Karmelo Anthony Judge Calls Him 'Nice Young Man' But Stands By Jury's 35-Year Sentence
Key takeaways
- Anthony was found guilty of murder Tuesday and sentenced by a jury to decades in prison after he fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf, a white teenager, at a track meet when both boys were 17 years old.
- Commenters debated if Anthony’s actions could reasonably be considered self defense; some claimed the response to the facts of the case would have been different if the races were reversed;
- Anthony’s grandmother, Toni Hayes, was filmed shouting “Racist!
Topline. The judge who presided over a teenage murder trial in Texas that sparked a racial debate in the suburbs of Dallas has defended the controversial 35-year sentence of a 19-year-old Black man he called a “nice young man” and said he’s able to sleep “well at night” following the trial.
Supporters of Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony clash outside of the Collin County Courthouse on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images Key Facts Judge John Roach Jr., who has been the subject of criticism amid a larger examination of the Karmelo Anthony case, told a local TV station he thinks the jury reached the correct verdict and that he thinks Collin County's handling of the trial should serve as a model for other jurisdictions dealing with similar situations.
Roach, who was criticized for refusing to allow news cameras in the courtroom, shot down rumors he was personally connected to the victim's family and said Anthony “seems like a nice young man who committed a crime and he understands today more than any day before the consequences of committing a crime like he did.”