Civil Rights Advocate Demands Justice in Austin Metcalf Murder Case

A prominent civil rights activist has taken up the cause of ensuring a “fair trial” for a Black teenager who has confessed to the killing of a high school football star during a track meet in Texas.

Karmelo Anthony faces murder charges in connection with the tragic stabbing of Austin Metcalf. The incident occurred in April 2025 at a high school track meet in Frisco, an affluent suburb located north of Dallas.

The trial for Anthony, who is charged with first-degree murder, is set to commence on June 1 and is anticipated to run for two weeks. If found guilty, the 19-year-old could face a life sentence.

Minister Dominique Alexander, a civil rights advocate, held a press conference on Thursday, calling on the public to honor the judicial process and ensure that the trial proceeds fairly.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Alexander has expressed concerns over the spread of misinformation on social media, which he claims is exacerbating racial tensions surrounding the case.

‘As an advocacy organization, our role is to ensure that Karmelo Anthony is afforded a fair trial, free from prejudice, bias, misinformation, racial hostility, or any outside influence that could impact the outcome of this case,’ the activist told reporters.

The Anthony family reportedly received multiple death threats in the weeks that followed the stabbing.

Supporters of the Metcalf family held a Protect White Americans rally in the days after his death. The teen’s father condemned the demonstrators for making the case about race.

Civil rights activist Dominique Alexander (right) has stepped in to advocate for a ‘fair trial’ for Karmelo Anthony (left), the teen who killed high school track star Austin Metcalf last year

Austin Metcalf was fatally stabbed on April 2 last year at a school stadium in Frisco, Texas

Despite the teenage boys not knowing each other, their deadly encounter has stoked racial tensions and generated enormous interest across the country. 

The case has become a lightning rod for political debate, with supporters rallying behind Anthony saying he has been treated unfairly due to his race. 

Meanwhile, the Metcalf family have been victims of swatting multiple times since the stabbing, the newspaper reported.

Swatting is a crime in which a perpetrator makes a false report to 911 to draw a significant police response at an unsuspecting victim’s residence.

Similarly, the judge who lowered Anthony’s bond was doxxed by internet users who posted his home address online. 

Metcalf’s image has also been used by far-right figures including Jake Lang, despite condemnation from Metcalf’s father who said he was creating ‘more race divide than bridging the gap’.

Anthony’s lawyer Mike Howard said last year: ‘The factual and legal issues involved in this case are not about race. The case involves two kids, one white, one black, so it’s understandable that some people would make it about race or discuss it in terms of race.’

With all the public scrutiny, the judge in the murder case has issued an order tightly regulating public conduct during the criminal proceedings. 

The altercation between Metcalf and Anthony stemmed from Anthony, who did not attend Memorial High school, sitting under the team tent for Memorial High School students, police have stated

Metcalf was stabbed in the chest following a verbal altercation with Anthony

Anthony has been under house arrest since he was released from jail a year ago

‘This Court finds that this case has generated substantial public and media attention and that unrestricted access or activity may compromise courtroom security, juror privacy, and the Defendant’s right to a fair trial,’ District Judge John Roach Jr., who is presiding over the trial, wrote in a court order last month.

The judge ordered that no recording, broadcasting or photography be allowed in the courtroom during the trial. Additionally, only nine members of credentialed media will be allowed in the court room per day, and the court will decide who is credentialed. 

He also set strict rules about decorum of those who attend the proceedings.

Metcalf was fatally stabbed on April 2 last year at a school stadium in Frisco.

Students from several high schools in the Frisco Independent School District were competing in a track race when the stabbing occurred. 

According to an arrest report, a witness said that when Anthony sat under the tent belonging to Metcalf’s team, Metcalf told Anthony to move, and Anthony replied: ‘Touch me and see what happens.’

Metcalf then touched Anthony, and Anthony said to punch him and see what happens, the arrest report said. A short time later, Metcalf grabbed Anthony and Anthony stabbed him with a knife, the report said.

Afterward, Anthony told an officer that he was protecting himself and that Metcalf had ‘put his hands on me,’ according to the report.

Anthony’s first-degree murder trial is scheduled to begin on June 1 and is expected to last two weeks. If convicted, the 19-year-old could be sentenced to up to life prison 

Anthony was arrested shortly after the attack, telling arresting officers who called him the alleged killer, ‘I’m not alleged. I did it.’ 

The killer was 17 at the time of the incident. He maintains he acted in self-defense during the altercation at the high school meet in the affluent Dallas suburb.

However, he has yet to explain why he brought a weapon to a school-sanctioned event.

Anthony was released from jail and placed on house arrest after his bond was reduced. 

His family has asked for $1.3 million to cover legal costs and other expenses ahead of his high-profile murder trial. 

More than $601,000 has been donated towards the goal since the GiveSendGo fundraiser was set up by Anthony’s mother last April, with hundreds of dollars still pouring in every week.