A jury in Collin County sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, after finding him guilty of the homicide of Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old Memorial High School student. The crime occurred during an athletics competition in the city of Frisco, Texas.
Anthony was at risk of life in prison for the murder conviction, but will now have the chance to apply for parole after serving half of his sentence.
The defendant broke down in tears and trembled as the verdict was read on Tuesday afternoon, and was detained immediately after the court’s ruling.
After Anthony’s sentence was read, the court heard impact statements from Metcalf’s loved ones, who had prepared emotional speeches. The victim’s father, Jeff Metcalf, addressed Anthony directly, with officers approaching but allowing him to finish his statement.
Jury discusses manslaughter before Karmelo Anthony’s conviction
“We’ve been robbed!” exclaimed Jeff, instructing Anthony not to look away.
“The public’s reaction disgusts me, especially when a court order prevents me from defending my son,” Metcalf said. “It was never about race or politics, but you chose to make it a two-side issue. We all bleed the same color. You are free to make choices throughout your life, but you are not free not to face the consequences. They were not bullies and they were not racist.”
“You failed your parents, you failed yourself and you failed society,” added the father. “You don’t belong here.”
“I forgive you, but I don’t forgive what you did. You can’t even look me in the eye, but you managed to stab my son right in the heart,” he said before glaring at Anthony as he returned to his seat.
Hunter Metcalf, Austin’s twin brother, was present in court for the first time and read his own impact statement.
“I just want a little respect, if you could look me in the eye,” Hunter asked Anthony, who finally locked eyes with him.
“I want you to realize how much pain you caused me and my family,” the brother added. “You allowed the devil to dominate you at that moment.”
“Now I want them to take everything from you,” he stated, “You took everything from me. I wake up every morning and his door is still closed.”
Austin’s mother, Megan, expressed that all she has left of her son are videos and memories.
She recounted how she prepared a snack for her son before the track meet and sent him to the track, not knowing it would be the last time she would see him.
“You could have been sentenced to 35 years in prison. You should feel lucky,” she told Anthony. “I was condemned to a lifetime without my son.”
Anthony’s parents were not present in the room during the reading of the sentence or the victims’ statements. Before the sentencing, his mother had made an appeal for leniency.
“Please have mercy on my son,” Kayla Hays pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
“He is my eldest son, my firstborn, my baby, I love him very much,” she declared.
Asked by Anthony’s defense team whether her son regretted his actions, Hays replied: “Yes, he is very sorry for what he did.”
Jurors were later tasked with determining Anthony’s sentence, concluding that Metcalf’s stabbing did not occur in a “moment of sudden passion,” which would have limited his potential sentence to 20 years in prison. The jury’s decision reflected the seriousness of the act, which could have led to life in prison.
“This verdict sends a clear message. Violence like this will not be tolerated in our Collin County community. And we remain committed to protecting our school and supporting the victims and their families,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said at a press conference Tuesday night.
The verdict was proclaimed after days of intense testimony from student athletes, police officers, forensic experts and coaches, who recounted the confrontation that resulted in Metcalf’s death at Kuykendall Stadium on April 2, 2025.
The jury took just three hours to reach its verdict after closing arguments on Tuesday.
Anthony, who was 17 at the time of the incident, admitted stabbing Metcalf but claimed he acted in self-defense.
Reactions and confrontations after Karmelo Anthony’s sentence
As the verdict was read, more than a hundred protesters, divided between supporters of Metcalf and Anthony, headed to the courtroom. At least one protester was detained after a fight broke out in response to the conviction.
A heavy police presence was maintained in front of the courthouse. A court official reported some arrests, but additional details were not immediately released.
Details of the confrontation during the athletics competition
At the heart of the case was a confrontation that took place under the Memorial High School team’s tent during a track and field meet taking place in the rain, bringing together schools from across North Texas.
According to trial testimony, Anthony, a student at another school, was sitting under Memorial’s tent shortly before the argument began. Several student athletes testified that they questioned his presence there and repeatedly asked him to leave.
Witnesses told jurors that Austin Metcalf ended up approaching Anthony and asking him to leave. One student testified that Anthony was asked to leave about 15 times. Several witnesses recalled Anthony responding with phrases such as, “Touch me and you’ll find out” and “If you want me to withdraw, you have to withdraw.”
