Jury selection in Karmelo Anthony murder case delivers major blow to defense as trial begins

By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-04 15:00:50 | Updated at 2026-06-08 08:29:39 3 days ago

The teen on trial for allegedly fatally stabbing a Texas high school football star suffered a major blow after jury selection wrapped without a single black juror seated on the panel, according to reports.

The trial for Karmelo Anthony, who is black, will kick off Thursday morning with opening statements in the case accusing him of killing Austin Metcalf because of a dispute over seating at a track and field meet last year.

Anthony’s lawyer, Mike Howard, objected to prosecutors’ last three strikes of potential jurors on Wednesday, claiming the dismissal of the panelists were racially motivated, according to local outlet WFAA.

Karmelo Anthony in a light suit being escorted by two men in dark suits through a doorway.

“Those three were 100% of the available African-American jurors in the strike zone,” Howard claimed.

But prosecutors countered that the choice was not racial but rather was made because all three of those jurors were teachers.

Judge John Roach Jr. ultimately sided with the prosecution that the choice wasn’t based on race.

At the conclusion of selection Wednesday, 18 jury members were seated, including six alternates.

Anthony, 19, faces up to life in prison if convicted of the April 2, 2025 killing.

Here is the latest on the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf

Metcalf, of Frisco Memorial High School, asked Anthony, then a 17-year-old senior from Frisco Centennial High School, to move from Memorial’s seating area during the meet at Kuykendall Stadium.