A jury has convicted Karmelo Anthony and sentenced him to 35 years for the fatal stabbing of a fellow track athlete, Austin Metcalf, ABC News reported. The verdict and sentence bring to a close one of the most closely watched cases involving two young athletes, after a trial that drew significant national attention.
Following the decision, authorities are now releasing video that the jury saw during the trial. The footage offers a clearer look at the evidence that was put before the jurors and that ultimately shaped their decision to convict the teenager in the killing of Metcalf.
In one of the videos, Anthony can be heard admitting to the stabbing. That admission was among the key pieces of evidence presented to the jury, forming a central part of the case that prosecutors built against him over the course of the proceedings.
Throughout the case, Anthony maintained that he had acted in self-defense. In the same recordings, he can be heard making that claim, which stood at the heart of his defense as the jury weighed whether his actions amounted to a crime or a justified response.
The evidence shown to jurors also included emotional 911 calls from the scene. In the recordings, Metcalf's brother could be heard trying to tell him to pull through, capturing the desperation of the moments immediately after the stabbing as those nearby tried to help the injured young athlete.
The case stemmed from a confrontation between the two young track athletes and had been followed closely from the moment of the killing through the trial. With the conviction and the 35-year sentence now handed down, the jury delivered a measure of resolution to a case that had generated intense public interest.
The case has since taken a fresh turn after the sentencing. According to ABC News, attorneys for the 19-year-old filed new motions this week asking for his murder conviction to be thrown out and for the judge who oversaw the case to be removed from any further proceedings, reopening a legal fight that many had considered settled.
The defense set out the grounds for the request. According to the reporting, Anthony's lawyers argue that his constitutional rights were violated, claiming that the courtroom was not sufficiently open to the public and raising concerns about comments made by the judge during the case, as they seek to have the conviction reconsidered.