Prosecutors in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial say their decision-making in jury selection was "race-neutral," even as an all-white panel was seated with no Black jurors to hear the racially charged case.
Anthony, a Black former Texas high school athlete, is charged with murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, who was White, during an altercation at a 2025 track meet in Frisco, Texas.
Opening statements began Thursday in Collin County after three days of jury selection that drew national attention and local protests. Prosecutors have told jurors the stabbing was a "senseless murder" and not self-defense, according to People.
According to court filings and earlier testimony summaries, the confrontation happened near the bleachers after a relay event at a high school track meet where both athletes were competing.
Investigators say video from spectators' phones shows an argument escalating into a physical fight, during which Anthony allegedly pulled a folding knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest, puncturing his heart.
Read more: Texas Teen's Self-Defense Claim In Track Meet Stabbing Death Faces 'Uphill' Battle: Legal Expert
Witnesses told police that adults and coaches rushed in as Metcalf collapsed on the track surface, and emergency crews transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Anthony was arrested later that night after turning himself in with his family present, and he has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, Fox News reported.
Twelve jurors and six alternates were chosen from an initial pool of roughly 580 to 600 people summoned for service, but none of the seated jurors are Black. Court and media reports say all qualified Black prospective jurors were dismissed before the panel was finalized.
Defense attorneys accused prosecutors of striking the remaining Black potential jurors because of race and raised a Batson challenge, citing the Supreme Court precedent that bars race-based juror removals.
Prosecutors responded that their strikes were based on non-racial reasons, including jurors' employment in education and answers suggesting possible bias, and Collin County District Judge John Roach Jr. accepted that explanation. The judge overruled the Batson objection and allowed the panel to stand, as per CBS News.
