Karmelo Anthony has appointed a new lawyer as he seeks to appeal his murder conviction. Anthony was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. He has filed a notice of appeal following his conviction earlier this month.
According to court records from Collin County, Lara Bracamonte Davila is now serving as his court-appointed attorney. Previously, Donny Perales was briefly appointed but is no longer representing Anthony. Perales indicated that the Anthony family is expected to retain an attorney for the appeal.
In his appeal process, Anthony applied for a TDFA Indigent Packet, which allows defendants to request a court-appointed attorney if they cannot afford one. In a court document, he stated that he is "penniless, destitute, and indigent" and unable to hire legal representation.
Records have shown that the Anthony family is connected to several businesses in Louisiana and Texas, and they opened a business shortly after the murder of Metcalf. Despite the ongoing appeals process, the Anthony family has not communicated with the Metcalf family since the verdict, as noted by Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, who expressed his lack of sympathy for Anthony but mentioned he has found a way to forgive him for his actions.