The murder case of Karmelo Anthony has received national attention and raised concerns about self-defense, race and accountability.
The Texas teenager was sentenced Tuesday, June 9, to 35 years in prison for fatally stabbing another track athlete during a high school meet in suburban Dallas.
When did Karmelo Anthony stab Austin Metcalf?
The incident occurred on April 2, 2025, when Anthony, then 17 years old, was participating in a high school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
Just as the rain began to pour down, Anthony sought shelter under the canopy assigned to rival Memorial High School, where Austin Metcalf was also a student.
According to testimony, Metcalf and his gang urged Anthony to get out of the area. According to police accounts, Anthony went through her bag and said, “Come touch me and see what happens.” Touching him, Anthony took out a knife and stabbed Metcalf in the heart. The two young men did not know.
Why did Karmelo Anthony stab another athlete?
Both sides present very different explanations for why Anthony stabbed Austin Metcalf. Prosecutors claimed Anthony was the aggressor. They said he provoked Metcalf and then used deadly force in response to a simple push. This suggests a disproportionate response that amounted to murder. Throughout the trial, prosecutors maintained that Anthony intentionally killed Metcalf without any legal justification.
However, the defense argued that Anthony’s reaction was self-defense. Anthony’s attorney cited Texas law that does not require waiting until you are hit. The defense countered the claim that Anthony felt threatened and acted to protect himself.
Trial timeline
- June 4, 2026: The trial begins in Collin County, prosecutors called about two dozen witnesses, including students who named Anthony as an aggressor.
- June 8, 2026: The defense rests without Anthony taking a stand. His mother, Kayla Hayes, testifies and says her son is “very upset.”
- June 9, 2026: The jury found Anthony guilty within three hours. That same day during the sentencing, his mother pleads for mercy, saying, “he is my firstborn. Please have mercy on my son.”
- June 10, 2026: Judge sentences Anthony to 35 years in prison.
Key certificates
Prosecutors supported their case with the coroner’s testimony, which described a large gaping wound in Metcalf’s chest where the knife pierced his heart.
Final judgment
The jury rejected both claims of self-defense and the request for a lesser charge of manslaughter. Metcalf’s father, Jeff, told Anthony after the sentencing: “You failed yourself, you failed your parents, and you failed society.”
