Karmelo Anthony allegedly suffered “substantial” abuse in his home before he drove a knife into Austin Metcalf’s heart — a claim his attorneys say jurors never heard because of a confidential understanding reached with prosecutors.
Newly unsealed court records obtained by the Daily Mail were filed by a new defense team for the 19-year-old as part of his effort to secure a retrial.
One of the most striking assertions in the filings is that Anthony was a “victim of family violence,” and that the jury could have viewed the case differently if evidence of his alleged abuse history had been presented at trial.
Anthony is asking for a new trial after being convicted earlier this summer of murdering 17-year-old Metcalf on April 2, 2025.
The teenagers were attending a track meet at a football stadium in Frisco, Texas, when a verbal dispute beneath a high school team tent spiraled into violence. As Metcalf leaned forward to shove Anthony, prosecutors said Anthony pulled a folding knife from his backpack and stabbed Metcalf through the heart.
A Dallas, Texas, jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Anthony guilty of murder, declining to convict him on the lesser charge of manslaughter. He was later sentenced to 35 years in prison.
The newly released documents also point to an unusual agreement behind the scenes between prosecutors and Anthony’s original defense lawyers, with both sides agreeing to keep potentially prejudicial information about both teens away from the jury.
That arrangement, characterized in the filings as a “gentleman’s agreement,” allegedly limited what character witnesses for Anthony were allowed to tell the court about him and his family background.
Karmelo Anthony is currently serving a 35 year sentence after being convicted of murder in the summer but he is seeking a new trial
Anthony (left) was found guilty of the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf (right ) at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas in April 2025
‘In reliance upon the agreement, the defense also did not go into substantial family violence Mr. Anthony had witnessed and been a victim of in his home,’ Anthony’s lawyers wrote in the July 7 documents calling for a retrial.
The deal, struck between Anthony’s then-defense attorney Mike Howard and prosecutors for the state, was made in the spirit of trying the case ‘based on what happened under the tent,’ court documents stated.
In the handshake deal, Howard agreed not to ‘go into evidence related to the Metcalf twins’ character, reputation or extraneous offenses/acts related to violence and bullying as well as racism,’ according to the unsealed documents.
In return, prosecutors would not use Anthony’s cellphone records and school disciplinary history in court.
‘I don’t know why, in good conscious, any attorney would agree to these terms,’ Dominque Alexander, a Dallas black community activist, told Our News Outlet, adding that neither he nor Anthony’s family was privy to the deal.
Dominque claimed that Anthony’s parents learned of it only after Howard told Anthony’s new lawyers, who are now handling his appeal.
Neither Anthony’s parents or Alexander would have been in favor of such a deal, Alexander added.
Jeff Metcalf, the victim’s father, declined to comment ‘on ongoing court proceedings’ when asked about the deal or allegations either of his sons had made racist remarks.
The Memorial High School tent where Metcalf was stabbed during a track meet in Frisco, Texas
Metcalf, 17, (pictured) was bleeding in his brother’s arms as paramedics headed to the track
Alexander had said the secret deal is the probably ‘one of the reasons,’ the teen ultimately didn’t take the the stand.
As Daily Mail first reported, the teen had been scheduled to do so on the last day of the trial, operating under the belief he would be acquitted of the murder charge against him.
Wirskye did not reply to Daily Mail’s request for comment, however, he told the Dallas Morning News he stands by the case his team put forward.
‘I and the entire prosecution team conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the court’s rulings and any agreements with defense counsel,’ Wirskye said.
‘The jury heard extensive evidence over the course of the trial and returned a unanimous verdict. We remain confident in that verdict and the fairness of the proceedings.’
A courtroom sketch shows the district attorney pointing at Karmelo Anthony
Minister Dominique Alexander pictured with Karmelo Anthony
Neither Alexander nor Jeff Metcalf responded to Our News Outlet’s request for comment on the newly unsealed documents.
Allegations of abuse may have indeed impacted the trial, but proving it will still be a steep uphill battle at appeal, according to experts.
‘At this stage, they’re putting it before the court only to say, ‘hey, they dropped the ball on this, and he was denied a fair trial. And I think that this is going to be a hard hurdle,’ defense attorney Lisa Figueroa told Our News Outlet.
Figueroa, who is not affiliated with the case, also noted it was ‘odd’ that Anthony’s defense did not use it as mitigation during sentencing, in order to ask for leniency.
‘They could have made an argument like a battered woman…if you’re a victim of certain kind of abuse, then you react or respond to something in a different way.’
Anthony’s appeal will continue in the next hearing on Wednesday, August 19.
