--- title: "Karmelo Anthony appeal hearing reveals texts and juvenile records withheld from trial" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/karmelo-anthony-appeal-hearing-reveals-texts-and-juvenile-records-withheld-from" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/karmelo-anthony-appeal-hearing-reveals-texts-and-juvenile-records-withheld-from" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/karmelo-anthony-appeal-hearing-reveals-texts-and-juvenile-records-withheld-from.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/karmelo-anthony-appeal-hearing-reveals-texts-and-juvenile-records-withheld-from" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-21T00:05:34.903Z" source_reported: "2026-08-20T20:00:39.285Z" updated: "2026-08-21T00:05:34.903Z" trust_score: 70 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 50 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-21T01:00:49.258319+00:00" --- # Karmelo Anthony appeal hearing reveals texts and juvenile records withheld from trial *Prosecutors disclosed violent messages and a 'gentleman’s agreement' that kept evidence from jurors in the 2025 Texas murder case* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 70 of 100, higher is better. Trust 70: named prosecutor, court documents cited, two independent full reports, specific hearing date and location. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: explains relevance, includes prosecutor quote, clear facts, specific figures, outlines next steps, well‑structured. - Hype 50 of 100, lower is better. Hype 50: many right‑leaning digests use sensational headlines, but bodies remain factual. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Karmelo Anthony was convicted in 2025 of murdering Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas high school track meet and sentenced to 35 years. - During an August 2026 appeal hearing, prosecutors disclosed text messages in which Anthony fantasised about stabbing someone and licking blood off a knife, and a photo of a knife with the note “I’m lowkey on the verge.” - The evidence was withheld from the original trial under a “gentleman’s agreement” between prosecutors and defence to avoid introducing juvenile records for Anthony and Metcalf. - District Judge John Roach was removed from further proceedings after comments praising the jury’s conviction. Karmelo Anthony was convicted in June 2026 of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas in April 2025. Anthony, then 18, stabbed Metcalf beneath a tent during the event. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison and is appealing the conviction. During an appeal hearing on 20 August 2026, prosecutors disclosed evidence that had been withheld from the original trial. Collin County Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye testified that Anthony had sent text messages in which he fantasised about stabbing someone and “licking the blood off the blade,” as reported by WJAR. Wirskye also said Anthony had sent a photo of a knife with the note “I’m lowkey on the verge,” according to Internewscast. The evidence was omitted from the trial under what Wirskye described as a “gentleman’s agreement” with Anthony’s defence team. The agreement kept out character evidence about Anthony and Metcalf, including Anthony’s alleged stalking of his ex-girlfriend and Metcalf’s juvenile record. Wirskye testified that Metcalf’s record included graffiti containing racist slogans, as reported by WJAR and Internewscast. District Judge John Roach, who presided over the original trial, was removed from further proceedings after comments praising the jury’s conviction. Anthony’s attorneys had sought his recusal, according to reports carried by WJAR. ## What the coverage left out No left-rated outlet ran this story. None of the right-rated digests mentioned that Anthony’s ex-girlfriend had told school officials he was stalking her, a detail carried by both centre-rated reports. None of the right-rated digests reported that District Judge John Roach had been removed from further proceedings. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 43% (3) - Right: 57% (4) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-21T01:00:49.258319+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-21T01:45:19.109Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The two centre-rated reports, Internewscast and WJAR, led on the newly disclosed text messages and the “gentleman’s agreement” that kept them from the jury. Both quoted Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye’s testimony about Anthony’s messages and the photo of the knife. Internewscast reported Wirskye’s statement that Anthony’s ex-girlfriend had told school officials he was stalking her. WJAR quoted Wirskye’s description of the text message in which Anthony fantasised about stabbing someone and “licking the blood off the blade.” - Both reports carried Wirskye’s testimony about Metcalf’s juvenile record, including graffiti containing racist slogans. Internewscast quoted Wirskye’s explanation that the agreement was meant to avoid turning the trial into a “racial tinderbox.” WJAR reported that Anthony’s lawyers had evidence about Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, including photos of graffiti with racist slogans. ### Right - The four right-rated digests led on the violent content of Anthony’s text messages. TrendingPolitics and Twitchy both carried the phrase “licking the blood off the blade,” quoting Wirskye’s testimony. TrendingPolitics described Anthony as “the black Texas teen who was convicted earlier this year of fatally stabbing white teen Austin Metcalf.” TMZ’s digest reported that Anthony had allegedly sent his then-girlfriend a photo of a knife and talked about stabbing someone. - Three of the four digests mentioned the “gentleman’s agreement” that kept evidence from the jury. TrendingPolitics and TMZ reported that the agreement had withheld evidence about Metcalf’s juvenile record, including racist graffiti. None of the right-rated digests mentioned Judge John Roach’s removal from the case. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 3 - mixed: 2 - high: 1 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/20/bombshell-news-about-karmelo-anthonys-texts-and-threats) — Bombshell News About Karmelo Anthony’s Texts and Threats - [Total Pro Sports](https://totalprosports.com/general/karmelo-anthony-appeal-hearing-texts-released-stabbing) — Prosecutors Reveal Disturbing Texts From Karmelo Anthony — Accuse Him Of "Fantasizing About Stabbing Someone And Licking The Blood Off The Blade" - [TrendingPolitics](https://trendingpoliticsnews.com/karmelo-anthonys-shocking-murder-fantasies-revealed-in-appeal-hearing-licking-blood-off-the-blade-cmc) — Karmelo Anthony's Shocking Murder Fantasies Revealed In Appeal Hearing: 'Licking Blood Off The Blade' - [Twitchy](https://twitchy.com/brettt/2026/08/20/prosecutor-reveals-karmelo-anthony-fantasized-about-stabbing-someone-and-licking-blood-off-the-blade-n2431506) — Prosecutor Reveals Karmelo Anthony Fantasized About Stabbing Someone and Licking Blood Off the Blade - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/us/karmelo-anthony-prosecutor-reveals-evidence-jury-never-saw) — Karmelo Anthony Prosecutor Reveals Evidence Jury Never Saw - [WJAR](https://turnto10.com/news/nation-world/karmelo-anthony-fantasized-about-stabbing-licking-the-blood-off-the-blade-prosecutors-austin-metcalf-texas-track-meet-murder-convicted-murderer-killer-killed-homicide-stabbed-to-death-knife-evidence-blood-stalking-accusations-allegations-true-crime) — Karmelo Anthony fantasized about stabbing, 'licking the blood off the blade': prosecutors - [KATU](https://katu.com/news/nation-world/karmelo-anthony-fantasized-about-stabbing-licking-the-blood-off-the-blade-prosecutors-austin-metcalf-texas-track-meet-murder-convicted-murderer-killer-killed-homicide-stabbed-to-death-knife-evidence-blood-stalking-accusations-allegations-true-crime) — Karmelo Anthony fantasized about stabbing, 'licking the blood off the blade': prosecutors - [TMZ](https://tmz.com/2026/08/20/karmelo-anthony-alleged-threats-austin-metcalf-racist-slurs-revealed) — Karmelo Anthony Alleged Knife Threats, Austin Metcalf Racist Writing Revealed In Court ## Questions **What evidence was withheld from Karmelo Anthony’s original trial?** Prosecutors disclosed text messages in which Anthony fantasised about stabbing someone and licking blood off a knife, and a photo of a knife with the note “I’m lowkey on the verge.” The evidence was omitted under a “gentleman’s agreement” to avoid introducing juvenile records for Anthony and the victim, Austin Metcalf. **Why was District Judge John Roach removed from the case?** Judge John Roach was removed from further proceedings after comments praising the jury’s conviction of Karmelo Anthony. Anthony’s attorneys had sought his recusal, as reported by WJAR. The removal was not mentioned in any of the right-rated digests. **What did Austin Metcalf’s juvenile record contain?** Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye testified that Metcalf’s juvenile record included graffiti containing racist slogans, including phrases like “KKK kill all black people” and a racial slur. The evidence was withheld from the original trial under an agreement between prosecutors and defence. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/karmelo-anthony-appeal-hearing-reveals-texts-and-juvenile-records-withheld-from. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Karmelo Anthony appeal hearing reveals texts and juvenile records withheld from trial", https://mediabias.news/politics/karmelo-anthony-appeal-hearing-reveals-texts-and-juvenile-records-withheld-from