Prosecutors Reveal Disturbing Texts From Karmelo Anthony — Accuse Him Of “Fantasizing About A Violent Act”
Prosecutors reveal disturbing texts at appeal hearing.
Karmelo Anthony’s legal team scored a win in court this week. But prosecutors introduced evidence a day later that could complicate his path forward.
Anthony, 19, was convicted in June of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a fatal stabbing at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, last year. He’s now serving a 35-year sentence while his defense pushes for a new trial, arguing he was denied a fair proceeding.
That push got a boost Wednesday when a visiting judge removed state District Judge John Roach from the case. Anthony’s attorneys had sought Roach’s recusal partly over a TV interview in which the judge said jurors “got it right” with their guilty verdict.
Anthony’s team also raised concerns about courtroom restrictions during the original trial and claims he faced pressure to waive his right to testify.
Prosecutors Introduced Disturbing Text Messages
Karmelo Anthony arrest (Photo via Twitter)
The tone shifted sharply at Thursday’s hearing. State Prosecutor Bill Wirskye told the court that text messages recovered from Anthony’s phone revealed a disturbing fixation on violence. “There is a text message where he fantasizes about stabbing someone and licking the blood off the blade,” Wirskye said, according to the Daily Mail.
Wirskye also described messages sent just hours before the killing. Anthony’s ex-girlfriend had told an assistant principal that day that he was stalking her, and prosecutors say Anthony sent her a photo of a knife along with the message, “I’m lowkey on the verge.”
Wirskye told the court that Anthony’s parents had previously enrolled him in a special LSU program in Baton Rouge designed for children struggling to control aggression and “keep their hands to themselves.”
A prior agreement between both legal teams had kept some of this information out of the original trial. According to reporting on the hearing, a “gentleman’s agreement” between prosecutors and the defense initially barred character witnesses from discussing certain details about both Anthony and Metcalf, shielding potentially damaging information about either teenager from jurors.
The Case Has Drawn National Attention For Over A Year
Karmelo Anthony (Photo via Google)
This case has generated intense public interest since the stabbing occurred in April 2025, fueled in part by conflicting claims about surveillance footage that circulated online well before the trial.
Anthony’s fundraising page also drew hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from supporters who believed he acted in self-defense, a claim jurors ultimately rejected after four days of testimony and roughly three hours of deliberation.
Both families have said they faced harassment as the case gained national attention. Metcalf’s family has continued attending hearings throughout the proceedings, including Thursday’s session, as Anthony’s legal team argues for another chance at trial.
No ruling has been issued yet on whether Anthony will receive a new trial. The case now moves forward under a newly assigned judge as both sides continue presenting their arguments in the coming weeks.
