Court Filing in Karmelo Anthony Case Reveals Alleged Racist, Homophobic Messages and Firearm Images Jurors Never Saw

A 75-page court filing connected to Karmelo Anthony's murder prosecution details years of alleged messages, photographs and videos that jurors were not shown before they convicted him in the April 2, 2025, stabbing death of 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf.

What the Filing Alleges

The filing — discussed publicly at Anthony's August hearing seeking a new trial — summarizes material collected from police reports, school records and Anthony's cellphone. Reporting published Sept. 8, citing records obtained by multiple outlets, includes message excerpts attributed to Anthony that use racist and homophobic language and other communications describing fights, threats and weapons.

Some messages reportedly date back to 2021, when Anthony would have been about 13 or 14. Other items in the file come from the months before the April 2, 2025 track‑meet confrontation in Frisco, Texas, that left Metcalf dead.

Allegations About Language and Conduct

Media outlets, including TMZ and CBS News Texas, reported that the filing contains messages attributed to Anthony with derogatory comments about Black women and gay people, as well as texts in which he discussed fights, claimed to have struck other students and wrote about robbing someone for $300. The file also reportedly includes threatening messages that reference guns and knives and an allegation from a girlfriend about stalking behavior the morning of the fatal encounter.

Photos and Videos of Firearms

The filing reportedly contains images and video clips depicting firearms. One May 2024 photo is said to show Anthony posing with an AK‑47–style rifle; another image or clip from later in 2024 reportedly shows him holding a handgun. A video dated Jan. 4, 2025, is said to show Anthony pointing a gun toward a house before running away.

News reports emphasize that the record does not establish any direct link between the firearms shown or discussed in those records and Metcalf's death. The April 2025 confrontation involved a knife, and prosecutors presented firearm material in later proceedings as background rather than proof that a gun played a role in the killing.

Trial Limits and Legal Challenge

Prosecutors and Anthony's original defense team had a private agreement to exclude character and background evidence about both teenagers from the jury, aiming to keep the trial focused on what happened beneath the tent at the track meet. Media reporting indicates material involving Metcalf included a graffiti incident, alleged use of racial slurs and claims of bullying or assault.

Prosecution View: Prosecutors say the excluded background was correctly kept out so jurors could decide only what occurred during the brief confrontation.
Defense View: Anthony's new lawyers contend uncertainty about what damaging background could be introduced if he testified influenced his decision not to take the stand, and they argued this affected his right to a fair trial.

Judge Michael Chitty denied Anthony's motion for a new trial on Aug. 22. His attorneys said they would continue to appeal to the Fifth Court of Appeals and pursue other legal remedies. Anthony's murder conviction and 35‑year sentence remain in place.

Context

The case drew extensive online commentary, much of it racialized: Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white. Lawyers for both sides told jurors at trial that the death was not about race, and the pretrial limits on background evidence were intended to prevent the trial from becoming a broader inquiry into either teen's past.

Reporting referenced in this article includes accounts from TMZ, the Daily Mail, CBS News Texas and The Associated Press. Allegations described here were included in court filings and media reports; they have not been proven beyond what was presented at trial.