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Posted on 06/09/2026 5:54:11 AM PDT by Red Badger
The Brief The jury at the trial of Karmelo Anthony will get the case on Tuesday after four days of testimony. Anthony is charged with murder in the 2025 stabbing death of Austin Metcalf. If convicted, Anthony could face up to 99 years in prison.
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MCKINNEY, Texas - A Texas jury will soon decide the fate of Karmelo Anthony.
Anthony, 19, has been charged with murder in connection with the stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.
Investigators said Anthony and Metcalf got into an argument over stadium seating during a track meet in Frisco on April 2, 2025. When the disagreement escalated, Anthony stabbed Metcalf in the chest with a pocketknife.
The defense has argued that Anthony was acting in self-defense after he was shoved by Metcalf.
After about four days of testimony, the defense rested Monday. That came after the state rested its case over the weekend.
Closing arguments will happen Tuesday before the case is handed to the jury. The judge has ordered the jury be sequestered.
If convicted, Anthony could face up to 99 years in prison.
Day 3 Recap:
Prosecutors rest their case
Testimony resumed on Saturday in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco in 2025.
The state rested its case Saturday in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony after calling 21 witnesses, handing momentum to the defense as testimonies shifted from the victim’s final moments to the casual culture of high school track meets.
Jurors earlier heard harrowing testimony from Collin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura, who detailed the "gaping," fatal 2-inch stab wound to Austin Metcalf’s heart. Student witnesses from Memorial High School also took the stand, describing Anthony as the aggressor who provoked a confrontation and refused to leave their team's tent before the stabbing.
The defense quickly launched its case by calling Anthony's track coach and teammate, who testified that mingling under other schools' tents during downtime was a common practice in the "organized chaos" of track meets. However, under cross-examination, defense witnesses conceded that a student would be expected to leave a tent if asked, and agreed there was no reason to bring a knife to a track meet.
Day 2 Recap:
Teenage witnesses testify after jurors watch arrest, bodycam video Several friends of Austin Metcalf testified in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial on Friday, and all consistently said they believed Anthony was the aggressor. FOX 4's Amelia Jones has more.
Eyewitness Testimony:
The state presented testimony from first responders, law enforcement, and several teenage eyewitnesses. A responding paramedic testified that Metcalf never regained consciousness, having been found with no pulse. School Resource Officer Eduardo Cortez recounted arresting Anthony, who was caught on body camera video stating, "I'm not alleged, I did it. He put his hands on me." Law enforcement later recovered the weapon—a blood-stained 3.5-inch folding knife—and Anthony’s backpack from the stadium bleachers.
Multiple student witnesses from Memorial High School testified that Anthony was the aggressor. They stated that Anthony entered their team tent to escape the rain and refused multiple requests to leave. The situation quickly escalated as Anthony verbally provoked Metcalf, stating, "Touch me and see what happens." Witnesses noted Anthony kept his hand hidden inside his backpack, warning that he had something. When Metcalf finally pushed or shoved Anthony's shoulders, Anthony immediately stood up and stabbed him in the chest.
Defense Strategy:
The defense focused heavily on a self-defense narrative, using cross-examination to highlight discrepancies between the students' courtroom testimonies and their initial police statements. The defense established significant physical differences between the two boys, noting that Metcalf outweighed Anthony by 50 to 60 pounds.
Crucially, the defense emphasized the physical positioning during the altercation: Anthony was sitting down with his bag on his lap, surrounded by roughly 20 people in a crowded tent, while Metcalf and several teammates stood over him. Trial consultants note this spatial dynamic will be vital for the jury when evaluating the self-defense claim.
Day 1 Recap:
Jurors watch video, listen to 911 calls The trial of Karmelo Anthony, a teen charged with the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet last year, began with opening statements on Thursday. FOX 4's Alex Boyer has more from the trial's first full day.
Opening Statements:
The prosecution and defense laid out two completely opposing narratives to the jury during their 20-minute opening statements. Collin County District Attorney Bill Wirskye called the incident a "provoked, unjustified murder," arguing that Anthony entered a closed team tent uninvited, provoked a confrontation, and launched a "sneak attack" with a hidden knife before fleeing.
Wirskye explicitly noted that the case is not about race or self-defense. Conversely, defense attorney Mike Howard argued that Anthony acted out of a "split second of fear and chaos." Howard described Anthony as an honor student working two jobs who remained seated until Metcalf and his twin brother confronted him, maintaining that Anthony used the knife strictly in self-defense because he felt cornered by a group turning on him.
Grainy Stadium Video:
Jurors viewed surveillance footage provided by Frisco ISD from multiple stadium angles. The video showed a figure identified as Anthony entering the Memorial High School team tent, followed by a brief scuffle and Anthony fleeing the scene as coaches and students gave chase.
Memorial High School track coach Robert Starr testified to the sacred nature of team tents, comparing them to a sports bench where you just do not go in uninvited. He became visibly emotional on the stand while describing the immediate aftermath of the stabbing.
Chaotic 911 Audio: turned deeply emotional as the prosecution played a chaotic 911 call from the scene. In the audio, Liberty High School football coach Joshua Rebmann, a military veteran who administered CPR, could be heard shouting, "Stay with me, Austin."
The state capped the day with a powerful visual display, presenting the physical, blood-stained jacket that Rebmann used to apply pressure to Metcalf's wound. Legal observers noted that displaying the bloody jacket right before adjournment left a staggering, lasting impression on the jury.
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Someone told me a change of venue and it was Austin. Thank God it’s someplace else. thanks for setting me straight
I’m glad to hear that because I was told it was Austin.
It was murder, pure and simple. Anthony deliberately struck for his victim’s sternum, beneath which lay the heart. Anthony obviously knew enough anatomy to do it and he did it with full force.
There were blacks in the pool the defense didn’t keep one on the jury
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