High School Murder Shocks Texas Jury

A Texas jury delivered justice for a slain teenager — finding Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder and sentencing him to 35 years in prison for the stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet.

Story Snapshot

A Collin County jury found Karmelo Anthony guilty of first-degree murder for the April 2025 stabbing death of Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas, track meet.
The jury sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole after serving half that time.
The jury rejected Anthony’s self-defense claim after about three hours of deliberation.
The jury also rejected a “sudden passion” argument during sentencing, which could have capped his punishment at 20 years.

Jury Rejects Self-Defense, Returns Murder Verdict

A Collin County jury found Karmelo Anthony guilty of first-degree murder on June 9, 2026. Anthony was 17 at the time of the stabbing and was tried as an adult. The jury deliberated for roughly three hours before returning the verdict. Prosecutors argued the stabbing was an unprovoked attack. The defense claimed Anthony acted in self-defense during a moment of fear and chaos at the track meet. The jury did not buy it. ^[11]

The stabbing happened in April 2025 at a Frisco, Texas, high school track meet. Anthony stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during an argument. Metcalf died from his wounds. After the stabbing, Anthony told an arresting officer, “I was protecting myself.” He later pleaded not guilty and formally claimed self-defense at trial. A Collin County grand jury indicted him for first-degree murder in June 2025, as announced by District Attorney Greg Willis. ^[9]

35-Year Sentence After Jury Rejects Reduced Punishment

After the guilty verdict, the case moved straight into the sentencing phase. Under Texas law, Anthony faced anywhere from 5 years to 99 years or life in prison. The defense pushed a legal argument called “sudden passion” — a claim that Anthony acted in the heat of the moment. Under Texas law, a finding of sudden passion would have capped his sentence at 20 years. The jury rejected that argument too. ^[13]^[21]

The Collin County jury sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison. Jurors reached the sentence in about two and a half hours. Both the prosecution and defense waived opening statements during the sentencing phase. Anthony will be eligible for parole after serving half his sentence — roughly 17 and a half years. ^[15]

High-Profile Trial Carried Out Under Tight Security

The trial drew intense national attention. Collin County Judge John Roach Jr. imposed strict security and media rules before the trial began. Cameras were banned from the courtroom. Seating was limited. Exhibits were withheld from the public until after the trial ended. The judge cited the need to protect witnesses and jurors from the intense public interest surrounding the case. ^[5]^[8]

A Collin County jury found Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a Frisco ISD track meet, sentencing him to 35 years in prison.

The prosecution and defense both waived their right to opening statements in the sentencing… pic.twitter.com/nJttfEJdww

— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 10, 2026

Crowds gathered outside the courthouse during both the verdict and sentencing. The case sparked heated debate online, with some supporters rallying behind Anthony and others demanding justice for Metcalf’s family. For the Metcalf family, the verdict and sentence represent accountability under the law. A Texas jury heard the evidence, rejected the self-defense claim, and held Anthony responsible for taking a young man’s life. ^[10]^[15]