A group of people marched through Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Saturday. They want a new trial for Karmelo Anthony. He is 19 years old. He is serving 35 years in prison for murder.

The march went from the Louisiana State Capitol to Gus Young Park. The group says Anthony did not get a fair trial in Texas.

Anthony was born in Baton Rouge. A jury in Collin County, Texas found him guilty in June. He was found guilty in the 2025 stabbing death of Austin Metcalf, who was 17. The case drew news coverage across the country. Now it is pushing people in Anthony's hometown into the streets. His new lawyers are fighting to get the guilty verdict thrown out.

Jedidiah Brown led the march. He started a group called 4 the Culture. Brown said marching sends a message that words alone cannot.

"We're going to march because that is the language of the unheard," Brown said. "You have to put your feet to the pavement, not your fingers to social media."

Anthony was 17 years old in 2025. He sat under a rival school's tent at a track meet in Frisco, Texas. It was raining that day. Witnesses said Metcalf and others asked Anthony many times to leave. Witnesses said Anthony told them, "Touch me and see what happens."

Witnesses said Metcalf then pushed or nudged Anthony. Anthony pulled out a knife. He stabbed Metcalf. Metcalf died from the wound. Anthony's lawyers said he acted in self defense, which means he says he was protecting himself. The jury did not agree. Jurors found Anthony guilty of murder. That is a more serious charge than manslaughter. It means jurors believed Anthony meant to cause Metcalf's death.

No Black jurors sat on the panel that found Anthony guilty. Anthony is Black. Metcalf was white. The Baton Rouge group points to that as proof the trial was not fair.

"You can have an opinion about if it was right or wrong, but we all should have the same opinion that the court system in America should be fair," Brown said. "It should be transparent, which means open and honest, and that clearly was not done in this case."

LaShawnna Thompson is a Baton Rouge mother. She joined the march. She said the case hit close to home.

"When I heard the verdict, I was driving. I pulled over, and I cried my heart out," Thompson said. "It hits close to home because I have a teenage son. Ever since this happened, I go in, I hug him extra tight."

Metcalf's family has also spoken in public about their loss. His twin brother, Hunter, watched him die at the track meet. Their mother, Meghan Metcalf, has said she does not understand how her son is gone.

Anthony's case became a big topic on social media and cable news even before the trial started. Crowds clashed outside the courthouse during the trial. The case has stayed in the news through his sentencing. It is still in the news now, through this new fight over the verdict.

Anthony has a new legal team now. Several well known civil rights and criminal defense lawyers agreed in June to work for him for free. They filed papers asking for a new trial. They also want the judge on the case, John Roach Jr., taken off the case.

Two hearings are set for next month. Both will happen at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas. On August 19, a visiting judge from San Antonio will hear the request to remove Judge Roach. On August 20, Anthony's lawyers will argue for a new trial.

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis leads the prosecution team. He has spoken out about the appeal. He said court records do not back up some of the defense claims. "It's clear that many of these claims don't match what actually happened in court," Willis said. He said he believes the appeal will be denied.

Brown said the Baton Rouge march is just the first stop. He said the group plans to keep raising awareness about the case before the August hearings.