Austin Metcalf's dad reacts to "gentlemen's agreement" discussed at Karmelo Anthony appeal hearing

FRISCO, Texas - The father of Austin Metcalf, the teen killed in the 2025 Frisco track meet stabbing, spoke to reporters about new information revealed in the appeal hearing for Karmelo Anthony, the teen convicted of Metcalf's murder.

Jeff Metcalf speaks

What they're saying:

Speaking at an Austin Metcalf Foundation press conference on Tuesday, Jeff Metcalf said he was unaware of the so-called "gentlemen's agreement" between prosecutors and Karmelo Anthony's defense team until Anthony chose not to testify in his defense.

During an appeal hearing last week, Anthony's defense team presented new information about Metcalf, including school and phone records that showed aggressive and racist behavior.

The state also presented new evidence showing Anthony threatening physical violence.

The "gentlemen's agreement" was in place to keep the initial trial's evidence strictly to what occurred during Austin Metcalf's murder in April 2025.

Metcalf said he was aware of some of the information presented, but still called it difficult to hear.

"If you're trying to judge a person on a snippet of someone's life or a 10-second clip of someone saying something without having the whole context. I would ask these people, did you know my son personally? Or were you just listening to the snippet in court that was 20 pages and that was for both my sons," Metcalf said.

Jeff Metcalf started the Austin Metcalf Foundation after the initial trial. The foundation focuses on de-escalation, conflict resolution and emotional regulation for young people.

Frisco track meet stabbing

The backstory:

Anthony was convicted of murder in the April 2, 2025, stabbing death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a regional high school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco.

Investigators said Anthony, then a Centennial High School student, was sitting under the Memorial High School team tent when Metcalf, a Memorial student, told him to leave. Authorities said they found no evidence the two teens knew each other before the confrontation.

Stadium surveillance video released after the trial shows Metcalf and his friends walking toward the tent. Later footage shows Anthony running from the tent and out of the stadium after the stabbing.

Anthony has maintained that he acted in self-defense.

On Aug. 22, Judge Michael Chitty denied Karmelo Anthony's request for a new trial.

Anthony’s new attorneys argued that his rights were violated through undocumented conferences held by former Collin County Judge John Roach, who was recused from the appeal hearing, and pretrial hearings Anthony did not attend.

They also argued Anthony was denied his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial because of decisions limiting courtroom access during his trial.

During closing arguments, prosecutors argued the courtroom remained accessible to the public and media, while the defense said the decision to stop using an overflow room during the trial improperly limited public access.

What's next:

Though Anthony's motion for a new trial was denied, his appeals process will continue. The motion for a new trial is almost an automatic action by defense attorneys.

Now, the appeals process will begin, with the case heading to the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas.

Gary Udashen, an appellate attorney not associated with the case, says the appeal could come together quickly, but due to the length of the process, an appeals hearing may not happen until 2027.

Anthony's legal team said they will pursue every available legal avenue for their client.

Frisco Track Meet StabbingFriscoCrime and Public SafetyCollin County