Karmelo Anthony, the Texas teen accused of fatally stabbing a student at a high school track meet, could face an “uphill battle” if his attorneys present a self-defense claim, a legal expert says.
Anthony, 17, of Frisco, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf on April 2 at the Kuykendall Stadium.
After posting a $250,000 bond last week—which Collin County judge agreed to lower from $1 million—one of Anthony's defense attorneys, Mike Howard, suggested the teen would claim self-defense in his upcoming trial.
Julie Rendelman, a former Deputy Bureau Chief in the Kings County District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, argues that Anthony may have trouble proving he used reasonable force to protect himself.
The attorney, who now runs a private, New York-based criminal defense practice, refuted the idea that Anthony has a clear-cut self-defense claim based on publicly available information she has read. Rendelman is not involved in the case.
“If the evidence is what it is right now, I think he's going to have an uphill battle claiming self-defense,” she told Fox News Digital Monday.
“But we may learn much, much more that changes that perspective. And that could be for a jury or a grand jury to decide.”
According to witnesses, Metcalf, from Memorial High School, and Anthony, from Centennial High School, became involved in a verbal altercation, which ended when the defendant allegedly stabbed the victim once in the chest.
Anthony complied with officers and was taken into custody, according to an arrest report. He allegedly asked police if Metcalf was going to be alright and whether his own actions would be considered self-defense.
The defendant walked out of the Collin County Jail last Monday after posting bail, just hours after his bond was reduced at an hour-long hearing at the Collin County courthouse.
Andrew Anthony, his father, was the only person to testify at the hearing.
Anthony's defense attorneys questioned the teen’s father about his character during the hearing. His father said that Anthony was an “A” student and had been the captain of both his football and track teams.
He also told the court that he was the sole provider and could not afford the $1 million bond.
The GiveSendGo fundraiser set up to support Anthony and his family—which exceeded $412,000 at the time of the hearing—was being used by the defendant’s parents to pay rent and bills, along with legal fees, and was not “a bond fund,” defense attorneys said.
The defendant was ordered to wear an ankle monitor and stay inside his parents’ home. He is not allowed on social media and cannot interact with his classmates.
After his release, Anthony’s attorney suggested that the teen would claim self-defense in his upcoming trial —a right afforded to all Americans.
“Every Texan deserves the right to defend themselves when they reasonably fear for their life,” Howard told reporters outside the courthouse. “Self-defense is a protection that applies to each and every one of us. There are two sides to every story.”
