The trial of 18-year-old Karmelo Anthony continues Tuesday in Collin County following the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf last year during a Frisco Independent School District track meet.
Jury selection began on Monday, June 1. The jury was selected on Wednesday, June 3. Opening arguments took place on Thursday, June 4, followed by the prosecution’s first statements. On Saturday, June 6, the Public Prosecutor’s Office concluded the presentation of its evidence. On Monday, June 8, the defense ended its phase without calling Karmelo Anthony to testify. Closing arguments are scheduled for today.
The timeline of the case began on April 2, 2025. Anthony, a former Frisco Centennial High School student, is charged with murder in the April 2, 2025 death of Metcalf, a Frisco Memorial High School student-athlete.
Investigators report that that morning, during the track and field event at Kuykendall Stadium, an argument broke out under a tent where athletes were taking shelter because of the bad weather. The confrontation ended with Metcalf being stabbed in the chest. Anthony was arrested and maintains that he acted in self-defense.
The episode quickly gained national repercussion, driven by intense discussions on social media that highlighted the race of those involved, public demonstrations, virtual threats and reports of leaks of personal data of people linked to the process.
As Anthony was 17 years old at the time of the events, Texas legislation authorizes the trial as an adult. If convicted, the penalty can range from five years in prison to life imprisonment. The death did not meet the criteria for qualified homicide and, due to the defendant’s age, capital punishment was never on the agenda.
Security at the court will be increased.
Judge John Roach Jr. banned the use of cameras, live broadcasts and audio recordings inside the courtroom. He also established a security perimeter around specific areas of the judicial complex, preventing public gatherings and possible protesters. The judge also issued a gag order, restricting public statements about the case by lawyers, witnesses, investigators and others directly involved in the process.
With limited public capacity, monitoring of the case will occur primarily through live reports from the courtroom. WFAA maintains a team dedicated to coverage. Collin County reporter Jobin Panicker will be present in the courtroom daily, along with a forensic sketch artist. Senior crime and justice reporter Rebecca Lopez will also be on site every day, both inside and outside the courtroom, recording developments. The broadcaster also has a legal expert to contextualize and analyze the facts in the daily summary broadcast by WFAA+.