Karmelo Anthony dropped plans to testify over track stabbing, lawyer says as teen seeks retrial

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Karmelo Anthony, a 19-year-old accused of stabbing a 17-year-old rival athlete during a track meet, has dropped plans to testify in his Texas murder trial, his lawyer said on Friday. The change came as Anthony's defense team expressed concerns that prosecutors could bring up damaging evidence about the teenager's past during the proceedings.

Anthony's legal team, led by Toby Shook, argued that it was crucial for the jury to hear Anthony's account of the incident, as they believed the current jury had already reached a guilty verdict. The case has become a focal point of racial tensions, with both families facing harassment. After a lengthy hearing near Dallas, it remained unclear when the judge would decide on a new trial for Anthony.

Prosecutor Bill Wirskye maintained that the trial had been conducted fairly and that Anthony's potential testimony was not part of the initial agreement with the defense. Both sides presented additional details about Anthony's past, including a text message in which he fantasized about stabbing someone, and Metcalf's history of fighting and using racially charged language.

Despite these revelations, social media users continued to frame the killing as racially motivated. Anthony's defense lawyers also claimed that procedural errors had limited access to key evidence in the trial, further supporting their request for a retrial.