Anthony’s attorneys expect to begin filing arguments this fall in an appeal that could stretch into next year as he serves 35 years.
By: Everton Bailey Jr., Jamie Landers, Staff Writers
Karmelo Anthony’s parents stood hand-in-hand Wednesday in a South Dallas church as his father thanked supporters and vowed that the family would continue fighting their son’s murder conviction.
“We love you, son,” Andrew Anthony said. “We’re going to keep fighting, and this is not over.”
The next step in that fight is already underway. Anthony’s appeal is pending before the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas, where his attorneys expect to begin filing arguments this fall in a process that could stretch well into next year.
Anthony is serving a 35-year sentence after a Collin County jury convicted him in June of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high school track meet in 2025. Anthony maintained that he acted in self-defense.
Russell Wilson, Anthony’s lead appellate attorney, said during a news conference Wednesday that he expects the record from the 19-year-old’s Collin County murder case to be filed with the appeals court Oct. 7. Anthony’s attorneys could file their first brief roughly 30 days later, followed by a response from prosecutors and another filing from the defense.
Those deadlines could be extended, Wilson said, and briefing may not be finished until early next year. The appeals court would then review the case and issue a written opinion. It could also hear oral arguments.
“This is just really the first stage of appeal,” Wilson said during the news conference at The Uncommon Church in South Dallas.
Anthony’s parents, Andrew Anthony and Kala Hayes, stood behind Dominique Alexander, president of the Next Generation Action Network, and attorneys Wilson and Sean Daredia throughout the news conference. The father said the past year has been a struggle for the family, citing doxxing and having to move, but said they continue to lean on their faith in God.
Wilson described Anthony’s adjustment to prison as difficult. His parents nodded as Wilson spoke about their son.
“The support is helpful, but it doesn’t make it any less challenging,” Wilson said. “We’re regularly in touch with him to make sure that he’s doing as well as he can.”
Wednesday’s news conference came less than two weeks after a judge denied Anthony’s request for a new trial. Wilson said some people mistakenly believed that ruling ended Anthony’s effort to overturn his conviction.
Instead, Wilson said, the new trial hearing helped attorneys put issues into the court record that can now be reviewed on appeal.
During that hearing, Anthony’s attorneys focused on an informal agreement between prosecutors and Anthony’s original trial lawyers to limit potentially damaging evidence about the histories of both Anthony and Metcalf.
Anthony’s attorneys argued that uncertainty over whether prosecutors would continue honoring the agreement affected Anthony’s decision not to testify and violated his constitutional rights. Prosecutors disputed that account.
Wilson said Wednesday that the appeal will focus on legal claims the defense has already developed rather than new evidence. He said his team found additional information while preparing for the hearing but did not believe all of it needed to be placed into the record.
“There may be additional information that will come forward” if Anthony receives a new trial, Wilson said.
The attorneys acknowledged there is no guarantee Anthony’s conviction will be overturned, but said they believe the issues they plan to raise are significant.
“We are very confident that this case is going to come back,” Daredia said. “And when it comes back, when Karmelo Anthony gets a new trial, we believe it will come out to a different outcome, a fair outcome, for this family and for this young man.”
Anthony’s supporters have also started a new online fundraiser seeking $250,000 to help pay costs related to the appeal.
The “Karmelo Anthony Official Legal Appeal Fund” had raised more than $27,000 as of Wednesday morning on GiveSendGo.
The online page says donations will go into an attorney trust account administered by Wilson and be used only for case-related expenses, including transcripts, court filings, investigators and experts. Anthony’s family will not receive or control the money, according to the fundraiser.
Anthony’s appellate attorneys are working pro bono, Wilson said Wednesday. He described the fund as something that would help cover other expenses that arise during the appeal.
“You don’t know an expense is going to come until it hits you,” Wilson said.
Breaking News Reporter
Everton is a breaking news reporter at The Dallas Morning News. Before joining the breaking news team, he covered Dallas city government. He joined The Dallas Morning News in November 2020 after working for The Oregonian and The Associated Press in Hartford, Conn.
Senior Breaking News Reporter
Jamie Landers is the senior breaking news reporter at The Dallas Morning News, where she covers crime, courts and capital punishment. She is a graduate of The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Phoenix, where she studied journalism and political science. Jamie previously reported for The Arizona Republic and Arizona PBS.
