The court is tasked with protecting the proceedings from a social media frenzy that insists, far and wide, that race plays a role.
By Sarah Bahari, Jane Harper,
Lilly Kersh,Staff Writers
MCKINNEY — They stood on opposite sides of the street, one group with a bullhorn and fliers, the other with drums and tambourines. A few hundred feet away, the trial for 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony had just begun, drawing protesters who echoed the online chatter that has persisted over the past year.
The two sides agreed on little except this: Despite what police say, despite what the victim’s family says, this case is absolutely and undeniably about race.
Anthony is accused of fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf last year at a Frisco track meet. Metcalf was white. Anthony, who said he was defending himself, is Black.
The extensive attention the incident received in the press and social media, and the impact it has had on the case, was evident Monday in the number of prospective jurors called to report to the Collin County courthouse: 600.
Related: Karmelo Anthony murder trial begins year after fatal Frisco track meet stabbing
That’s twice the number summoned for the recent Tanner Horner death penalty case in Tarrant County. The former FedEx driver’s case also received substantial publicity.
Strict rules for trial
In opening remarks to prospective jurors Monday, State District Judge John Roach Jr. stressed the importance of remaining unbiased and waiting until a case has concluded before reaching a decision. He also noted the importance of following the law, whether jurors agree with it or not.
Roach said that those who violate his orders could be jailed for contempt of court. “I’m not jacking around,” he said. Members of the media and the public were required to watch from a first-floor ceremonial courtroom while the judge, lawyers and potential jurors are in a separate room for the proceedings.
Among the instructions he gave the group before dismissing them for the day was a warning not to tell anyone, including family, anything about the case, not even what type of case it is. They also were ordered not to do any independent research or read or watch news reports about it. The rules are standard for jurors but were strongly stressed by the judge.
Roach has also issued a gag order to prevent families, attorneys and representatives from speaking publicly about the case.
The judge instructed the group of prospective jurors to fill out questionnaires before leaving for the day. The attorneys will go over their responses, and the jurors will be notified by Tuesday evening whether they need to come back Wednesday. Roach said they hope to have the returning group whittled down to about 250.
Roach told the group he expects the trial to be completed by June 12. He also plans to have court on Saturdays to move the case along.
Related: The self-defense claim at the center of Karmelo Anthony’s murder trial
Demonstrations outside the courthouse
Authorities have repeatedly said race was not a factor, but those gathered outside the courthouse and in Frisco on Monday said the case revealed deep racial divisions that have sparked bitterness, anger and emotional appeals for justice on both sides.
“So many of us Black Americans have similar stories of us being bullied or harassed by these people, and when we try to defend ourselves, it’s an issue,” said Brittany Coakley, 27, who drove more than a dozen hours from South Carolina to Collin County to attend the trial. “I understand where he’s coming from, so we’re out here to support him in any way we can.”
Like many who gathered outside the courthouse, Coakley learned of the case through social media, where the killing sparked a deluge of misinformation and racism over the past year.
Russell Womack, who lives in the Houston area, gripped a bullhorn near a sign that read “Justice for Austin Metcalf.” Around him, some wore masks to cover their faces. Womack, a member of the white supremacist group National Organization for Vital Action, said he wants to draw attention to what he calls an epidemic of Black-on-white violence.
“If this story wakes up white people, then a tragic, reluctant martyr Austin will have to be,” Womack, 39, said. “We will not forget you, Austin.”
The trial comes 13 months after Metcalf was stabbed and killed during a weather delay at Frisco’s David Kuykendall Stadium. Anthony, then a senior at Frisco Centennial, took cover under a tent designated for rival high school, Memorial, and Metcalf told him to move, witnesses said.
Their confrontation escalated, and Anthony pulled out a knife from his backpack and stabbed him, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Metcalf died in the arms of his twin brother, Hunter.
Anthony was arrested minutes later and told police through tears that he was defending himself.
Some alleged online that Metcalf and his brother used racial slurs before the stabbing. Others mocked Metcalf’s death and said, without evidence, he was a known bully.
The hashtag “White Lives Matter” trended on social media. White supremacists called Anthony a “symbol of degenerate Black culture” who was motivated by hip-hop culture to kill. Some called for Anthony to receive the death penalty. Anthony faces life in prison and is not eligible for the death penalty because he was a minor.
Frisco residents weigh in
About 20 miles away in Frisco, residents said the trial has reignited sharp emotions.
Walking through Frisco Square, Kelley Hudson, 40, scoffed at the idea that race is not a factor in the case. Hudson said the public is more likely to believe white men who plead defense than Black men. She pointed to George Zimmerman, acquitted in the murder of Trayvon Martin in Florida, and Kyle Rittenhouse, acquitted of killing two and wounding a third at a protest in Wisconsin.
Hudson said she worries Anthony “faces an uphill battle” to prove self-defense.
“We ignore racism and pretend it doesn’t exist,” she said. “That just allows racism to perpetuate.”
Ricky Ricardo, 54, said the social media circus that surrounded the case did not define or divide the suburb. But Ricardo, who was walking his dog Monday near City Hall, said it did spur a flurry of rumors.
“You hear a lot of stories, and you don’t really know what’s true,” said Ricardo, who has lived in Frisco since 2015. “I hope there’s justice, but whatever happens now, two families’ lives have been ruined.”
Staff writer Angela Mathew contributed to this report.
Sarah Bahari is a trending news reporter. She previously worked as a writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she covered a bit of everything. She is a graduate of Kansas State University.
Jane Harper is a Senior Staff Writer for the Dallas Morning News.
