Karmelo Anthony Indicted for Murder

Tuesday, Karmelo Anthony, the now 18-year-old accused of fatally stabbing another teen during an altercation at a Frisco ISD track meet in early April, was indicted for murder by a Collin County grand jury.

This from hotair.com.

Anthony, who was 17 at the time of the incident, was arrested on April 2 in connection with the stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a track meet at Kuykendall Stadium.

The teen, who is facing a first-degree murder charge, has been on house arrest since being released on a reduced bond on April 14. If convicted, Anthony could face a possible sentence of 5-99 years or life in prison. In the Texas criminal justice system, 17-year-olds are considered adults.

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis released a video statement about the indictment. He said in part:

For weeks, my team has been presenting evidence to the grand jury. Today, I summarized that evidence, and I asked the Grand Jury to return a first degree murder indictment against Karmelo Anthony—which they did.

With that indictment, the case now moves formally into the court system. From this point forward, we’ll continue doing our part—fully and fairly—to pursue justice under the law. The trial schedule will be set by the court. But when the time comes, we’ll be ready.

Here is the full statement:

Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, released a statement:

I am pleased that we are moving forward. With the first-degree murder indictment, it now goes into the court system. I fully believe that justice will be served for Austin Metcalf. I look forward to the forthcoming trial. But it will never bring my son back.

Anthony’s attorney also released a video in response to the indictment saying they expected to be able to demonstrate Anthony acted in self defense:

We expect that when the full story is heard, the prosecution will not be able to rule out the reasonable doubt that Carmelo Anthony may have acted in self-defense.

Seemingly, Anthony does not have much of a defense. To start with, he confessed to the stabbing moments after it happened and it is believed that confession was caught on a police bodycam. There are also witnesses so there is really no doubt about who did what. As reported about the circumstances back in April:

He sat down under a tent for a rival school and was told to leave by Metcalf. He then reached into a bag and said something like “touch me and see what happens.” Metcalf grabbed him at which point Anthony pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf in the chest, killing him.

As far as the self-defense claim goes, that will likely be difficult to prove. Generally speaking, self-defense allows for only a proportionate level of violence. If someone is threatened, they may be able to respond with a shove or a punch but not with a knife to the chest. The only way to justify deadly violence is if one fears for their own life.

In this case, witnesses indicate Anthony reached in a bag for his knife the moment Metcalf spoke to him, before any physical contact. He then said something like “touch me and see what happens” which sounds like a threat. But being touched or grabbed is not grounds for responding with murder. Metcalf did grab Anthony and try to physically remove him but there is no evidence in the police report to suggest he threatened Anthony’s life or attacked him in a way that could have resulted in Anthony’s death. Anthony’s own confession at the scene did not suggest he feared for his life, only that he had warned Metcalf not to touch him.

Also, immediately after the stabbing, Anthony threw the knife and ran. That is not the behavior of someone who acted in self-defense, it is the guilty behavior of someone who committed a crime.

All of this will play out in court in a few months, but unless Anthony’s team has some surprises to offer that dramatically change the story he will likely be convicted. But there is the possibility that someone on the jury will not be responsive to the facts. Passions around this case have been hot from the start. Anthony raised a lot of money in a short time and the parents of Metcalf have had their house swatted. Jury nullification is also a possibility.