Karmelo Anthony's defense team is focused on the upcoming appeal, which they believe has strong grounds for challenging the 35-year sentence. The legal team likely hopes to frame any procedural issues with evidence handling as reason enough to revisit the case.
Insiders close to the Metcalf family say they've been waiting months for this evidence to go public. Sources tell us Austin's loved ones felt the courtroom wasn't enough — they wanted the world to see what really happened under that tent. The bodycam admission is considered damning by most legal observers.
Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison for murdering Austin Metcalf, with his conviction coming less than two weeks before the June 19, 2026 evidence release. On bodycam footage reviewed by TMZ on June 19, a voice can be heard saying: 'I'm not alleged. I did it.'
This evidence release ensures Karmelo Anthony won't be able to rewrite history — every graphic detail and damning admission is now in the public record, making his appeal an uphill battle at best.
A Texas court has officially lifted the veil on one of the most devastating criminal cases in recent memory. On June 19, 2026, TMZ reported that authorities released a trove of evidence against Karmelo Anthony — including shocking photos, videos, 911 calls, and additional materials from his trial for the murder of Austin Metcalf. The timing is notable: this release comes less than two weeks after Anthony's conviction, where he was sentenced to 35 years behind bars.
With his defense already announcing plans to appeal, these newly public records could either strengthen the prosecution's case or expose procedural vulnerabilities worth fighting over. The most damning piece of footage released is security camera video captured at the scene moments before Karmelo Anthony fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf. The surveillance clips show what appears to be a confrontation unfolding under an event tent, with chaos erupting among attendees.
A highlighted individual — identified by authorities as Anthony — can then be seen bounding down the bleachers and fleeing the area entirely. The footage doesn't sugarcoat anything: you watch him go from participant to escapee in seconds flat. Prosecutors almost certainly used this visual evidence to establish premeditation and flight behavior, two factors that likely influenced the sentencing judge's decision to max out Anthony's term.
But if the security footage establishes what happened, it's the bodycam audio that seals Karmelo's fate in the court of public opinion. Officers responding to the scene restrained Anthony during the arrest, and their cameras were rolling. The video pans away from him at one point, but the audio is unmistakable — someone on the recording can be heard saying, quote, "I'm not alleged.
I did it." That's not ambiguous. That's a confession delivered in his own words while under official custody, captured on bodycam with timestamps and location data. Defense attorneys will certainly try to challenge the circumstances of that statement, but the raw tape is now available for anyone to hear.
The court didn't stop at videos either. Graphic images of Austin Metcalf's stab wound and his blood-soaked clothing were also included in the evidence package made public this week. These photos are difficult to view — as they should be — but their release serves a legal purpose beyond shock value.
They corroborate the physical evidence presented at trial, showing exactly what Karmelo Anthony did that day. Combined with the security footage and admission on bodycam, the prosecution built a case where every piece of evidence pointed in the same damning direction. For Austin Metcalf's family, this evidence release represents vindication they hope will outlast any appeal.
For Karmelo Anthony, those 35 years just became significantly harder to contest. The tapes are rolling everywhere now — and they're not doing him any favors.
