Concerns are growing for the Karmelo Anthony jurors after a disturbing social media trend emerged showing people being harassed and falsely accused of serving on the panel that convicted the Texas teen killer.
Anthony, 19, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a confrontation at a Texas track meet in 2025.
The case drew national attention and sparked heated racial debate after the killing of the white teenager by a black classmate. Following the verdict, some Anthony supporters claimed the outcome was tainted because no black jurors served on the panel.
Those concerns prompted the judge to issue a gag order shielding jurors’ identities and prohibiting them from discussing the case publicly, for fear of their safety.
Now, a bizarre online trend has surfaced in which Anthony supporters approach random people and accuse them of being among the Karmelo Anthony jurors.
One video posted by a user in Jacksonville, Florida, showed a man riding a bicycle confront another individual sitting on a sidewalk who appeared to be homeless.
The cyclist said, “Hey, wasn’t he on jury selection?” before hitting him.
A woman standing nearby tried to intervene.
“No, he wasn’t, seriously, no, he wasn’t,” she said, adding, “He’s a vet, dude.”
Black guy PUNCHES a random White man in the face because he thinks he was on Karmelo Anthony’s jury selection
He also threatens his life saying, “You gonna die.”
How is this not a hate crime? @fbi pic.twitter.com/i5gXP1au6W
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 10, 2026
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the Daily Mail that it is investigating the incident.
Others have circulated AI-generated videos depicting similar attacks in what critics have described as an intimidation campaign.
Anthony, who was 17 when the stabbing occurred, argued that he acted in self-defense after a heated exchange with Metcalf under a tent at the meet.
But after nearly a week of testimony, jurors deliberated for just three hours before rejecting that defense. Less than a day after the verdict, Anthony’s legal team filed notice that it intends to appeal.
The panel consisted of 12 jurors and six alternates. Most were white, though the group also included three Hispanics, two Asians and two individuals from the Middle East and India.
During jury selection, defense attorneys raised a Batson challenge, arguing prospective jurors may have been excluded because of race. The judge rejected the objection.
Racially charged demonstrations took place outside the courthouse throughout the trial, with Anthony supporters insisting the teenager should “walk free.”
Prosecutors dismantled Anthony’s self-defense claim using surveillance footage and testimony from witnesses who said he initiated the confrontation.
People inside the tent testified that Anthony warned Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens,” before Metcalf shoved him. Anthony then allegedly pulled out a folding knife and plunged it into the teen’s chest.
According to prosecutors, Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, rushed to help while Anthony fled and attempted to blend into crowds leaving the stadium.
Anthony remained expressionless in court as jurors watched police body camera footage from the aftermath of the attack.
Hunter cried out, “Oh my God. He’s my best friend. He’s my brother.”
Moments later, he broke down and pleaded, “I can’t do this.”
At one point, the devastated teen became incoherent and appeared to pray aloud.
Jurors reportedly gasped after being shown graphic photographs of Metcalf’s injuries that had not previously been made public.
A medical examiner testified that Metcalf was stabbed once, with the blade piercing the bone in the center of his chest and puncturing the right side of his heart.
During cross-examination, Anthony’s attorneys suggested that Metcalf may have impaled himself on the knife.
After calling six witnesses whose testimony failed to significantly bolster the defense’s case, Anthony’s lawyers rested. Anthony ultimately chose not to testify in his own defense.
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