Texas teenager sentenced to 35 years in prison for killing fellow student at athletics event

Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was found guilty of murdering Austin Metcalf in Frisco, Texas, in 2025.

A Texas teenager accused of fatally stabbing one of his peers during a high school sporting event in the Dallas region was convicted by a jury on Tuesday.

The racially charged trial of Karmelo Anthony for the April 2025 death of Austin Metcalf garnered national attention, creating a debate about self-defense and school safety. They were both 17 when the incident occurred.

Prosecutors claimed Anthony threatened Metcalf before purposefully killing him, but defense attorneys claimed Anthony was acting in self-defense.

Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in jail. The event occurred while the young men were attending a secondary school track competition.

According to police sources, Metcalf’s death was caused by an escalating argument between the two rival secondary schools.

Anthony was 17 years old at the time of the murder on April 2, 2025, yet under Texas law, he may be tried as an adult.

Anthony was a minor when Metcalf died; thus, the death penalty was not considered.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors called nearly two dozen witnesses and focused their evidence on eyewitness testimony.

Collin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura gave one of the most emotional statements, describing a massive, gaping hole in Metcalf’s chest and claiming the knife penetrated his heart.

The prosecution’s student witnesses identified Anthony as the attacker. The defence also called several witnesses, including students and track coach Adam Linwood, who stated that Anthony had been nominated for the position of team captain.

Anthony excelled at school, earning near-perfect marks and a 4.0 grade point average (GPA), according to a Dallas-area NBC News affiliate.

Prosecutors stated the two young guys did not go to the same school and had no prior relationship.

On Tuesday, the Texas jury returned a guilty judgment in less than three hours.

The civil rights organization Next Generation Action Network, which had pushed for Anthony, observed that not a single jury was black.

Judge Roach had permitted them to examine manslaughter charges, which carried a maximum punishment of 20 years in jail.

“Our community has carried the weight of this tragedy for more than a year, and our thoughts remain with the impacted families, friends, and classmates,” the Frisco School District said in a statement following the verdict.

We respect the judicial process and will continue to provide compassionate and caring support to our pupils. We recognize that this trial has evoked strong emotions and deep loss, and we urge that our community continue to support one another with respect, compassion, and understanding.”