A teen convicted over the killing of another student at a high school track meet is now trying to overturn the verdict, as his attorneys push for a new trial and for the judge who oversaw the case to step aside.
Karmelo Anthony, 19, was convicted on June 9, 2026 of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, who was fatally stabbed at a Frisco, Texas, track meet in April 2025.
Jurors in Collin County needed fewer than three hours to find Anthony guilty, rejecting his claim that he acted in self-defence. He was sentenced later that day to 35 years in prison.
Anthony filed a notice of appeal shortly after the verdict, beginning the formal process of challenging the conviction.
Now, his newly assembled appellate team has gone a step further, filing both a motion for a new trial and a verified motion to recuse Judge John Roach Jr. from any remaining post-trial proceedings.
In a statement, the Stand With Karmelo Coalition said the defense had submitted a motion asking for Roach to be removed from presiding over any further matters in the case. The group also said the motion for a new trial raises constitutional and legal issues from the original proceedings and asks that those arguments be handled by an independent judge.
“The defense has also filed a Motion for new trial, raising constitutional and legal challenges stemming from the trial, and is requesting that those issues be decided by an independent judge.”
According to the filings described by Anthony’s attorneys, one of the main arguments is that the trial was effectively closed off to the public in a way that violated his right to a public proceeding. His lawyers have pointed to limits on courtroom access, the absence of an overflow room and the judge’s restrictions on media coverage during the trial.
The defense has also argued that the judge’s public comments after sentencing raise questions about impartiality. Roach defended his courtroom restrictions in interviews and written statements after the verdict, saying the limits were intended to protect the process, witnesses and jury.
Roach has not publicly commented on the recusal motion itself, but he has said the trial was handled fairly and that his restrictions were meant to protect the judicial process.
Anthony’s appellate lawyers are led by Russell Wilson, who is serving as lead counsel. The team also includes Michael L. Ware, Gary Bledsoe, Brooke Cluse, Sean Daredia and Justin A. Moore, and the coalition says they are working on a pro bono basis while reviewing the trial record.
Lee Merritt, an attorney who has advised Anthony’s family but is not part of the formal defense team, previously said he expected appellate issues to include whether race played a role in jury selection and whether Anthony received effective representation at trial. The jury included no Black jurors, a fact that has drawn criticism from some of Anthony’s supporters.
Merritt has also criticized Anthony’s original lawyers, though those comments came from an outside adviser and have not been ruled on by any court.
The case began with a confrontation at the track meet, where Metcalf had reportedly been told by his coach to keep students from other schools out from under his team’s tent.
According to trial accounts, Anthony was asked several times to leave that area. The confrontation then turned physical before Metcalf was stabbed and died at the scene.
The new-trial filing does not automatically overturn the conviction. If another judge is assigned to hear it, that judge would decide whether the case should be retried. If the motion is denied, Anthony’s attorneys are expected to continue with the direct appeal already underway.
For now, Anthony remains in protective custody at the Wallace Pack Unit near Navasota, Texas.