A viral post claims to show a photo of Jeff Metcalf with Judge John Roach Jr. and Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis.
By Sarah Bahari
A viral photograph showing Austin Metcalf’s father smiling alongside four others has emerged as the latest piece in a whirl of misinformation.
Social media posts claim Jeff Metcalf is pictured with two men central to the murder case against Karmelo Anthony — state district Judge John Roach Jr. and Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis — long before the trial began.
Anthony, 19, was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison Tuesday for fatally stabbing the younger Metcalf last year.
Some used the photograph to call for a mistrial and the conviction to be overturned. Others say it is proof the trial was rigged against Anthony.
“Jeff Metcalf and the judge are friends,” one person wrote. “No justice,” another said.
The only problem? A man who appears to be Metcalf is in the photo, but a close look shows that neither Roach nor Willis is in the photograph. Collin County authorities confirmed the men in the photograph are not the judge and district attorney.
This rumor first popped up last year and resurfaced this week as the trial was underway at the Collin County courthouse in McKinney.
Authorities have navigated near-constant misinformation since last April, when Anthony stabbed Metcalf during a weather delay at a Frisco track meet. Anthony said he was defending himself.
Much of the misinformation on social media aimed to amplify racial divisions and narratives. Authorities have investigated fraudulent fundraising campaigns, fake police statements and a phony autopsy report. Both families were targeted by swatting, fake 911 calls meant to draw a large police presence.
Then-Frisco ISD Superintendent Mike Waldrip said the misinformation was “being used to sow division and profit from tragedy.”
“Let me be clear,” he said last year. “Frisco ISD will not tolerate misinformation, manipulation or any attempt to undermine our community.”
Sarah Bahari is a trending news reporter. She previously worked as a writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she covered a bit of everything. She is a graduate of Kansas State University.
