In a striking development during jury selection for one of Texas’s most high-profile teen murder cases, multiple potential jurors were dismissed after openly admitting they could not imagine sending 18-year-old Karmelo Anthony to prison — despite him being charged with first-degree murder.

Anthony stands accused of fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in the heart during a confrontation at a high school track and field meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025. Prosecutors allege the stabbing was not in self-defense, while Anthony’s legal team claims he feared for his life.

During questioning on Monday in Collin County, prosecutors pressed prospective jurors on whether they could fairly consider a life sentence. Several candidates were dismissed after responding that they could not, with some stating Anthony “looks like a child” and that “one mistake” shouldn’t define someone so young.

“I don’t think I can make a decision about somebody so young. One mistake, one argument, one conflict, you can’t say he’s a bad person,” one potential juror told Assistant District Attorney Dewey Mitchell.

Another reportedly said, “I don’t know if I feel right putting a brother in jail.”

Prosecutors also asked panelists how they felt about the statement: “I don’t feel comfortable finding an African American male guilty of murder,” highlighting concerns over bias in the racially charged case. The Anthony family has previously described the prosecution as influenced by “white supremacy.”

Jury selection continues, with attorneys working through a large pool of candidates. The trial has drawn intense national attention, fueled in part by a grassroots defense fund for Anthony that has raised over $600,000.

The case stems from an altercation at a track meet where Metcalf allegedly asked Anthony to move from under a team tent during a rain delay. What began as a verbal dispute ended with Anthony pulling a knife and stabbing Metcalf.

This latest twist in the high-stakes trial underscores the challenges of finding an impartial jury in emotionally and racially divisive cases. Court proceedings are expected to continue this week.