Jury finds Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in Texas track meet stabbing trial

A jury in Collin County on Tuesday rejected the defense assessment that a killing at a high school track meet was justified by self-defense and found Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in the stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.

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The panel began about 4:35 p.m. Tuesday to deliberate on punishment after a one-witness second phase of the trial.

Judge John Roach directed the jury to consider a prison term of between five and 99 years, or life, or, if it finds that Anthony was under the influence of sudden passion, two to 20 years. Anthony, who is 19 years old, must serve half of the term or 30 years, whichever is less, before becoming eligible for parole.

“You are about to hear a lot about the age of this defendant,” Assistant District Attorney Dewey Mitchell told the jury in the state’s punishment closing argument, according to WFAA-TV. “Absolutely, talk about his age. I’m also going to ask you to consider the age of Austin Metcalf.”

Mitchell showed the jury an April 2, 2025, photo in which coaches are gathered around Metcalf, doing chest compressions, while at least four people pray in the background

The jury deliberated for about three hours before it reached its guilty verdict.

A crowd of supporters on both sides grew outside the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney to await the verdict when it became clear shortly before 2 p.m. that the jury had reached one.

Testimony during the punishment phase can include evidence of other crimes or bad acts, character and the impact on the families.

the prosecution calling no witnesses. The defense called Anthony’s mother, Kala Hayes, as its only witness and asked few questions, KXAS-TV reported.

“He’s my oldest,” said Hayes, who began crying, according to KXAS. “He’ll always be my baby. I love him very much.”

Karmelo also appeared to be crying as his mother spoke, KXAS reported.

“Do you believe Melo regrets what he did?” defense attorney Mike Howard asked.

“Yes, I know my son, and he’s very sorry for what he did,” Hayes said.

“Is there anything you want to tell the jury?” Howard asked.

“Please have mercy on my son,” Hayes said.

On cross examination, prosecutor Bill Wirskye asked Hayes if Anthony “still gets to be a part of your life” and she said yes, WFAA-TV reported.

Closing arguments on punishment began with the prosecution shortly after 4 p.m., WFAA reported.

Metcalf, whom defendant Karmelo Anthony stabbed to death in April 2025, did not have the legal authority to “put his hands on” Anthony, defense attorney Mike Howard said his closing argument on Tuesday morning, according to The Dallas Morning News.

“A hit, a shove, a push,” Howard told the jury, “’Melo had an absolute right to defend himself from that.”

Anger flared under a Memorial High School tent at the track meet.

Prosecutors argue Anthony could have left when he was confronted by Metcalf, Howard said.

“I am sure he wishes he did,” the defense attorney said, according to WFAA-TV.

The Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office described Metcalf’s killing in Frisco as an unjustified, provoked murder.

“This is ludicrous,” First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye said in the state’s closing argument. Anthony “had a secret — he had a knife that day. He was always gonna come out on top that day. That is a mindset.”

“You don’t get to meet a shove with a stab — especially if you provoke a shove,” Wirskye told the jury.

Judge Roach included a legal advisory on self-defense justification in the jury’s instructions. The judge, who is presiding at the trial in the 296th District Court in Collin County, denied a defense request for the jury to be allowed to consider criminally negligent homicide, but jurors were told they could consider a verdict of manslaughter, which a reckless killing.

The defense argued that Anthony sought shelter from the rain under the Memorial tent because his school did not have a tent. The defense attorney said Anthony was sitting down and talking to someone he knew when Austin Metcalf and Metcalf’s twin brother confronted him.

Anthony provoked and goaded Metcalf, the state argued.

Witnesses told police that the two 17-year-old students fought after Metcalf asked Anthony to move from under the Memorial High School tent at Kuykendall Stadium, and that Metcalf either pushed or grabbed Anthony before Anthony pulled a knife from his bag and stabbed Metcalf in the chest.

Anthony cried and told officers that he acted in self-defense and that Metcalf had “put his hands on me. I told him not to,” according to a police report.

Anthony elected not testify in either phase of the trial.

Metcalf was a Memorial High School student. Anthony was a student at Centennial High School.

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