The Texas judge who presided over the Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial is making headlines for a surprising remark he made about Austin Metcalf’s killer. Judge John Roach of the 296th District Court in Collin County made a shocking comment about Anthony, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the 2025 murder of Metcalf.
What did Judge John Roach say about Karmelo Anthony?
Roach described Anthony as “a nice young man” during an interview with WFAA-TV. He said that Anthony seemed “like a nice young man” who now has a better grasp of “the consequences of committing a crime like he did.”
Roach went on to say that he did not hesitate when he was assigned to Anthony’s murder trial, describing the assignment as his “duty,” adding that “It’s what I was elected to do.”
Anthony was accused of stabbing Metcalf to death during a rain delay at a high school track meet. Before the stabbing, which took place at Memorial High School in Frisco, Metcalf had reportedly asked Anthony, who is black, to leave the event since he did not attend that school. Metcalf was white.
Anthony has now been transferred to a Texas prison to begin his sentence. He was transferred to the Wallace Pack Unit, near Houston, Texas, on Wednesday morning, June 10, after spending the previous night in county jail.
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He filed a notice of appeal following his conviction, according to court records.
Many defended Anthony after the incident, and a GiveSendGo was launched for him. Anthony maintained that he stabbed Metcalf in self-defense.
Anthony’s family had raised concerns about safety and public scrutiny ahead of the trial. “I don’t know why we are being targeted and discriminated against before a fair trial,” Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, previously said, according to NBC DFW.