Karmelo Anthony’s Father Objects to Jury Composition: “No Black People – My Son Was Discriminated Against”

In a fiery post-verdict statement, Karmelo Anthony’s father has publicly condemned the all-white jury that convicted his son of murder and sentenced him to 35 years in prison, accusing the Collin County court system of racial discrimination. “There were no Black people on that jury,” the father declared outside the courthouse on June 11, 2026. “My son was judged by people who don’t look like him, don’t understand his life, and never gave him a fair chance. This is discrimination, plain and simple.”

The outburst adds fresh controversy to the already explosive case in which 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high-school track meet in Frisco, Texas, on April 2, 2025. Jurors deliberated less than three hours before rejecting Anthony’s self-defense claim and returning a guilty verdict. The same panel later imposed the 35-year sentence after dismissing a “sudden pᴀssion” reduction.

Court records confirm that none of the 12 jurors or six alternates seated were Black — a point Anthony’s defense team raised during jury selection but was overruled. The family’s appeal, filed within 24 hours of sentencing, now explicitly cites the lack of racial diversity on the panel as grounds for a new trial, arguing it violated Anthony’s Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury drawn from a fair cross-section of the community.

Anthony’s mother echoed the sentiment in an emotional interview: “They saw a Black boy with a knife and decided the story before they heard the evidence. My son was scared. He didn’t want to hurt anyone.” The parents maintain their son acted in fear during a heated confrontation after being asked to leave a rival team’s tent.

Prosecutors countered that the evidence was overwhelming and that the jury was selected through a standard, race-neutral process. “The law doesn’t require a jury to match the defendant’s race,” one ᴀssistant district attorney stated. “It requires fairness — and this jury delivered that.”

The case has become a national flashpoint, with protests outside the courthouse and online campaigns both supporting and condemning the verdict. Civil-rights groups have called for an investigation into jury-selection practices in Collin County, while victims’ advocates insist the outcome reflects justice for Austin Metcalf.

As Anthony begins serving his sentence in a Texas prison, his family vows to fight the conviction all the way to the highest courts. “This isn’t over,” his father said. “We will not let our son be another statistic of a broken system.” The dramatic jury-composition challenge ensures the legal battle — and the public debate — will continue for months, if not years.