When a jury delivers a verdict that one side hates, the post-trial spin cycle is almost guaranteed to begin. But the reaction from some supporters of convicted killer Karmelo Anthony has gone far beyond ordinary disappointment.
Dallas attorney: “Pray for the Anthony family because they have been legally lynched for the past year by the courthouse and the Metcalf family. The energy right now is their white supremacy. They are pigs.” pic.twitter.com/jT6KEPf5z8
— MCBN (@MCBNNEWSS) June 10, 2026
Appearing on commentator Roland Martin’s online program, attorney Thelma Anderson launched into a blistering attack on the Texas justice system after Anthony was found guilty and sentenced in the killing of Austin Metcalf. Rather than focusing on the jury’s conclusions or the evidence that persuaded jurors, Anderson painted the outcome as proof of racial injustice and political opportunism.
Her most explosive claim was that the Anthony family had been “legally lynched” during the year-long legal process. Anderson urged supporters to pray for the family and portrayed the courthouse as a hostile environment designed to deliver a predetermined result.
She also accused critics of the Anthony family of harboring racist motives, arguing that some people were celebrating both a death and a prison sentence. Anderson further alleged that prosecutors pursued the case not because of the facts, but for political gain, claiming they were attempting to score points with voters.
In a lengthy critique, Anderson accused the lead prosecutor of showing contempt toward Black defendants and communities. She argued that comments made during the proceedings reflected bias and claimed the prosecution used imagery and narratives intended to shape public perception of the case. She also contended that the state’s request for a severe sentence was unjustified because, in her view, Anthony acted in self-defense.
Those arguments have been met with intense skepticism from many observers. Critics note a basic fact that has fueled much of the public backlash: Austin Metcalf is the person who lost his life. To them, describing Anthony and his family as the primary victims ignores the irreversible outcome at the center of the case.
The controversy has also reignited debate over the role of race in high-profile criminal trials. Supporters of the verdict argue that jurors heard testimony, reviewed evidence, and reached a conclusion through the normal legal process. They reject claims that the outcome was the product of racial animus or political calculation.
Another detail drawing attention is the substantial public fundraising effort mounted on Anthony’s behalf. During the legal proceedings, supporters contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars through online fundraising campaigns. Reports indicated that the family’s financial circumstances improved significantly during the case, a reality that critics say sits uneasily alongside claims that they were systematically persecuted by the justice system.
Here’s what she said:
“Pray for the Anthony family, because they have been legally lynched for the last year and moreso by this slaughterhouse of a courthouse, as well as the family of the Metcalfs.
The energy right now is very white supremacy. They have shown up to be the pigs that they display with hate. They are celebrating the loss of life and a loss of freedom.”
“We have an overzealous prosecutor who lied throughout this trial, who put on liars as witnesses in order to be a saving grace for the white community so that they can win an election.”
“What I heard from this man today is indicative of why it’s important that it’s people that look like us that are in courtrooms like that. This man disregarded human life the entire trial. He invoked race. He equated Dallas County as being the ghetto opposed to Frisco being safe.
They propaganda’d a photo of the deceased with black people around praying, saying, ‘This is community.’ They used us as a prop in order to pitch their lynching.
This man has been known to be an overzealous prosecutor when it comes to us. He see[s] us as free labor. That’s what he see[s] us as. So I’m not surprised that this prosecutor who has unethical background would get up there and ask for the max [sentence] when he know that this was self-defense.”
