Karmelo Anthony's retrial bid hangs in the balance as NEW details about his violent past are revealed for first time in front of judge

By MARYANN MARTINEZ, US TEXAS BUREAU CHIEF Published: 00:26, 22 August 2026 | Updated: 00:26, 22 August 2026 The fate of convicted murderer Karmelo Anthony hangs in the balance as a Texas judge decides whether the teen, found guilty in the high-profile deadly stabbing at a high school track meet, will get a new trial. On Friday, the court heard explosive new evidence that was never heard by the jury in Anthony's June trial for killing Austin Metcalf, which took place in Collin County, just north of Dallas.  Anthony's defense is now arguing that his murder conviction ought to be overturned because his rights were violated throughout the trial. However, the judge today heard how both sides willingly entered into a 'gentleman's agreement,' beforehand - which could ultimately undermine the defense's belief that rights were violated.  As part of the deal, incredibly damaging information about both Anthony and Metcalf was left out of the trial, with the jury only hearing about 'what happened under the tent' referring to the track team tent where the stabbing happened. Those details came to light in front of the judge on Friday - including that Anthony shockingly threatened to shoot up a school when he was 16, and that he had threatened to shoot and stab his girlfriend.   'Imma shoot the school up tmr,' Anthony, 19, texted in 2023 when he was 16 and attending Centennial High School in Frisco, according to court testimony. Anthony admitted he stabbed and killed Metcalf at a football stadium in Frisco during a track meet in April 2025, but maintained he did so in self-defense. Left: Karmelo Anthony pictured in June 2026. Right: Austin Metcalf pictured in a suit in a photo that was featured on his funeral tribute page After Anthony's murder trial, the judge who presided over the case released a trove of evidence, like this image of the Memorial High School tent where the stabbing happened on April 2, 2025 Almost immediately after his arrest at the track meet, the case became a national flashpoint over race, politics and privilege.  However, a diverse jury - which included Hispanics, Asians and Indians - did not buy the self-defense excuse, rejecting the option to sentence Anthony to manslaughter.  In just three hours, the jury found him guilty of murder on June 9 and sentenced him to 35 years in prison for the crime. Within days of his trial ending, Anthony's parents claimed their son had not had a fair trial and promised to fight for a new one. In the two months since his murder conviction, Anthony now has a new, high-powered team of six lawyers who have alleged that the teenager's rights were violated during the trial. In sharing what was kept out of court under the 'gentleman's agreement', prosecutors said on Friday that Anthony threatened his girlfriend Valeria Perez, who he is still dating and who has attended the hearings, with violence multiple times.  'How many bullets you want coming out of your chest,' he threatened her in 2024. That same year, he threatened to stab her, according to lawyers for the state. A few weeks later, he sent her a text revealing a violent fantasy.  'When I stab someone, I'm gonna lick the blood off the blade,' the text said. Karmelo Anthony pictured with his girlfriend, Valeria Perez. During an explosive hearing on Thursday, lawyers revealed she had broken up with him and felt that he was stalking her, she told high school officials on the day Anthony stabbed Austin Metcalf No cameras were allowed inside the courtroom for Anthony's June murder trial or for the hearing related to his request to get a new trial this week A photo of the folding knife Karmelo Anthony used to stab Austin Metcalf was released after his June murder trial Austin Metcalf is pictured being honored for his role on his high school football team He also admitted to attempting to take a weapon to the State Fair of Texas, which takes place in Dallas every fall. Prosecutors unveiled this information in a bid to disprove the defense's argument that Anthony's rights were violated.   Metcalf's history of arrests, problems at school and racist behavior was also revealed for the first time in the explosive hearing on Friday.  Anthony's lawyers claimed Metcalf and his twin brother, Austin, were allegedly caught spray-painting racist graffiti, including 'kill all black people' and the N-word, defense attorneys revealed. The twins ultimately received 12 months of probation for the incident, according to Anthony's lawyer, who also revealed that Austin had previously faced charges for assault causing bodily injury and had been arrested. In the May 2018 incident, while he was still in elementary school, he allegedly shoved a girl to the ground and injured her shoulder badly enough to require hospitalization. As testimony stretched past business hours on Friday, Anthony's attorney Russell Wilson asked Judge Michael Chitty how much longer he'd willing to hear from witnesses. 'We're bumping up against a deadline, and I need time to review all of the evidence submitted in this case over the weekend,' Chitty said. Austin Metcalf pictured with his father and twin brother, Hunter Prosecutor Bill Wirskye pictured above, revealed damning evidence about Karmelo Anthony and his violent past The murder trial for Karmelo Anthony was held at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas The retired magistrate who presided over cases for 17 years in Kaufman County has until Monday to make a decision. Legal experts predicted Anthony was facing un uphill battle to get a new trial.   'In America, you have your right to your day in court. You don't have your right to your day in court until you win,' defense attorney Jeremy Rosenthal told WFAA. 'It is a highly subjective standard, and it's almost like a mini-appeal. They have to show that there's a certain degree of unfair, not just that you didn't get your day in court.