Beyond the 806
Karmelo Anthony dropped plans to testify over track stabbing, lawyer says as teen seeks retrial - AP News
Karmelo Anthony backed out of plans to testify at his own Texas murder trial because his lawyers feared prosecutors would introduce damaging evidence from his past, an attorney said Friday. Anthony, now 19, was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a jury in June found him guilty of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.
Anthony, now 19, was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a jury in June found him guilty of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. Metcalf attended a rival school and was stabbed during a confrontation at a track meet last year. The case drew national attention from the moment it happened.
Anthony's legal team is now seeking a retrial. The decision not to take the stand appears to be central to that argument, with his lawyer pointing to last-minute concerns about what prosecutors might have brought up to undercut his credibility in front of the jury.
For families following this out of Lubbock, where track season is a serious part of high school life from Coronado to Monterey, the case is a grim reminder of how fast a confrontation at a student athletic event can turn fatal. A 17-year-old went to compete and never came home.
Anthony was 17 at the time of the stabbing and was tried as an adult, sentenced to more than three decades in prison before he turned 20.
Common questions
Why is Karmelo Anthony seeking a retrial?
- Anthony's legal team argues that his last-minute decision not to testify is central to the retrial request. His lawyers say they feared prosecutors would introduce damaging evidence from his past to hurt his credibility with the jury.
What was Karmelo Anthony convicted of and what is his sentence?
- Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder for killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, who attended a rival school. A jury found him guilty in June, and he was sentenced to 35 years in prison following a confrontation at a track meet.
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