The 19-year-old was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf.
MCKINNEY, TX — Karmelo Anthony was housed apart from the general jail population after a Collin County jury convicted him of murder Tuesday in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high school track meet.
Anthony, 19, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after jurors rejected his self-defense claim in a case that drew national attention and sharp public debate. The isolation placement added another step to a fast-moving postverdict process that also included a new booking photo, custody processing and the start of an appeal. Officials did not publicly give a detailed reason for keeping Anthony separate from other inmates.
The verdict came June 9 after a trial focused on an April 2025 confrontation under a team tent at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco. Witnesses testified that Metcalf, a Memorial High School student and athlete, asked Anthony to leave an area used by Memorial athletes during a rain delay. Prosecutors said Anthony pulled a knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest. Defense attorneys argued Anthony feared for his safety and acted in self-defense. Prosecutor Bill Wirskye told jurors the killing was murder, not panic, and said mercy for the guilty would be cruelty to the innocent.
Anthony was 17 at the time of the stabbing and was tried as an adult under Texas law. Metcalf also was 17. The two teens attended different Frisco schools and did not know each other before the track meet, according to testimony and case records. The medical examiner testified that the stab wound pierced Metcalf’s heart. Metcalf died at the stadium, where coaches, students and emergency workers tried to save him. Anthony did not testify at trial. Jurors deliberated for about three hours before finding him guilty of murder.
The sentencing phase brought emotional statements from Metcalf’s family and Anthony’s family. Hunter Metcalf, Austin’s twin brother, spoke about losing the person he had shared sports, school and daily life with. Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, addressed Anthony in court and described the loss as permanent. Anthony cried during parts of the hearing, and his mother asked jurors for mercy. The jury chose a 35-year sentence. Because Anthony was a minor when the stabbing happened, he was not eligible for the death penalty.
The case became a flashpoint far beyond Collin County. Anthony is Black, and Metcalf was white, but lawyers and Metcalf’s father said race was not the cause of the stabbing. The jury did not include any Black jurors, an issue raised by civil rights advocates after jury selection. Prosecutors said the selection process was race neutral. The case also drew online misinformation, threats and large fundraisers for both families. Police had previously warned the public to rely on verified information after swatting calls and false claims spread online.
After the conviction, Anthony was taken back into custody at the Collin County Jail, where reports said he was placed in a more secure housing arrangement away from the general inmate population. Jail and prison officials commonly use separate housing for safety, security, medical or classification reasons, but officials did not publicly say which factor applied in Anthony’s case. The separation came as his transfer into the state prison system began and as court paperwork moved into the appellate stage.
Anthony’s attorneys filed a notice of appeal after the verdict. In court filings reported after the conviction, Anthony asked for a court-appointed appeals lawyer and said he was indigent, despite earlier fundraising for his defense and family support. The court will have to address representation as the appeal moves forward. The appeal is expected to focus on trial issues, jury selection and legal rulings, though the full arguments had not been laid out publicly by Saturday.
For Metcalf’s family, the sentence marked the end of the trial but not the grief that followed the stadium killing. For Anthony’s family, the verdict began a long prison term and a legal fight that now shifts to higher courts. Security remained a major concern around the case, with public interest still high and officials watching the response after the sentencing.
Anthony remained in custody as the appeal process began. The next major step is the appointment or confirmation of appellate counsel and the filing of the record that will shape his challenge to the murder conviction.
Author note: Last updated June 13, 2026.