Karmelo Anthony Sentenced to 35 Years After Murder Conviction in Texas Track Meet Stabbing: Jury Rejects Self-Defense

Frisco, Texas — A Collin County jury convicted 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony of murder on June 9, 2026, and sentenced him to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet, rejecting his self-defense claim under Texas’s Stand Your Ground law.

The April 2, 2025, incident at the Frisco ISD stadium bleachers turned a verbal dispute between rival athletes into a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly confrontation. Anthony, a Black student from Centennial High School, admitted stabbing Metcalf, a white athlete from Memorial High School, in the chest after being shoved. Prosecutors argued Anthony provoked the fight, issued threats, and delivered a deliberate, fatal blow. Multiple eyewitnesses—including Black athletes from the rival team—testified that Anthony entered the opposing team’s tent uninvited and escalated the argument. Digital and physical evidence, including Anthony’s own statements to police that he was “protecting myself,” proved decisive.

The jury deliberated less than three hours before convicting Anthony of murder rather than the lesser charge of manslaughter. In the punishment phase, they rejected a “sudden pᴀssion” claim that could have reduced the sentence below 20 years, opting for 35 years out of a possible 5–99 range. Anthony faces up to 17.5 years before parole eligibility. His defense team immediately filed notice of appeal.

The verdict has intensified debate over self-defense claims, jury selection, and race. The 12-person panel contained no Black members after prosecutors used peremptory strikes to remove every qualified African American candidate from a 589-person pool, citing non-racial reasons such as occupation or perceived bias. The defense raised unsuccessful Batson challenges. The final jury included three racial minorities, eight women, and four men. Collin County DA Greg Willis insisted, “This case has nothing to do with race. It is about the evidence, the law, and accountability for a deliberate act of violence.”

Anthony’s mother maintained her son acted in self-defense after being pushed first. Metcalf’s family called the outcome “bittersweet,” noting, “Austin will never walk through that door again.” Supporters of the verdict point to overwhelming eyewitness testimony and Anthony’s own admissions; critics highlight the jury’s composition and the case’s racial dynamics.

As Anthony begins his sentence and his appeal proceeds, the Frisco tragedy continues to expose deep divisions over teen violence, Stand Your Ground laws, and equitable justice in high-profile cases.