Secrets of Karmelo Anthony's prison life: Truth about sick sex rumors... his daily treat... and gifts from supporters

By MARYANN MARTINEZ, US TEXAS BUREAU CHIEF Published: 20:06, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 20:09, 24 June 2026 Karmelo Anthony may have been convicted of murder, but prison life is proving far from bread and water for the teen killer. Anthony, 19, has been behind bars for the last two weeks after a jury sentenced him to 35 years in prison for killing Austin Metcalf, 17, at a high school track meet in a Dallas suburb last April.  Yet, the convicted teen has been routinely starting his day in the same way most Americans would at their favorite diners, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.  On June 10, the morning after he was jailed, Anthony was served breakfast pancakes, followed by a high protein breakfast of fried eggs the next day. Also a regular on the menu is a hearty breakfast burrito. Anthony has enjoyed greasy and sweet diner favorites every morning while awaiting his appeal in protective custody at the Wallace Pack Unit near Navasota, about an hour outside of Houston.  Anthony's lunches and dinners don't sound too shabby either.  Chicken parmesan, beef chile, pork enchiladas, hamburgers and BBQ beef all round out his robust prison diet, according to a prison menu obtained by the Daily Mail.  Anthony's life behind bars is not all cozy meals, however.  Karmelo Anthony is being held at a prison an hour outside of Houston after his murder conviction for the death of Austin Metcalf Austin Metcalf, 17, (pictured) was bleeding in his brother's arms as paramedics headed to the track  'Because of the high profile nature of the case, there has been some concern about his safety,' civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, told the Daily Mail.  Merritt, who is heading Anthony's appeal, said he is still in protective custody away from the general prison population, and expressed concern that people online may be trying to visit the prison or send Anthony undisclosed items.  'There has been a lot of chatter on the internet, mostly well-wishers, trying to get to the jail and trying to send him things to the jail... all things that are causing some safety concerns,' Merritt said. Rampant internet chatter also included unfounded rumors that Anthony filed a formal complaint about being sexually harassed by other inmates at the prison.  To date, no formal complaint has been made alleging any kind of abuse behind bars.  While rumors of abuse have remained unfounded, managing his medical condition has been a real challenge, according to the family.  Anthony's epilepsy diagnosis was revealed during the trial by his defense team. Without consistent medication, he would become drastically more susceptible to seizures.  Anthony's parents claimed they had to drive all over the state to deliver their son's epilepsy medication to him, according to Merritt.  'Every time he's transferred, you have to get the medication to the new facility, so the last time he was transferred out of his last facility, his family had to drive and bring the medication,' Merritt said.  Swiftly after his conviction, Anthony was moved to Collin County Jail, then the Byrd Unit transitional prison in Huntsville, before being moved to his permanent prison an hour away, the Pack Unit, where he is now awaiting his appeal away from the prison's general population.  The murder trial for Karmelo Anthony (right) ended on June 9. Anthony was convicted for murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf (left) at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas in April 2025 Anthony has enjoyed greasy and sweet diner favorites every morning while awaiting his appeal at the Wallace Pack Unit near Navasota  An aerial view of the Wallace Pack Unit where Anthony has been behind bars for the last two weeks The 19-year-old is appealing his 35-year prison sentence for killing Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, a Dallas suburb, in April 2025. Jurors in Collin County took less than three hours to find Anthony guilty of murder on June 9, rejecting a self defense claim made by the black teenager against Metcalf, a white football and track star, who was much larger than Anthony. The two teenagers had never met prior to the track meet as they went to different schools, but were set on a collision course after Metcalf's coach had instructed him to take a leadership role that day, including guarding the team's tent from children from other schools. When Anthony sat under the Memorial High School team tent, he was asked to leave at least 15 times and engaged in a verbal confrontation with Metcalf. As the argument escalated, Metcalf got closer to Anthony to shove him, and Anthony produced an open folding knife which he had been hiding in his backpack and stabbed Metcalf, before fleeing the tent.  Metcalf died on scene, in his identical twin brother's arms.   Anthony's legal team recently recruited several high-profile lawyers in addition to Merritt to handle his appeal, including Michael Ware, the man who leads the Texas Innocence Project, which helps get inmates off Death Row.  The appeal will be based on multiple grounds, including whether race was an issue - there were no black people on the jury - and whether Anthony had competent lawyers, Merritt revealed to the Daily Mail on Tuesday. Pancakes are routinely on the weekly menu at the Pack Unit prison (stock photo)  The Collin County district attorney and Austin Metcalf's family made a brief statement on June 9 when Anthony was convicted to say 'justice had been done' Another image showed the aftermath underneath the Memorial High School tent after the stabbing Austin Metcalf's father, Jeff, spoke out after the release of new evidence in his son's case in an interview with Fox on Monday Merritt accused Anthony's previous attorneys Mike Howard and Toby Shook, who handled the trial, of providing a 'complete lack of a defense', claiming 'they didn't call basic witnesses either in the sentencing phase.' 'They only called his mom, which is what you do when you have a murderer and no one else to testify for.' After their son's conviction, Anthony's parents asked Merritt to put a legal team together to appeal at both the state and federal level. However, even if the legal challenge is successful, Anthony will likely have to wait several months, if not several years, in prison while before he learns if he will get another trial. Metcalf's father, Jeff, said he's not at all concerned about Anthony's appeal.  'If you win an appeal, that means all you get is a new trial,' Jeff Metcalf told the Daily Mail.  'People need to understand... the appeals job is to make sure that there were no judicial errors or procedures that were made. That's it.' Jeff has been clear that he wanted a sentence of 99 years for Anthony. He spent Father's Day at this son's grave trying to find a new normal. 'There's a hole in my heart that it's not ever going to get filled again. It's just a missing piece. I'll have to learn to live with that,' Jeff added. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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