Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has sparked debate by comparing Karmelo Anthony's murder conviction and sentence to another Texas school stabbing case, arguing the outcomes reflect “two different standards of justice.”
Anthony, 19, was recently sentenced to 35 years in prison after a Collin County jury found him guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of fellow student Austin Metcalf during a 2025 high school track meet.
Prosecutors argued that Anthony intentionally stabbed Metcalf during a confrontation, while his defense team maintained that he acted in self-defense. The Texas jury rejected the defense, sparking protests outside the Collin County courthouse.
Crump shared his views in a social media post, comparing Anthony's case with that of Caysen Allison, a Texas teen convicted in the fatal stabbing of fellow student Jose "Joe" Luis Ramirez Jr. at Belton High School.
“Two Texas cases. Two different outcomes. Two Americas,” Crump wrote.
Anthony has formally declared that he is prepared to file a notice of appeal, the New York Post has reported.
