Update to original breaking story: On June 9, 2026, in Collin County District Court, a jury convicted 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony of first-degree murder and sentenced him to 35 years in prison, CBS News reported. Presiding Judge John Roach Jr. oversaw the proceedings. Under Texas law for this “3G” offense, Anthony will become eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence—approximately 17.5 years—assuming no additional factors apply.
A Collin County jury has returned a verdict in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, 19, for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco on April 2, 2025.
Closing arguments concluded Tuesday morning after the judge instructed jurors they could consider the lesser charge of manslaughter (2–20 years) in addition to murder (5–99 years or life).
The jury returned a verdict after roughly three hours of deliberation, finding Anthony GUILTY of MURDER.
Prior to going into deliberation, Judge John Roach Jr. had warned jurors they could be sequestered overnight without cell phones if needed. That additional time was not needed.
The trial centered on Texas self-defense law, which requires an imminent threat of unlawful force and a proportional response. Prosecutors argued Anthony provoked the encounter and had no justification for deadly force after a push. The defense maintained that Anthony, who pleaded not guilty, was of smaller build and reasonably feared for his safety.
The incident occurred at David Kuykendall Stadium during a rain-delayed Frisco ISD track meet. Anthony, a Centennial High School student, sat under the Memorial High School team tent.
Multiple witnesses testified that Metcalf and others asked him to leave as many as 15 times, CBS News reported. Anthony reportedly called the students “a bunch of p*ssies” who were “not going to do nothing about it” and refused to leave.
“Yes, Karmelo put his hand in the bag and said five times, ‘Touch me and see what happens,” one witness testified, reported Courthouse News Service. “Austin said he was not going to touch the guy; he was calm.”
Anthony stabbed Metcalf once in the chest after a confrontation. Metcalf collapsed and died despite efforts by his twin brother Hunter and others to save him. Anthony fled the scene, throwing the murder weapon, but, after being pointed out by students and coaches, he surrendered and told police he acted to protect himself, per WFAA.
In Tuesday morning’s closing statements, Bill Wirskye, a veteran Texas prosecutor currently serving as First Assistant District Attorney in the Collin County District Attorney’s Office (under DA Greg Willis) in McKinney, Texas, told the jury that “This is one of those rare cases where every important fact can be boiled down to one sentence, you do not get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove,” according to a CBS News 11 reporter.
The Dallas Express has followed the case from the start. Early police reports obtained by DX detailed the confrontation and Anthony’s statements at the time of arrest.
Prosecutors called more than 20 witnesses, including students, coaches, first responders, and the medical examiner. Testimony and video showed Anthony as the initial aggressor who used deadly force against an unarmed Metcalf. The medical examiner confirmed the single stab wound to the heart was unsurvivable.
The defense rested its case Monday without Anthony testifying. Defense witnesses (six total) attempted to portray Anthony as facing a threat from larger teens in a chaotic shared-tent environment common at such meets. However, several student witnesses for both sides undermined key parts of the self-defense narrative, with testimony indicating Anthony escalated the situation.
Jury selection drew scrutiny over racial dynamics. The 12-person jury with six alternates included no Black jurors. The defense raised a Batson challenge after prosecutors struck three Black prospective jurors — all educators — citing their roles as teachers of school-aged children as race-neutral reasons. Judge John Roach Jr. allowed the strikes.
The final panel consisted of 11 women and seven men (including alternates). Observers within the courtroom indicate the panel may have included three Asian women, one Middle Eastern woman (noted wearing a hijab), at least one Hispanic juror, and one other woman of color, while all male jurors are reported as white. (Note: the granular breakdown has not been independently verified.)
Outside the courtroom, the case generated significant drama. Hate speech was prevalent among Anthony’s supporters who appeared at the courthouse, as The Dallas Express reported at the time.
Additionally, fundraising became a point of contention. Anthony’s family’s GiveSendGo campaign raised hundreds of thousands of dollars — exceeding $625,000 as of the morning of June 9 — for legal fees, security, and expenses. The Dallas Express also reported unusual donation patterns, including repetitive anonymous gifts.
Critics questioned whether pursuing a trial rather than a plea deal prolonged the case to keep the funds coming in from supporters.
The case has also drawn sharp commentary from figures such as Matt Walsh, who argued that the incident highlights a pattern in which young Black males are being celebrated for resorting to deadly force over perceived disrespect rather than an actual threat to life. Walsh is not alone in pointing out this overarching concern. Still others note that Anthony “murdered that boy because he was raised to hate white people and to view himself as a victim in every situation. It’s a cultural thing,” posted Sholdon Daniels, who practices law in Collin County.
“Look at all the black people that support Karmelo Anthony. They not support him he was right—they support him because he killed a white boy and they see it as revenge for historical incidents,” Daniels added.
