Karmelo Anthony Convicted in High-Profile Texas Track Meet Stabbing Case
June 10, 2026
A Texas jury has found Karmelo Anthony, 19, guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison following the verdict delivered in Collin County on June 9.
The case stemmed from an April 2025 confrontation at a school track and field event. Prosecutors argued that Anthony escalated a dispute after being asked to leave a team tent belonging to Metcalf’s school. Witness testimony indicated that a verbal exchange turned physical before Anthony stabbed Metcalf in the chest.
Anthony’s defense team maintained that he acted in self-defense, arguing that he felt threatened during the altercation. Jurors, however, rejected that claim after hearing testimony from students, coaches, and investigators and reviewing video evidence presented during the trial. The jury also declined to convict on the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The trial attracted national attention, partly because of social media debates surrounding race and justice. Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white, though attorneys on both sides told jurors that race was not a factor in the events that led to the killing.
Emotional victim-impact statements were delivered before sentencing. Members of Metcalf’s family described the lasting impact of his death, while Anthony’s mother pleaded for leniency and expressed remorse on behalf of her son. Following sentencing, Anthony was taken into custody to begin serving his prison term.
