Murderer Karmelo Anthony's shameless bid to get new trial as secret 'gentlemen's handshake' in court is exposed

By MARYANN MARTINEZ, US TEXAS BUREAU CHIEF Published: 23:07, 13 August 2026 | Updated: 23:23, 13 August 2026 Karmelo Anthony allegedly endured 'substantial' abuse at home before plunging a knife into Austin Metcalf’s heart - a claim his legal team said was left out of the trial under a secret agreement with prosecutors.  The Daily Mail has obtained newly unsealed court documents filed by a new legal team representing the 19-year-old as part of a bid for a retrial.  Among the most shocking claims is that Anthony was a 'victim of family violence' and that jurors might have reached a different verdict had they known about his alleged history of abuse.  Anthony is seeking a new trial after being found guilty earlier this summer of murdering Metcalf, 17, on April 2, 2025.  The two teenagers were at a football stadium in Frisco, Texas for a track meet when a verbal confrontation under a high school tent between the boys escalated. As Metcalf leaned in to shove the teen, Anthony stabbed Metcalf through the heart with a folding knife hidden in his backpack. Jurors in Dallas, Texas took less than three hours to convict Anthony of murder - rejecting a lesser option for manslaughter. Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison.  But the documents also reveal an extraordinary behind-the-scenes agreement between prosecutors and Anthony's original defense team in which both sides agreed to keep potentially damaging information about both teenagers out of the courtroom. The unusual arrangement, described in the filings as a 'gentleman's agreement', placed restrictions on what Anthony's character witnesses could say about him and his family. Karmelo Anthony is currently serving a 35 year sentence after being convicted of murder in the summer but he is seeking a new trial Anthony (left) was found guilty of the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf (right ) at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas in April 2025 'In reliance upon the agreement, the defense also did not go into substantial family violence Mr. Anthony had witnessed and been a victim of in his home,' Anthony's lawyers wrote in the July 7 documents calling for a retrial.  The deal, struck between Anthony's then-defense attorney Mike Howard and prosecutors for the state, was made in the spirit of trying the case 'based on what happened under the tent,' court documents stated.  In the handshake deal, Howard agreed not to 'go into evidence related to the Metcalf twins' character, reputation or extraneous offenses/acts related to violence and bullying as well as racism,' according to the unsealed documents.  In return, prosecutors would not use Anthony’s cellphone records and school disciplinary history in court. 'I don't know why, in good conscious, any attorney would agree to these terms,' Dominque Alexander, a Dallas black community activist, told the Daily Mail, adding that neither he nor Anthony's family was privy to the deal.  Dominque claimed that Anthony's parents learned of it only after Howard told Anthony's new lawyers, who are now handling his appeal.  Neither Anthony's parents or Alexander would have been in favor of such a deal, Alexander added.  Jeff Metcalf, the victim's father, declined to comment 'on ongoing court proceedings' when asked about the deal or allegations either of his sons had made racist remarks.  The Memorial High School tent where Metcalf was stabbed during a track meet in Frisco, Texas Metcalf, 17, (pictured) was bleeding in his brother's arms as paramedics headed to the track  Alexander had said the secret deal is the probably 'one of the reasons,' the teen ultimately didn't take the the stand.  As Daily Mail first reported, the teen had been scheduled to do so on the last day of the trial, operating under the belief he would be acquitted of the murder charge against him.  Wirskye did not reply to Daily Mail's request for comment, however, he told the Dallas Morning News he stands by the case his team put forward.  'I and the entire prosecution team conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the court's rulings and any agreements with defense counsel,' Wirskye said.  'The jury heard extensive evidence over the course of the trial and returned a unanimous verdict. We remain confident in that verdict and the fairness of the proceedings.' A courtroom sketch shows the district attorney pointing at Karmelo Anthony Minister Dominique Alexander pictured with Karmelo Anthony Neither Alexander nor Jeff Metcalf responded to the Daily Mail's request for comment on the newly unsealed documents.  Allegations of abuse may have indeed impacted the trial, but proving it will still be a steep uphill battle at appeal, according to experts.  'At this stage, they're putting it before the court only to say, ‘hey, they dropped the ball on this, and he was denied a fair trial. And I think that this is going to be a hard hurdle,' defense attorney Lisa Figueroa told the Daily Mail.  Figueroa, who is not affiliated with the case, also noted it was 'odd' that Anthony's defense did not use it as mitigation during sentencing, in order to ask for leniency.  'They could have made an argument like a battered woman...if you're a victim of certain kind of abuse, then you react or respond to something in a different way.'  Anthony's appeal will continue in the next hearing on Wednesday, August 19.