Karmelo Anthony broke down in tears after being sentenced to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Texas.

On Tuesday, a Collin County jury convicted the 19-year-old of first-degree murder and rejected his defence team’s argument that he acted under “sudden pᴀssion,” a legal provision in Texas that can significantly reduce penalties for crimes committed in the heat of the moment.

Jurors deliberated for about three hours before finding Anthony guilty. They then spent nearly another three hours deciding his sentence.

If the jury had accepted the “sudden pᴀssion” argument, the conviction could have been reduced to second-degree murder, lowering the maximum sentence from 99 years or life imprisonment to 20 years. Instead, Anthony was sentenced to 35 years behind bars.

Moments before the sentence was announced, Anthony sat with his head resting on the table and appeared to be sobbing. He stood when instructed but continued looking down.

During victim impact statements, Austin’s mother, Meghan Metcalf, described her son as the peacemaker of their family and spoke about the lifelong pain caused by his death.

“My son was murdered. He didn’t just die. He was taken from us just as he was beginning to live,” she said.

Addressing Anthony directly, she added, “You may have been sentenced to 35 years, but I have been sentenced to a lifetime without my son.”

Austin’s aunt also questioned why the tragedy had to happen.

“One question will always stay with me: Why? Why couldn’t you have simply walked away?” she said.

Throughout much of the statements, Anthony kept his head down, even when Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, urged him to look up.

Jeff spoke emotionally about how the loss of his son had permanently changed him.

“You destroyed the person I used to be,” he said.

Anthony finally lifted his head when Austin’s twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, asked him to make eye contact.

“You took a son, a brother, a friend, and my best friend from this world,” Hunter said through tears. “You took away someone who was supposed to be an uncle and a godfather to my future children. Now I want everything taken from you.”

After Hunter finished speaking, the Metcalf family left the courtroom, and Anthony was officially taken into custody.

Outside the courthouse, Anthony’s mother, Kala Anthony, and his brother criticised the verdict, calling it “racist and biased,” while supporters gathered and chanted, “Free Karmelo.”

During closing arguments, prosecutor Dewey Mitchell told jurors that the case was about determining the cost of taking a life in Collin County.

“Parents sit in stadium bleachers every day because they believe their children are safe. This case is about protecting that sense of safety in our community,” Mitchell said.

Anthony’s attorney, Mike Howard, argued that his client reacted out of fear and did not have time for calm reflection.

“When someone experiences terror in the moment and cannot think rationally, sudden pᴀssion applies,” Howard told the jury.

Anthony maintained that he acted in self-defence but did not testify during the trial, a decision that legal analysts said may have weakened his defence.

The fatal incident occurred on April 2, 2025, during a track and field compeтιтion in Frisco, Texas.

According to testimony, the confrontation began when Austin Metcalf asked Anthony, then a student at Frisco Centennial High School, to leave an area under Memorial High School’s team tent.

Witnesses said Anthony refused repeated requests to move and warned Metcalf, “Touch me and find out,” while placing his hand inside his backpack.

When Metcalf eventually pushed him, Anthony pulled out a semi-serrated folding knife and stabbed him once in the chest.

The two-inch wound pierced Austin’s heart.

Austin’s twin brother, Hunter, and several classmates immediately rushed to help him, while coaches prevented Anthony from leaving the scene.

Despite emergency efforts, Austin Metcalf died from his injuries.

The case has sparked widespread debate across Texas about school safety, self-defence laws, and accountability for violent acts involving teenagers.