Karmelo Anthony Jurors Living in Fear as Strangers Are Attacked and Falsely Accused

Karmelo Anthony jurors are living in fear — and a chilling new social media trend is making things worse.

Following Anthony’s murder conviction, a disturbing wave of videos has emerged online showing agitators approaching strangers and falsely accusing them of serving on the jury, according to a Daily Mail report, published Thursday, June 11. The trend has raised serious alarm bells about juror safety.

As Globe previously reported, Anthony, 19, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison for fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf, 17, at a Texas track meet in 2025. His defense team argued he acted in self-defense after a heated confrontation under a tent, a claim the jury rejected after deliberating for just three hours.

One Instagram video showed a man on a bicycle confronting a person who appeared to be homeless and sitting on a sidewalk. The cyclist said, “Hey, wasn’t he on jury selection?” before striking the man. A bystander is heard responding, “No, he wasn’t, seriously, no, he wasn’t,” adding, “He’s a vet, dude.”

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, per the Daily Mail report, which explained that beyond the physical attacks, cruel online agitators have also circulated AI-generated videos depicting fake jury members being assaulted in what amounts to a campaign of intimidation. In response, the presiding judge has placed a gag order on all jurors, barring them from speaking publicly about the case and shielding their identities.

Anthony’s supporters have been vocal in their outrage over the verdict, arguing that the absence of Black jurors from the panel amounted to racial discrimination. The jury was composed of 12 jurors and six alternates who were described as mostly white, with the exception of three Hispanic members, two Asian members and two from the Middle East and India, per the report. During jury selection, defense attorneys filed a Batson challenge — a legal objection based on alleged racial bias in juror dismissals — which the judge denied.

Despite the conviction, the legal battle is not over. Within 24 hours of the verdict, Anthony’s attorneys filed a notice of appeal.