Rep. Jasmine Crockett says race was a factor in Karmelo Anthony’s murder conviction. Anthony was convicted Tuesday by an all-white jury for the 2025 murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in Frisco, Texas.
The same jury sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison. Under Texas law, he must serve half of the sentence to be eligible for parole.
According to court records, obtained by TMZ, Anthony filed a notice of appeal on Wednesday, June 10. He also filed an indigent status document requesting a court-appointed attorney who specializes in appellate cases.
Anthony’s GiveSendGo fundraising page was deactivated following his conviction.
A rep for GiveSendGo told TMZ that the page, which was created by his mom, was allowed to remain up because everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty.
More than $633,000 was disbursed over the past year to pay Anthony’s legal fees and his family’s living expenses. “Our prayer is for Austin Metcalf’s family, for all those affected, and for justice, mercy, and peace in our community,” the GiveSendGo rep said.
TMZ DC caught up with Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Capitol Hill after Bill Gates testified in a closed door meeting with the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, June 10.
Crockett said she believed Anthony didn’t get a fair trial – especially since he was judged by an all-white jury. She said the jury should have considered that Anthony was afraid for his life when Metcalf ordered him to leave a school tent at a Frisco track meet.
“My heart breaks … for so many reasons,” she said, before adding that the knife Anthony used to stab Metcalf in the heart was a “small tool.”
“All I know is that it wasn’t considered unlawful carrying of a weapon because the blade was not long enough.”
“What we saw with that verdict is the evidence of a broken system… How intentional, like, how bad was this? 35 years for a kid who had decided to go under a tent that was not his team’s tent as it was raining, and simply didn’t want to be put out in the rain by some random kid that he didn’t know who was larger than him?”
Crockett said the jury should have given Anthony the benefit of the doubt and considered a manslaughter conviction.
When asked why someone would bring a knife to a track meet, Crockett said “Walk a day in my shoes and then respond… again, it wasn’t against the law for him to have it.”
Jasmine Crockett tells @jacob_wass there was one major factor in the Karmelo Anthony verdict. pic.twitter.com/XYX5bNJagz
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 10, 2026