Karmelo Anthony Sentenced After Controversial Murder Trial — But Who Represented Him?

A long and harrowing trial is over, and 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony has been sentenced following a tense and high-profile murder trial.

Karmelo was accused of the murder of fellow track star Austin Metcalf when they were both high school students at a track meet. A single decision ended Austin's life, and will now put Karmelo behind bars for over three decades.

The trial was under the microscope amid allegations that Karmelo's arrest was racially motivated, and racist threats against the Anthony family following Austin's death. So, Karmelo's high-end sentence has some wondering how effectively he was represented in court. Did Karmelo have a public defender?

Here's what we know.

When Karmelo was found guilty, shock rippled through the community at what came next. According to USA Today, "Jurors could have sentenced Anthony to as little as two years in prison or up to the rest of his life behind bars."

So, there was a wide range of possibilities in outcomes for Karmelo.

Ultimately, he was given 35 years in prison.

Critics have blasted his legal representative, suggesting that he was not adequately defended. On one Facebook post, a user claims of the lawyer; "The attorney who didn’t force Hunter Metcalf to testify.

The attorney who allowed an all-white jury.

The attorney who convinced Karmelo not to speak on his own behalf, while Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand in his own defense.

The attorney who allowed the father of the deceased and his friends to help prosecute his client.

And now Karmelo Anthony has been sentenced to 35 years in prison."

So, was his lawyer a public defender? No, he was not represented by a court-appointed public defender. Rather, the family hired a criminal defense attorney named Mike Howard.

But what do we know about Mike Howard? We know that he's not particularly popular right now, given Karmelo's weighty sentencing. The facts of the case would have suggested a lighter sentence, if he was vigorously defended, many have suggested online.

So, what are those facts?

We know that Karmelo and Austin engaged in an altercation during a track meet on April 2, 2025. It was a rainy day and, according to Newsweek, witnesses testified that Anthony, who attended Centennial High School athlete, took shelter under Memorial High School’s tent.

Multiple people demanded he leave, but he refused.

The outlet reports, "Accounts differ on what happened next. Some students said Anthony warned others not to touch him and kept a hand in his backpack. Others testified that Metcalf and his brother confronted him first. Surveillance footage, though grainy, showed Metcalf pushing Anthony moments before the stabbing."

Anthony surrendered to authorities quickly after only a brief attempt to run. He was indicted for murder the same day.

Karmelo claimed his action was self-defense, from the beginning. And many seemed to believe that it should be easy to back this up, given surveillance footage and witness testimony.

But whether through poor defense or a jury that felt Karmelo acted maliciously, he was found guilty and sentenced to 35 years.