The murder trial of Karmelo Anthony is set to begin Monday in Collin County, nearly 14 months after the fatal stabbing of Frisco student-athlete Austin Metcalf during a district track meet that drew national attention and sparked intense public reaction.
Anthony, now 19, is charged with murder in the April 2, 2025, death of Metcalf, a 17-year-old Frisco Memorial High School student. Prosecutors allege Anthony stabbed Metcalf once in the chest during an altercation under a team tent at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco.
The case has generated widespread attention across North Texas and online, leading to protests, threats, racial tension, and scrutiny directed at both families and court officials.
Jury selection is expected to begin Monday in the 296th District Court with Judge John Roach presiding.
According to investigators, the confrontation occurred shortly before 10 a.m. during a Frisco ISD district track and field meet that had been delayed by rain and thunderstorms. Anthony, then a student at Centennial High School, and Metcalf did not attend the same school and reportedly did not know each other before the encounter.
Police records released days after the stabbing said witnesses told investigators that Anthony was sitting under Memorial High School’s team tent when Metcalf asked him to leave, The Dallas Express reported. One witness told police Anthony grabbed his bag, reached inside, and warned, “Touch me and see what happens.”
Investigators said witnesses gave differing accounts about whether Metcalf touched or grabbed Anthony before the stabbing. Police said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest before fleeing the area.
Metcalf later died at a hospital.
“He died in his brother’s arms,” Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, said. “Right there on the track where he was just trying to compete. It doesn’t make sense. None of this does.”
According to police, responding officers found Metcalf unconscious and not breathing while Frisco ISD athletic trainers performed CPR.
Anthony was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder. Two days after the stabbing, police records showed Anthony admitted to the stabbing but claimed he acted in self-defense.
Defense attorney Mike Howard has repeatedly said the defense plans to argue Anthony feared for his safety during the confrontation.
Anthony was initially held on a $1 million bond following his arrest. After a hearing later that month, a judge reduced the bond to $250,000 and ordered Anthony placed under house arrest at his parents’ home, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The case continued to attract public attention throughout 2025. In June, Frisco ISD released surveillance video to members of the media under Texas open records law. Reporters who viewed the footage said the camera angle was distant and did not clearly identify individuals, though it appeared to show a sudden confrontation beneath a tent followed by people running from the area.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis announced Anthony’s indictment on a first-degree murder charge on June 24, 2025.
“We know this case has struck a deep nerve — here in Collin County and beyond. That’s understandable. When something like this happens at a school event, it shakes people to the core,” Willis said at the time, CBS News reported. “But the justice system works best when it moves with steadiness and with principle. That’s what we’re committed to. And that’s exactly what this case deserves.”
If convicted, Anthony faces a possible sentence ranging from five years to life in prison.
Ahead of the trial, Judge Roach imposed strict rules governing courtroom conduct, media coverage, and public demonstrations. Cameras, live-streaming devices, and audio-recording devices will not be permitted inside the courtroom. Attendees also will be prohibited from disruptive behavior, gestures, or clothing deemed distracting.
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office is expected to enforce heightened security measures throughout the proceedings.
Former prosecutor Russell Wilson, who is not involved in the case, said the trial could hinge on jurors’ interpretation of what occurred in the moments leading up to the stabbing. “I think in most self-defense cases the dispute is regarding the reasonableness of the fear,” Wilson said, according to NBC.
Wilson added that questions surrounding “the exact details of what occurred immediately prior, during and after the incident” are likely to be central to the case.
Austin Metcalf’s funeral was held April 12, 2025, at Hope Fellowship Frisco East. His obituary described him as kind, genuine, and hardworking, with dreams of playing college football and a love of the outdoors, especially fishing trips with his father and brother.
Most recently, Austin Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, accepted a posthumous diploma at Frisco during the Memorial High School class of 2026, as reported by The Dallas Express.
