A Texas courtroom erupted with emotion Tuesday after a Collin County jury sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco.
According to Fox News, the punishment came just hours after jurors convicted Anthony of murder in the April 2, 2025, confrontation at Kuykendall Stadium.
Because of the sentence, Anthony will become eligible for parole after serving half of his prison term.
As the sentence was announced, Anthony, now 19, broke down in tears and shook visibly before being taken into custody.
The case then shifted into its sentencing phase, where Anthony’s mother, Kayla Hays, pleaded with the court for mercy.
“Please have mercy on my son,” Hays said.
“He’s my oldest, my firstborn, my baby, I love him very much.”
When asked whether her son regretted what happened, Hays replied, “Yes, he’s very sorry for what he did.”
Members of Metcalf’s family later delivered emotional victim impact statements.
Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, addressed Anthony directly.
“Since the day he first grabbed my finger, he had my heart with it,” Metcalf said.
“You failed your parents, yourself, and society. You don’t belong in this community.”
“You can’t look me in the eyes, but you can stab my f****ing son?”
Austin’s twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, also spoke in court, asking Anthony to look at him.
“Now I want everything taken from you,” Hunter said. “You took everything from me. I wake up every morning and his door is still shut.”
Austin’s mother, Megan Metcalf, described the final morning she spent with her son before the track meet.
“Now I only have videos and memories of his laugh,” she said.
“You may have been given a sentence of 35 years. You should feel lucky. I’ve been sentenced to a lifetime without my son.”
Jurors also rejected a defense argument that the stabbing occurred in “sudden passion,” a finding that could have reduced Anthony’s potential punishment.
Prosecutors argued throughout the trial that Anthony escalated a verbal dispute into a deadly encounter when he pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed an unarmed teenager.
Defense attorneys maintained that Anthony acted in self-defense after being confronted and pushed by Metcalf.
The jury reached its guilty verdict after roughly three hours of deliberations.
Following sentencing, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis praised the outcome.
“This verdict sends a clear message. Violence like this won’t be tolerated in our Collin County community. And we remain committed to protecting our school and standing with victims and their families,” Willis said.
Outside the courthouse, supporters of both Anthony and Metcalf gathered as the closely watched case came to a close. The trial drew national attention and sparked debate over self-defense, accountability, and the events that led to the fatal encounter.
