Karmelo Anthony murder trial will have NO black jurors after pool of 500 was whittled down to 12 as they prepare to hear about killing of Austin Metcalf: Live updates
Updated:
Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial will begin with opening statements on Thursday morning after a 12-person jury was seated without any black jurors.
A jury of men and women with six alternates was selected after roughly 500 prospective jurors were questioned in a process that began Monday. Defense attorneys later raised a legal objection, arguing that some potential jurors were struck off based on race.
Anthony, now 19, fatally stabbed 17-year-old football star Austin Metcalf with a pocket knife at a track meet in Frisco, Texas in April 2025 after the pair got into a heated argument.
Fellow student athlete Anthony claimed he acted in self defense in the disagreement over seating at the Centennial High School meet.
The trial is expected to last around two weeks with the case drawing intense national attention over race and privilege, with supporters rallying behind Anthony saying he has been treated unfairly due to his race.
At least 35 witnesses are expected to testify in the case, some of whom are anticipated to be student athletes, coaches, as well as Metcalf’s twin brother Hunter who held him in his arms as he died shortly after he was stabbed.
Follow the Daily Mail for updates…
Karmelo Anthony murder trial will have NO black jurors
No black jury members were selected in the high-profile murder trial of Karmelo Anthony.
The jury was whittled down to 12 jurors and 6 alternates from 500 people on Wednesday, after extensive vetting by both prosecutors and the defense.
Defense attorneys accused prosecutors of striking the final three black jurors because of their race.
When asked by the judge why those three jurors were removed, prosecutors insisted it was because of their occupation; all three were educators.
Prosecutors are required by law to provide ‘race-neutral’ reasons for striking a potential juror, and it is up to the judge to decide if it is legal to remove them.
Ultimately, District Judge John Roach Jr sided with the prosecution and allowed them to be removed.
Earlier in the day, one potential juror identified as black by the prosecution said he would ‘have a hard time putting a brother in jail.’
Opening arguments are expected to begin today.
I watched footage of the race crime that split America. What I saw shocked me – and this is how it could flip the case
It was just after 10 a.m. on April 2, during what should have been a typical high school track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
Students were warming up and stretching, patiently waiting for the competition to resume after a paused due to heavy rain.
Spectators and some students took cover under a tent in the bleachers of Memorial High School.
The atmosphere was calm and uneventful – until it suddenly turned to bloodshed.
In a matter of seconds, then-17-year-old Karmelo Anthony fatally stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, transforming a rain delay into a crime scene.
On Monday, the Daily Mail became one of only two news organizations granted access to surveillance footage of the deadly incident – a killing that shocked the nation and ignited debates about race, privilege and the criminal justice system.
Judge presiding over Austin Metcalf murder case bans recording and photography inside courtroom
With all the public scrutiny, the judge in the murder case has issued an order tightly regulating public conduct during the criminal proceedings.
‘This Court finds that this case has generated substantial public and media attention and that unrestricted access or activity may compromise courtroom security, juror privacy, and the Defendant’s right to a fair trial,’ the court order obtained by the Daily Mail states.
Judge John Roach Jr. ordered that no recording, broadcasting or photography be allowed in the courtroom during the trial. Additionally, only nine members of credentialed media will be allowed in the court room per day, and the court will decide who is credentialed.
There will also be strict rules about decorum.
‘All persons present in the courtroom shall remain silent and respectful at all times. No talking, gestures, facial expressions, or other reactions to testimony, rulings or proceedings shall be permitted.’
Karmelo Anthony’s family raises over $500k ahead of murder trial
The Anthony family has already received over half a million dollars through an online fundraiser in the wake of Karmelo murder trial, however, the teen’s parents explained they need more due to the legal cost associated with the case.
Last June, the fundraising goal was increased from under $100,000 to more than $1.3million.
The family said at the time in a statement on the site: ‘Now, as the legal process moves forward toward trial, we enter an even more intense phase – one that will demand everything from us emotionally, financially, and spiritually.
‘While legal expenses are a significant part of this fund, they are only one part.’
Some of the money is thought to have been used to relocate the family after claims they were targeted at their Frisco home.
35 witnesses expected to take the stand in Austin Metcalf murder trial
At least 35 witnesses are expected to stand trial in the murder case of Austin Metcalf including his own twin brother Hunter.
More than a year on from his sibling’s death, Hunter walked across the stage and accepted his and his brother’s high school diplomas during a graduation ceremony on May 21.
In emotional scenes from the graduation, the moment reportedly drew a 30 second standing ovation from the crowd.
Brother of Texas teen gets standing ovation as he accepts posthumous diploma at graduation a year after his twin died while saving him at deadly track meet
Karmelo Anthony’s likely defense strategy revealed as teen stands trial for murder of Austin Metcalf, 17, in killing that shocked America
Attorneys for the Texas teenager accused of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old at a track meet are likely to focus on the size difference between the two during his murder trial, according to a new report.
Karmelo Anthony, 19, was charged with murder after Austin Metcalf bled out in his twin brother’s arms during a track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco on April 2, 2025.
Anthony and Metcalf, both 17 at the time, had gotten into a confrontation during a rain delay at the sporting event after Metcalf called out Anthony for standing under a tent that did not belong to his school, the Frisco Police Department said.
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