Story perspectives

35-Year Sentence for Karmelo Anthony Sparks Racial Fairness Debate

6/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

A Collin County jury sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years for the 2025 stabbing of Austin Metcalf.
Jeff Metcalf called Karmelo Anthony a “watermelon felon” on a livestream and said he has received death threats, doxing and swatting.
Karmelo Anthony’s attorneys filed an appeal and asked the court to appoint counsel because he cannot afford one.
Community leaders and civil-rights groups said the 12-person jury lacked Black jurors, questioning fairness.

History

Historical Context

After the 1935 Norris v. Alabama ruling barred systematic exclusion of Black jurors, the Supreme Court’s 1985 Batson v. Kentucky decision required a prima-facie showing of racial discrimination, a standard later reinforced in Foster v. Chatman (2016). In 2025, a Collin County trial empaneled a twelve-person jury with no Black members, prompting civil-rights criticism and calls for tighter Batson enforcement in Texas.

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Story summary

A Collin County jury sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years for the 2025 stabbing of Austin Metcalf.
Jeff Metcalf called Karmelo Anthony a “watermelon felon” on a livestream and said he has received death threats, doxing and swatting.
Karmelo Anthony’s attorneys filed an appeal and asked the court to appoint counsel because he cannot afford one.
Community leaders and civil-rights groups said the 12-person jury lacked Black jurors, questioning fairness.

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