looking ahead, the defense will continue to pursue avenues for reconsideration amid ongoing disputes over evidentiary limits and trial conduct.

Dive Deeper:

• Prosecutors said Anthony’s high school girlfriend informed an assistant principal that he was stalking her after their breakup, and that he was obsessed with knives, guns, and fighting. She also reported receiving a photo of the knife used in the stabbing. He allegedly told her, 'I’m low key on the verge.'

• The prosecutor noted a record of Anthony attending a program to address behavioral issues, indicating prior intervention attempts before the fatal incident.

• Prosecutors argued that if historical material, including claims about the victim’s past graffiti, were fully entered as evidence, it would 'fuel the fire,' and an agreement was reached with the defense to limit such historical evidence to focus on the facts about what happened under the tent.

• Anthony stabbed Austin Metcalf under a tent at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025 after entering another team’s tent and being asked to leave; multiple students testified they did not view the act as self-defense, and the trial lasted eight days.

• The jury deliberated for about three hours before delivering a guilty verdict, leading to a 25-year prison sentence for Anthony in June.

• In separate proceedings, Judge Sid Harle ruled that trial Judge John Roach should be recused from hearing any appeal issues related to the case, amid defense concerns about Roach’s perceived opinions during the trial.

• Witness testimony from students indicated a lack of belief in Anthony’s self-defense claim, reinforcing the prosecution’s narrative of a premeditated or highly escalated act rather than an impulsive response.