Karmlelo Anthony is a teen from Texas who was convicted of the murder of Austin Metcalf at a track meet
According to court documents Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf were two student athletes who were attending a track meet in Frisco Texas
The two shared a brief argument before Karmelo Anthony would fatally stab Austin Metcalf in the chest causing the other teens death
Karmelo Anthony would be arrested and convicted of first degree murder. He would be sentenced to 35 years in prison
Karmelo Anthony Case
A Texas teenager who fatally stabbed a 17-year-old track athlete from a rival team during a meet was convicted of murder Tuesday in a trial that drew national attention far beyond the booming Dallas suburb where the two students attended different high schools.
A jury rejected Karmelo Anthony’s claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in stadium bleachers last year. Most people who testified were students who described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal to leave a tent that belonged to the team from Memorial High School in Frisco.
Anthony, now 19, faces up to life in prison after a brief sentencing hearing in which his mother was the only witness. His lawyer had an arm around him when the guilty verdict was announced.
As police officers watched, dozens of people stood outside the courthouse in 90 degree heat to await the verdict. There were wails of grief from one woman — “This isn’t real!” — when the result began to spread.
Earlier Tuesday, jurors heard dueling narratives from prosecutor Bill Wirskye and defense attorney Mike Howard.
Several schools were competing on a rainy April day when Anthony sat under the Memorial High tent that was perched in the bleachers. Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation.
Howard told jurors that Metcalf had “no legal right to put his hands on Karmelo.”
“Texas law does not require that you wait until you get hit,” Howard said. “In that split second of chaos, you must put yourself in his shoes.”
During the nearly weeklong trial, prosecutors said that Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses have testified that Anthony was the aggressor.
“This is not self-defense, folks. It’s murder plain and simple,” Wirskye told jurors during his closing argument.
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 reacted by pulling out a knife and stabbing him in the chest.
“You don’t get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove,” Wirskye said.
The prosecutor also made a broader pitch to the jury: “Ultimately, this case is about accountability. What kind of community do you want to live in.”
Howard noted that Metcalf and Anthony did not know each other. He said Anthony “had absolutely no motive, other than that he felt he was in danger.”
Anthony did not testify and explain his version of what happened that day.
The trial drew lines of spectators hoping to find seats in the gallery and unfolded amid heavy security at the Collin County courthouse. Frisco is one of Texas’ fastest-growing cities that is dotted with dozens of modern school campuses and gleaming athletic facilities.
Several students testified that Metcalf, after ordering Anthony to leave his team’s tent, scoffed before Anthony reached into a bag and pulled out a knife.
One teen recalled Metcalf telling Anthony, “You don’t have anything in that backpack. It’s Frisco.”
Outside attention on the case spread, in part, over social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Prosecutors and defense attorneys told jurors that the case had nothing to do with race.
The parents of both Anthony and Metcalf have said they were good students who planned to go to college.
Karmelo Anthony Sentencing
A Collin County jury sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison for the 2025 Frisco track meet murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.
Jurors took two-and-a-half hours to reach the sentence.
The prosecution and defense both waived their right to opening statements in the sentencing phase.
Mother testifies on son’s remorse
Prosecutors also chose not to call any witnesses, and the defense ended after just one – Anthony’s mother, Kayla Hayes.
“He’s my oldest, he’s my firstborn,” she said. “He will always be my baby. I love him very much.”
“Does your son regret what he did?” the defense asked.
“Yes, he’s very sorry for what he did,” Hayes said.
Anthony faced a punishment range of five to 99 years or life in prison.
Prosecutor urges jurors to focus on victim
During its closing argument, the state pressed jurors to center their attention on the young life cut short.
“Austin Metcalf was a son. Austin Metcalf was a brother,” the prosecutor said. “… I’m going to ask you to consider the age of the victim in this case… Nothing you do with your verdict, nothing you do, will take more from Karmelo Anthony than it did from the Metcalfs… Austin Metcalf didn’t have the opportunity to meet the love of his life, hold a plaque at graduation.”
To underscore that point, prosecutors projected an image from last year’s Frisco ISD track meet, where coaches could be seen praying over Austin Metcalf as they pleaded for his recovery.
In the gallery, Austin’s brother, Hunter Metcalf, lowered his head into his hands, visibly shaken.
Defense leans on sudden‑passion claim
The defense pressed jurors to decide whether the shooting resulted from “sudden passion,” saying the defendant reacted in terror without time to think.
“We respect your verdict, and we respect your role,” the defense said to the jury in closing arguments.
“We as Americans trust in our community,” the defense said. “I know it’s a heavy burden and I know it’s a heavy weight you’re carrying … I can only ask you to consider both sides.”
They urged jurors to determine whether the defendant acted in a split‑second surge of emotion, noting that such a finding changes how the law views the decision.
The defense argued that if jurors believe Anthony felt genuine terror and had no chance for calm reflection, then sudden passion applies, pointing to the video as evidence.
“This is not about blaming the victim,” they said. “I ask you to consider both sides.”
If jurors decided that sudden passion played a role, the conviction would have been reduced to a second‑degree felony, which carries a possible sentence of 2 to 20 years.
Jury convicted Anthony earlier Tuesday
The jury convicted Anthony of murder in the stabbing death of 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco ISD track meet – a case that drew national attention and intensified conversations about self‑defense, race, and safety at school events.
Anthony, now 19, was accused of killing Metcalf on April 2, 2025, at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco. Prosecutors said he deliberately stabbed Metcalf during a confrontation between the two teens. The defense maintained that Anthony acted in self-defense.
Jurors returned their verdict after several days of testimony from dozens of witnesses, including students who saw the altercation, investigators who handled the case, medical experts, and character witnesses called by the defense.
Anthony was taken into custody shortly after the stabbing and charged with murder. During closing arguments Tuesday, Judge John Roach instructed jurors that they could also consider a lesser charge of manslaughter.
According to prosecutors, the two teenagers attended different schools and had no prior connection. Authorities said the dispute began near a team tent area before Anthony allegedly stabbed Metcalf once in the chest.
Metcalf was rushed to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Karmelo Anthony sentenced to 35 years in Frisco track meet murder of Austin Metcalf – CBS Texas
