Left inset: Judge Angela Tucker (X). Right inset: Karmelo Anthony leaving jail Monday, April 14, in Texas (KDFW/YouTube). Background: Police at the scene of Austin Metcalf’s alleged murder in Frisco, Texas (KDFW/YouTube).
Tensions surrounding the Karmelo Anthony stabbing case in Texas have reached a boiling point, with the judge overseeing it being doxxed and threatened online after she lowered the teen’s bond from $1 million to $250,000 this week, to the point where she now needs extra security — and the FBI is reportedly investigating.
On top of that, Anthony himself has also started getting probed and attacked by online critics over a report from the Daily Mail, which alleges that the 17-year-old is living in a luxurious $900,000 home with his family, while also raking in hundreds and thousands of dollars in donations from strangers on the internet.
The criticisms, at first glance, center around Anthony’s claims of self-defense in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf at a track meet earlier this month. Metcalf, 17, was allegedly unarmed and the two teens had been arguing before the slaying.
Things, however, have gotten much more political in recent days — with Anthony’s case being propped up as a “race relations” issue by far-right influencers — on account of Anthony being Black and Metcalf being white.
Anthony is accused of killing Metcalf at a track meet on April 2 at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, according to local police. He allegedly used a knife that he pulled from his backpack to stab Metcalf after the teen allegedly attacked Anthony. The arrest affidavit, which was obtained by local ABC outlet WFAA, detailed how Anthony allegedly spoke to officers immediately after the incident, saying: “He put his hands on me, I told him not to.”
In an arrest affidavit obtained by local ABC outlet WFAA, police said Anthony told officers, “I was protecting myself,” after fatally stabbing Metcalf while the two of them were beefing in the bleachers where they were sitting at the track meet. The accused teen’s family has received more than $440,000 in donations through an online fundraiser posted on GiveSendGo — a religious crowdfunding website regularly used by far-right conservatives and their allies — and says he’s been wrongfully charged with murder.
“The narrative being spread is false, unjust and harmful,” the description says. “As a family of faith, we are deeply grateful for all of your support during this trying period. Your prayers and assistance mean more to us now more than ever.”
Judge Angela Tucker on Monday lowered Anthony’s bond from $1 million to $250,000 after his defense attorney, Mike Howard, argued that such a high amount was “not necessary” to keep Anthony from fleeing.
“This family needs to be able to survive,” Howard told Tucker in court Monday, according to local Fox affiliate KDFW.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of pressure,” Howard said. “I think at this point, living in a gated community, given everything, the safety of their younger children is very warranted. Security details and criminal defense are not cheap.”
The bond reduction by Tucker — a Republican who is Collin County’s first Black judge — led to immense backlash online this week. She was forced to make her X account private after her private information was shared on social media, which was reported by local government officials on X Monday.
“We are aware of a social media post on this platform that appears to dox a sitting judge,” the Collin County Government account said. “Sharing a judge’s private information is a crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
We are aware of a social media post on this platform that appears to dox a sitting judge. Sharing a judge’s private information is a crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. #RuleofLaw #CommunityStandards
— Collin County Govt (@CollinCountyGov) April 14, 2025
The outrage surrounding the Anthony case and Tucker’s decision have centered around multiple things, with people condemning both of them for different reasons, many of them related to Tucker’s past and the teens’ respective skin color, according to the Atlanta Black Star, which published a list Tuesday of posts aimed at both Tucker and Anthony.
“This evil judge deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison for what she did today,” a user wrote on X, alongside a picture of the judge, according to the report.
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office told TMZ on Tuesday that the backlash and threats have gotten so bad for Tucker that the FBI is reportedly investigating and she has been given extra security.
One individual, who has not been identified, was reported by “court staff and concerned citizens” for remarks made against Tucker this week that warranted the FBI’s investigation, the sheriff’s office reports.
“Potential charges could include Unlawful Disclosure of a Residence Address or Telephone Number and Obstruction or Retaliation,” CCSO officials told TMZ.
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Speaking to reporters on Monday after Anthony’s bond reduction, his lawyer insisted that what was going on with his case was both normal and warranted.
“Every Texan deserves the right to defend themselves when they reasonably fear for their life,” Howard said, according to KDFW.
“Self-defense is a protection that applies to each and every one of us,” he asserted, adding that there are “two sides to every story,” including Anthony’s. “Bond, as the judge said, is not supposed to be an instrument of oppression, it’s not supposed to keep people in jail,” Howard concluded. “It’s to ensure someone comes to court.”
Prosecutors on Monday described Metcalf’s death as the result of an “altercation” where stabbing him was not needed.
“For reasons unknown, the defendant brought a knife to a track meet for what probably could have been a fist fight at worst,” said Collin County First Assistant Bill Wirsky, according to KDFW. “[The family] could make this million-dollar bond as soon as they get access to it. I don’t know why we are here.”
Anthony’s family has said that the reason they can’t use the donations being raised for him is because they do not have access to it yet.
“It isn’t as simple as giving a phone call to access it,” Anthony’s parents told reporters.
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