Karmelo Anthony Convicted of Murder: Parents Speak Out, Cite “Nobody Wins” After Verdict

The parents of Karmelo Anthony voiced deep disappointment and pointed to the racial makeup of the jury following their son’s conviction in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old athlete, at a high school track meet last year.

Anthony, now 19, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after a Collin County jury in McKinney, Texas, found him guilty of first-degree murder on June 9, 2026. The panel deliberated for under three hours before rejecting both his self-defense claim and the lesser charge of manslaughter. He was 17 at the time of the April 2, 2025, incident at Frisco Independent School District’s track and field meet at David Kuykendall Stadium.

According to witness testimony, police reports and trial evidence, Anthony entered a tent occupied by Metcalf’s Memorial High School team during a rain delay. The two did not know each other. After being asked to leave, words were exchanged, and Anthony reportedly warned, “Touch me and see what happens,” while reaching into his backpack for a knife. Metcalf pushed him in an attempt to remove him from the tent, at which point Anthony pulled the knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest. The wound, approximately 2.5 inches deep, pierced the heart and was deemed unsurvivable by the medical examiner. Anthony fled the scene; Metcalf collapsed and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Anthony turned himself in shortly afterward and admitted to the stabbing but maintained he acted in self-defense. Prosecutors argued he was the aggressor, having brought the weapon to the event, refused to leave the rival team’s tent and escalated a verbal confrontation into lethal force.

In interviews following the verdict, Anthony’s mother Kayla Hayes, said, “My son didn’t intend to hurt anyone. My son was defending himself.” His father, Andrew Anthony, reflected on the courtroom scene: “Take us inside that courtroom. What stuck out to you? What stuck out to me, number one, was the all-white jury. But I was trying to be, you know, like, ah, it’s not that big of a deal, I mean, the truth is on our side.”

During the sentencing hearing, the defense called only one witness on Anthony’s behalf — his mother. When asked what she told the jury, Hayes replied, “To have mercy on my son.” Addressing Metcalf’s grieving family, she added, “It’s unfortunate to where nobody wins. We’ve all been hurt by this. Everybody. That poor boy is fixing to experience a life that I would not wish upon anyone.”

Austin Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, called the sentencing bittersweet. “What it boils down to for me is this,” he said, “Austin will never walk through that door again and never give me a hug.”

The case drew national attention, prompting protests in support of both teens, and both families say they have received threats. One family member noted receiving “multiple emails, texts, threatening me, calling me all sorts of names” that same morning. During their interview, the Anthonys made a point of calling back a man they say continues to dox them. When asked why, the response was blunt: “To make fun of you.”

Both families urged supporters to tame their emotions. One family member shared, “I forgave him, but people need to understand about forgiveness. 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.” They added, “At the end of the day, there’s nothing we can say or do for people to accept us.”

The 12-person jury included no Black members, though it featured other racial diversity, including jurors of Asian and Indian descent, with women in the majority. The defense had raised a Batson challenge over the prosecution’s strikes of Black potential jurors, but the judge denied it after prosecutors provided race-neutral reasons. Court officials and the district attorney’s office emphasized that the case was not about race.

The trial before Judge John Roach Jr. lasted roughly one week, with evidence including the knife, bodycam footage, medical examiner testimony and Anthony’s statements. During sentencing, the jury also rejected a “sudden passion” argument that could have lowered the possible sentence.

Appeals are expected to focus on jury selection and other procedural matters, while Anthony remains eligible for parole after serving 17.5 years. The tragedy, which began as a minor dispute over tent space at a routine high school sporting event, has left two families forever changed.