Karmelo Anthony did not take the stand at his murder trial. Now a court wants to know if that choice changed the case. Anthony is 19 years old. A jury convicted him in June 2026. He got a 35 year sentence. He killed Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet. Both boys were 17 that day. The stabbing happened in a tent area. It was at Memorial High School.

This week, a new hearing looked back at that trial. Judges heard why Anthony never spoke to the jury. His trial lawyer is Toby Shook. Shook gave the reason. Anthony did not trust the lead prosecutor. He worried the prosecutor would twist his words.

Shook shared what Anthony told him. Anthony said, "Bill's just going to find a reason to open the door no matter what I say." He meant prosecutor Bill Wirskye. Both sides had argued over small details before trial. One fight was about chess. The defense wanted to say Anthony liked chess. Prosecutors said that could open the door to more testimony about Anthony.

Shook told the hearing that staying silent hurt the case. He said the jury might have picked a lesser charge. That charge is called manslaughter. It means less prison time than murder. Shook said, "To be effective for self-defense, you have to have a testifying defendant." In plain words, jurors often need to hear from the person on trial. Then they can believe a self-defense claim.

Prosecutor Bill Wirskye told a different story. He said the state never expected Anthony to skip testifying. He said he wanted Anthony to take the stand.

Before the trial, both sides made a deal. People call it a "gentleman's agreement." Both sides agreed to keep old behavior out of court. That kept some facts away from the jury. It kept out records about Anthony and guns and knives. It also kept out facts about Metcalf. Those facts included fights and racist graffiti.

A retired judge is studying the case now. His name is Michael Chitty. He must rule by Monday. He will say if Anthony gets a new trial. Texas law is strict on this point. If he misses the deadline, the request gets denied on its own.

Two other judges also played a role. Judge John Roach Jr. ran the first trial. He is off the case now. Judge Sid Harle told him to step aside this week.

No matter what Chitty decides, this hearing showed something new. One quiet choice, staying off the stand, may have shaped the whole case.