MCKINNEY, Texas (WFAA) — A Collin County judge on Monday significantly reduced track meet stabbing suspect Karmelo Anthony’s bond from $1 million to $250,000 and also placed him under house arrest.
Anthony, a 17-year-old student at Frisco Centennial High School, was then released from jail Monday afternoon.
Anthony was arrested and charged with murder in the death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf April 2 at the UIL District 11-5A championship track meet at Frisco ISD’s Kuykendall Stadium.
Judge Angela Tucker of the 199th District Court in Collin County made the ruling Monday morning to reduce Anthony’s bond amount and also add several conditions, should he post bond.
Under his new bond conditions, Anthony, who appeared at the hearing in a yellow jumpsuit, would be required to wear an ankle monitor and ask permission to leave his home. It wasn’t yet clear when, or if, Anthony would post bond under the new bond amount and conditions. If Anthony violates any conditions of his bond, he would have to return to jail.
Anthony’s father testified as a witness at the bond hearing Monday, and about ten people attended the hearing in support of Anthony.
Metcalf’s family was also present at the bond hearing, including his dad, grandfather, aunt and mother, who wore a gold ribbon and No. 11 pin.
Anthony was represented by Dallas defense attorney Mike Howard at the hearing. Howard initially asked the court to reduce the bond amount to $150,000. After the hearing, Howard said the $250,000 bond imposed by the judge was “fair,” in a press conference.
“Bond, as the judge said, is not supposed to be an instrument of oppression, it’s not supposed to keep people in jail, it’s not supposed to punish,” Howard said. “It is to ensure that a person shows up to court, complies with all conditions and it’s supposed to keep the community safe. This is a large and substantial bond and I think the judge has rightly imposed reasonable conditions that will ensure both Karmelo’s and the Anthony families’ safety but also the safety of the community.
The judge said she considered several factors, including Anthony’s age, lack of past criminal history, citizenship and close ties to the community when setting the new bond amount.
Collin County Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye argued that the Anthony family raised enough money through the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo, where the family has raised about $415,000, to pay the $1 million bond.
“The judge has made her call and we look forward to continuing the process and looking forward to reviewing all of the facts of the case that Frisco PD has come up with,” Greg Willis, Collin County District Attorney said. “We will go where the facts lead us.”
Anthony’s father testified that the family currently does not have access to the money raised. He added that he is the sole provider for his family and the notoriety surrounding the case is forcing his family to move to a new home. The moving costs and the cost of providing for his wife and four children prevent the family from being able to pay the $1 million bond, he said.
When asked by the judge if he understood the terms of his bond, Anthony replied, “Yes.”
“This decision gives Karmelo and his family a much-needed window of relief and a chance to prepare for the road ahead,” the Next Generation Action Network, which is advocating for Anthony, said in a press release.
Anthony was the captain of his school’s football and track teams and worked two jobs at Foot Locker and HEB in Frisco, his father testified.
After he was apprehended, police said Anthony admitted to the stabbing and claimed he was defending himself against Metcalf, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by WFAA.
The $1 million bond first set for Anthony seemed high compared to other homicide cases, Daryl Washington, a high-profile trial attorney based in Dallas, said ahead of the bond hearing.
“When you have a bail amount that comes out that high, it gives the community the thought that perhaps there is some evidence out there that suggests this person is guilty,” Washington said.
Anthony retained a new defense attorney ahead of a scheduled court appearance, the Next Generation Action Network, announced. Anthony was previously represented by attorneys Billy Clark and Kim T. Cole, WFAA previously reported.
It’s fairly common to see a change in attorneys as a trial develops, Washington said.
The case has garnered national attention and has been embroiled in controversy since the stabbing occurred April 2.
Frisco PD warned residents against falling for misinformation after accounts posing as the Frisco Police Chief spread false information online, WFAA previously reported. The FBI is investigating the fake social media posts, the agency confirmed.
“Well, this has definitely rocked our entire community,” Willis said. “It has struck a nerve in the community. It’s hard for everybody to be levelheaded. It’s our job to be level headed and to follow the truth wherever it leads.”
In a press conference, Howard acknowledged that the press coverage and public reaction about the case has been “immense,” and asked that “the temperature be allowed to come down.”
“Threats and talk of race war and all kinds of insanity isn’t good for, obviously, the Anthony family, it’s not good for the Metcalf family, it’s not good for the peace and safety of our community,” Howard said. “I would ask, and I know both sides would ask, that the temperature on this be allowed to come down.”
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