A state district judge on Wednesday hopes to pare down a group of more than 200 prospective jurors to the 12-person panel that will shape the outcome of Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial.
Anthony, now 19, is accused of fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf last year at a high school track meet in Frisco. Both were 17 at the time.
The case erupted on social media, garnering widespread interest in North Texas and across the country, with much of the discourse divided along racial lines. Metcalf was white. Anthony is Black.
“You hear a lot of stories, and you don’t really know what’s true,” said Ricky Ricardo, who has lived in Frisco since 2015. “I hope there’s justice, but whatever happens now, two families’ lives have been ruined.”
Journalists for The Dallas Morning News will post live updates from the trial at the Collin County courthouse in McKinney.
Shortly before the trial started on Monday, two groups stood outside the courthouse in the staggering heat.
One group, dressed in purple and shaking tambourines and ringing bells, chanted in support of Anthony — “Self-defense is not a crime.” Anthony’s lawyers are expected to argue that Anthony was defending himself against Metcalf at the April 2, 2025, track meet.
Across the street, demonstrators spoke into a megaphone and hoisted signs that read “Justice for Metcalf.” Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, has said repeatedly that race was not a factor in the stabbing, but members of the groups disagreed.
Inside the courtroom, about 600 Collin County residents had been summoned for jury duty in hopes of lawyers finding an unbiased panel. Judge John Roach Jr. emphasized the importance of jurors remaining unbiased and following the law, whether they agree with it or not.
There were no court activities on Tuesday. Roach said he hoped to reduce the group’s size to 250 by Tuesday night, when select members would be notified to return Wednesday.