MCKINNEY, Texas — Jury selection in one of North Texas’s most closely watched murder trials has concluded with a panel that is already generating significant controversy: an all-white jury.

After several days of questioning a large pool of prospective jurors, a 12-person jury and six alternates — none of whom are Black — were seated Wednesday in the first-degree murder trial of 18-year-old Karmelo Anthony.

Anthony stands accused of stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf to death during an argument under a team tent at a Frisco Independent School District track meet on April 2, 2025. He has pleaded not guilty, claiming he acted in self-defense.

Defense attorneys immediately raised a Batson challenge, a legal objection alleging that prosecutors improperly struck the final three Black women from the jury pool based on race. The defense argued the women were treated differently than a white woman in a similar situation. Prosecutors countered that the strikes were race-neutral, citing the women’s work in education and their desire to avoid educators on a jury for a case involving a school-related incident. The judge agreed with the prosecution and overruled the challenge.

The lack of racial diversity on the jury has drawn swift criticism from civil rights advocates, legal observers, and social media users. In a case already steeped in racial tension — a Black teenager accused of killing a white student-athlete — many question whether an all-white jury can deliver a verdict viewed as fair and impartial by the broader community.

Inside the Collin County Courthouse, Anthony appeared calm in a suit and tie as attorneys questioned potential jurors on topics including self-defense laws, media influence, and personal experiences with violence. Outside the building, supporters of Anthony gathered, chanting slogans and holding signs calling for justice, while others quietly supported the Metcalf family.

The fatal stabbing occurred in front of numerous witnesses, many of them fellow high school students and parents. Prosecutors argue Anthony was the aggressor, while the defense maintains he reasonably feared for his safety.

Legal experts note that while the U.S. Constitution does not require a jury to match the defendant’s race, courts have long recognized the importance of diverse juries in maintaining public trust, especially in racially sensitive cases.

As opening statements are set to begin in the coming days, the Karmelo Anthony trial is poised to become a major test of how race, self-defense claims, and community perceptions intersect in the Texas justice system. Whatever the outcome, the all-white jury selection has already ensured this case will be remembered not just for the tragic loss of a young life, but for the difficult questions it raises about fairness in American courtrooms.