McKINNEY, Texas — June 9, 2026 — A Collin County jury on Tuesday found 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in the 2025 fatal stabbing of 17-year-old student-athlete Austin Metcalf, then sentenced him to 35 years in prison, bringing an end to one of North Texas's most closely watched and racially charged criminal trials.

The jury delivered its guilty verdict shortly after 1:45 p.m. following less than three hours of deliberation. After a sentencing phase that featured testimony from Anthony's mother, the same panel returned about 2.5 hours later and rejected a "sudden passion" claim that could have substantially reduced the punishment, settling instead on a 35-year sentence.

Anthony, who was free on bond during the trial, broke down in tears as the verdict was read. His parents left the courtroom, and Judge John Roach Jr. remanded him into the custody of the Collin County Sheriff's Office.

Key facts of the case

• Defendant: Karmelo Anthony, 19 (17 at the time of the killing), former Frisco Centennial High School student
• Victim: Austin Metcalf, 17, a Frisco Memorial High School student-athlete
• Incident: April 2, 2025, at a Frisco ISD track meet at Kuykendall Stadium
• Charge: Murder (first-degree felony)
• Verdict: Guilty
• Sentence: 35 years in prison
• Presiding judge: Collin County District Judge John Roach Jr.
• Lead prosecutor: First Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye
• Lead defense attorney: Mike Howard

What happened at the track meet

According to investigators and trial testimony, Metcalf and Anthony — who attended different schools and did not know each other — became involved in a confrontation under a Memorial High School team tent in the bleachers during a rainy track meet on the morning of April 2, 2025. The dispute centered on whether Anthony, who had taken shelter under the tent, should leave.

Witnesses testified that the exchange escalated, with Anthony repeatedly telling Metcalf "touch me and see what happens" while keeping his hand inside a backpack. When Metcalf placed his hands on Anthony to move him, Anthony pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest before fleeing. The Collin County medical examiner testified the wound pierced Metcalf's heart and was not survivable.

A responding officer testified that Anthony told him at the scene: "I'm not alleged. I did it."

Two competing narratives

The trial, which began with opening statements on June 4 after a contentious jury-selection process, pitted starkly different accounts against each other.

Prosecutors framed the killing as a "provoked, unjustified" attack. In closing arguments, Wirskye told jurors:

"This is one of those rare cases where every important fact can be boiled down to one sentence: You do not get to meet a shove with a stab, especially if you provoke the shove."

The defense argued Anthony acted in self-defense out of "a split second of fear and chaos," emphasizing that Metcalf and his twin brother, Hunter, were significantly larger and that Metcalf made the first physical contact. Lead defense attorney Mike Howard argued Metcalf "had no legal right to put his hands on Karmelo."

The sentencing phase

The jury was given the option of finding that Anthony acted under the immediate influence of "sudden passion," which would have capped the sentence at 2 to 20 years. The jury declined, leaving the range at 5 to 99 years or life.

During the brief sentencing phase, the defense called a single witness — Anthony's mother, Kayla Hayes.

"He's my oldest, he's my firstborn," she testified. "He will always be my baby." Asked whether her son regretted his actions, she said, "Yes, he's very sorry for what he did."

Wirskye urged jurors toward a lengthy term, telling them, "Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent."

Under Texas law, Anthony will not be eligible for parole until he has served half his sentence or 30 years, whichever is less.

A case that drew national attention

The killing and its aftermath generated intense national attention and inflamed racial tensions in the community. Both the Metcalf and Anthony families reported sustained harassment, including repeated "swatting" calls to the Metcalf home. A protest flyer circulated online used Metcalf's image alongside a "Protect White Americans" banner.

Supporters of Anthony objected to the absence of any Black jurors on the panel — prosecutors used strikes against all qualified Black jurors, a move the defense challenged unsuccessfully. Outside the courthouse Tuesday, the verdict prompted an emotional reaction from demonstrators who had gathered for days, with a heavy presence of local police, county deputies and state troopers on hand.

In a statement following the verdict, Frisco ISD said:

"Our community has carried the weight of this tragedy for more than a year, and our thoughts remain with the impacted families, friends and classmates. We respect the judicial process and will continue to support our students with compassion and care."