A court in Texas on Friday made public photos and videos from the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, including graphic evidence tied to the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf. The release came less than two weeks after a jury convicted Anthony, 19, of murder and months after the killing that drew the case into court.
The 296th District Court released crime scene photos, police body-camera footage, 911 recordings and images shown to jurors. The package also includes enhanced security camera video that captures the moments before and after Anthony stabbed Metcalf, along with a clip of Anthony running away before his arrest.
For readers searching the Carmelo Anthony video now, the footage is not a summary of the case but the evidence itself. One clip shows Anthony right after he was handcuffed at the scene, and another makes him sound as if he is sobbing. An officer is heard referring to him as the alleged suspect while approaching him. Several photos show Metcalf's fatal wound, blood-stained clothing and the knife prosecutors identified as the murder weapon.
The release lays bare the split that defined the trial. Prosecutors argued Anthony initiated the violence and stabbed Metcalf to death. Defense attorneys said he feared for his safety and acted in self-defense. The public can now see the materials jurors heard and viewed when they reached a murder verdict in a case that ended with a 35-year prison sentence on June 9.
The evidence release follows the conviction, not a new charge or a new hearing, and that is what makes it notable today. A public record now exists of the most graphic material from the case, including the video that shows what happened around the stabbing and the aftermath. What remains unanswered is whether there will be any further release from the court, or whether Friday's disclosure is the final word on what the jury saw.
