Austin Metcalf Posted on 06/11/2026 8:56:31 PM PDT by Red Badger
There is no prison sentence that would satisfy the father of Austin Metcalf. For the first time since the verdict in the death of his son, Jeff Metcalf spoke with CBS News Texas about the sentence, the trial and forgiveness.
"A lie is temporary, but the truth lasts forever," Jeff Metcalf said.
Austin Metcalf
Jeff Metcalf finally had a chance to read the words he's been writing in a notebook to address his son's convicted killer, 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony.
On Tuesday, Anthony was found guilty by a Texas jury in the 2025 stabbing death of Austin Metcalf at a track meet. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Jeff Metcalf reflects on grief, peace and his victim impact statement His victim impact statement included that people think that grief is sadness, but it's not. It's rage, "pure, unfiltered rage. You failed yourself. You failed your parents. You failed society. You don't belong in this community."
Metcalf's victim impact statement came at the end of Anthony's murder trial.
For months, Jeff Metcalf has been silenced by a gag order imposed by the judge. Now, he is free to speak publicly and says he's free of something else as well.
"When I woke up this morning, it was a very different feeling," Jeff Metcalf said. "When I woke up, I felt like one million pounds had been lifted off my shoulders and this morning was the first day I woke up with a feeling of peace, comfort. Tranquility that I haven't experienced in 14 months. And I felt. Awesome."
Jeff Metcalf was in court for every day of Anthony's trial. The 19-year-old now convicted murderer not only took his son's life, but he also did it right in front of Austin's twin brother, Hunter.
"What killed me was the bodycam footage when I could hear Hunter screaming, 'Oh, God, oh, God. My brother, my twin,'" Jeff Metcalf said. "As a parent, you always want to protect your kids. And to hear my son and the fear in his voice. And I'm not there to fix it."
He said sitting in the courtroom every day was challenging.
"I'll even say this: I had a little bit of sorrow because I'm human. And that poor boy is fixing to experience a life that I would not wish upon anyone," said Jeff Metcalf.
Death threats, doxing and swatting added to family's pain Jeff Metcalf said even today he's received death threats and has previously endured doxing of his personal information and multiple swatting calls to his house from people who he says have tried to villainize Austin Metcalf and the family.
"I would hope they take a look in the mirror," he said. "And if you have children and if it was your child who was murdered, would you like people dragging his name through the mud, making memes, making jokes, and just really vile comments? ... This is day one of a long healing process. Because honestly, it's been impossible to start healing until this trial was complete."
The trial may be over, but the racial polarization among Americans on display outside the Collin County Courthouse continues.
Why Jeff Metcalf says the Karmelo Anthony case was never about race "Look at the effect, not just the effect here between the Metcalf family and the Anthony family. Look what it did," he said. "One, to those kids they have to live with. Two, it took on this huge wider 'Let's have a race war throughout the nation.'"
Jeff Metcalf insists that his son had no racist motives when he approached Anthony about leaving a track team tent.
"This case was never about race," he said. "There's going to be those people now, just, you know, try to throw shade on the whole trial with the jury makeup and the speed of it and that sort of thing. I mean, those are the same people that said he was jumped by four people. He had, his phone was broken. You're going to spin whatever story to try to keep yourself afloat."
Jeff Metcalf believes Anthony should have received a life sentence. He said that if Anthony is up for parole in 17 years, he will be there in some form to argue against it.
"If I'm still alive, yes, I will be there in person," he said. "If not, I am going to make a video. If I'm passed on, that can be played."
How Jeff Metcalf is moving forward There are no walls in Jeff Metcalf's home without photos or paintings of his twin sons. These images and a scholarship in his son's name are what remain for this father who says he is ready finally to forgive but not forget.
"But the other people need to understand about forgiveness," said Jeff Metcalf. "Forgiveness was not for him. Forgiveness was for me. So I don't carry the rage, the hate, and that around; it will eat me up like cancer."
I hope the Metcalf family can find peace. In spite of the fact evil racists want to kill them.
I understand he was to say nice things in order to calm down the hate his family is facing, but come on.... This case was ONLY about race. Evil, blind, black, hate filled racism.
So he didn’t have a turban knocked off his head like that dude in England???
If you stab an unarmed person with a knife you are guilty... There are no lame excuses.
In addition to the usual social media attention whores, there are foreign and domestic evil forces who want to destabilize this country, some just lone nuts, some purveyors of fear looking to profit from duped donors, and some are state actors that run troll farms for just this purpose as a cheap risk free part of their covert operations against the US.
The family can forgive, but justice still must be done.
Society MUST BE protected from evil, cold blooded killers.
The death penalty is the true answer, established by God.
Life imprisonment is the best we can hope for.
He was interviewed by Rob Schmitt on Newsmax last night. Heartbreaking.
Why would he even go on CBS or similar? I think they’ll be cruel to him.
The image isn’t showing on my computer.
“”But the other people need to understand about forgiveness,” said Jeff Metcalf. “Forgiveness was not for him. Forgiveness was for me. So I don’t carry the rage, the hate, and that around; it will eat me up like cancer.””
My hat’s off to the man - he gets it - when one forgives, one stops the bile from eating him from the inside put and does nothing to/for the one being forgiven.
Sorry, it was a link, not an image. I hate FR’s primitive graphics posting process. You’d think it could reflect the 21st century by now.
Forever is a long, long time, so maybe that's true, but there are plenty of lies that have long, long shelf lives.
This is a case where the parents of the murderer should be held responsible too.
In some countries they are................
Contributing to the delinquency of a minor is needed.
After his son was murdered, Mr Metcalf went to the parents of Karmelo and said he forgave Karlmelo and asked them to pray with him.
The trashy Anthony parents had him unceremoniously tossed to the curb from the event.
After that, I believe this Christian man understood the type of people he was dealing with.
After that, they were all hit with a gag order and he had to wait everyday to speak about his son, and the person, and parents of the person, who callously murdered his son, until this trial was over.
I would like to see the media try to be cruel to him because he can simply point out the degenerate behavior of these evil selfish tramps.
Having lost a child myself, although in much different circumstances, I can see where Mr. Metcalf is approaching this in the healthiest way possible. Rage and anger are tough ways to live. The sadness is hard enough, and it does not go away.
“they were all hit with a gag order”
He did mention he had order. How is that fair? The Anthony family is spouting off 24/7 so apparently they don’t have one.
The anger and rage expressed by “parts” of the black community is not spontaneous but directed and planned with a definite political purpose.
Racial division and hatred is essential for the survival of the democrat party and far left. Dig deep and you will find the usual far left of antifa, BLM, left wing journalists etc. behind this. Follow their money trail also. You will find left wing billionaires, and Chinese money.
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