Karmelo Anthony’s ex-girlfriend reported that he was stalking her hours before he stabbed Austin Metcalf — and he had threatening and violent texts on his phone, the prosecutor revealed at Anthony’s appeal hearing Thursday.

The jury never heard about Anthony’s disturbing history, or about Metcalf’s juvenile criminal record because of a “gentleman’s agreement” with the 19-year-old’s defense ahead of his murder trial, Collin County Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye revealed.

He told the court Anthony’s high school girlfriend confided to an assistant principal on April 2, 2025 that Anthony was stalking her after a breakup, and that he was obsessed with fights, guns, and knives, according to local outlets at the hearing.

Anthony also sent a picture of the knife and told his ex-girlfriend, “I’m low key on the verge,” Wirskye said.

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“He was spiraling,” the prosecutor added.

A few hours later, Anthony stabbed Metcalf to death under a tent at a track meet at a high school.

In exchange for prosecutors not using that evidence in court, the defense lawyers agreed not to bring up victim Austin Metcalf’s juvenile criminal history, which included graffiti that included “vile racist stuff.”

Here’s the latest on Karmelo Anthony’s appeal of his murder conviction:

“I offered the agreement,” Wirskye said, according to WFAA-TV. “Let’s stay away from historical character and stick to the facts — what happened under the tent.”

The agreement was meant to keep the publicly fraught trial from becoming an even more volatile racial tinderbox, he said.

Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison — but he is appealing the conviction.

In a legal victory for Anthony, the judge who presided over his trial was removed from the appeal on Wednesday. Retired District Court Judge Michael Chitty was then assigned to consider the motion from Anthony’s attorneys asking for a retrial.

Anthony’s attorneys had asked for Judge John Roach to be removed in part because of a TV interview in which Roach said jurors “got it right” when they delivered a guilty verdict.In his opening statement at the retrial hearing, defense attorney Russell Wilson claimed Roach ran “a shadow docket,” WFAA-TV reported.

He argued that the June proceedings were marred by strict courtroom rules and improper jury instructions.

Anthony’s team has said his decision to not testify came after a dispute with prosecutors over an agreement to focus the trial on the events leading up to the stabbing.

As national attention on the killing intensified last year, the families of both Metcalf and Anthony said they had been targets of harassment.

Several schools were competing at the track event when Anthony sat under the Memorial High School tent that was perched in the bleachers. Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation.

Prosecutors said Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses testified that Anthony was the aggressor.

Anthony at one point reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.

Metcalf pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.