I did not plan for Episode 58 to be what it became.
I live in Frisco, Texas. This happened in my school district. My son was still in class when Austin Metcalf was killed at a track meet about ten minutes from our house. So when the verdict came down and I sat down to record, I was not processing this from 30,000 feet. I had some skin in it.
The jury found Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder. Thirty-five years. They had the option of manslaughter and declined it. That part of the story is what it is.
What I wanted to talk about on this episode was what came after. Because what happened after the verdict bothered me as much as the crime. Death threats against a father who buried his son. A grieving community that never got told the hard truth by the people who were supposed to lead it. And a generation of young men we are not being honest with about where this road ends.
I brought my pastor's heart to this one, but I also brought my law degree. There is a right way to fight if you believe this verdict was wrong. His attorneys filed a notice of appeal within twenty-four hours. That is where the energy belongs. Not on a grieving family.
I also wanted to talk about Austin Metcalf. He did not get much airtime in the public conversation. He should have.
That is Episode 58. Watch the clips on the media page or catch the full episode at marclittleshow.com.