Karmelo Anthony trial: Defense rests; jury to begin deliberating Tuesday

McKINNEY, Texas - Karmelo Anthony's lawyers rested their case on Monday in his trial for the fatal stabbing of another student at a high school track meet.

Anthony, 19, faces a murder charge for the death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. Police said Anthony and Metcalf got into an argument over seating in the stadium stands on April 2, 2025, which escalated when Anthony stabbed Metcalf in the chest with a pocketknife.

The attorneys on both sides are expected to give closing arguments on Tuesday morning before the jury begins deliberating Anthony's fate. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five to 99 years in prison.

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4 p.m. Jury charge

Criminal defense attorney Bree West, who has been attending the trial as a court observer, said Judge John Roach will ultimately decide what charges the jury can consider.

"When you are in a trial, you are sort of charged with one offense. But during the course of the trial, different things come up, right? So maybe now there is evidence now that a lesser offense was included. And if there is, then the jury deserves the ability to consider that as a potential sort of guilty or not guilt versus your charged offense, right? Because again we know here in Texas, murder is results-oriented crime, right? I intended to cause the result of death. If that's what you believe beyond all reasonable doubt, then I am guilty of murder. But if that's not what you believe, then what is something else that you may have heard during the course of the trial that could also be true? And in this particular case if we're talking about manslaughter, then you may believe that I recklessly caused the death of another. And if that's what you believe beyond all reasonable doubt, then I'm guilty of manslaughter. Or you may believe that I acted out of self-defense. You did it. I did it. It was intentional and all of the things, but there was a justification for it. And if that's the case, then I'm not guilty because I was acting out of self-defense," she said.

2:30 p.m. Defense rests

The defense rested its case. 

Both sides will give closing arguments on Tuesday morning and then jurors will deliberate. 

The judge sequestered the jury for the night and gave them a stern warning about getting on social media. He encouraged them to pack a bag just in case they can't make a decision by the night. 

2:15 p.m. Anthony's family

Reporters were allowed back into the courtroom after a 3-hour break. Anthony's family was also spotted walking into the room. The Metcalf family appears upbeat.

2 p.m. DA walks out of the courtroom

The delay continued. Collin County Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye was spotted walking out of the courtroom and into another back room.

1:40 p.m. Lunch break continues

Court had not yet resumed. There was no word on the cause of the delay.

12 p.m. Next Generation Action Network

The Next Generation Action Network, an activist group that has shown support for Anthony and his family, held a news conference outside the courthouse during the lunch break. Founder Dominque Alexander called for continued peace.

"People have traveled from all across this country, and we thank you for that. But we remain to continue to ask you to do it in revolutionary peace. Do it as if your child was fighting for his life right now," he said. "Please, please. What we've seen, it seems like more attention has been given on what's going on outside the court than what is going on in the court and I have to say something."

11:15 a.m. Lunch break

Jurors took a break for lunch until 12:30 p.m.

10:30 a.m. 17-year-old football player testifies

The next student to take the stand for the defense was a 17-year-old football player at Frisco High School. He testified that he saw a push or a punch and then heard people screaming, "He just stabbed someone." Prosecutors asked him to demonstrate the push or punch that he saw.

10:15 a.m. Frisco police officer testifies

Frisco police officer Beau Riey was called to the stand to testify for the defense. He examined Anthony's phone at the scene.

He testified that knives under 5 inches are not illegal to carry in Texas. While they are against school policy, they are not illegal.

Prosecutors did not cross-examine him.

9 a.m. Testimony resumes

The defense called its fourth witness on Monday morning – a 17-year-old Centennial High School student who is going into his senior year.

He testified that unlike football games, at track meets it is not unusual to talk to people on other teams. He did not ever go to another team tent, however.

The teen recalled seeing another student's arms going out and making contact with Anthony. That was presumably Metcalf's push. He also recalled seeing Anthony crying and distraught after the stabbing.

"I was hearing him say, ‘I told him not to touch me,’" the witness said.

Day 3 Recap: Prosecutors rest their case

The state rested its case Saturday in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony after calling 21 witnesses, handing momentum to the defense as testimonies shifted from the victim’s final moments to the casual culture of high school track meets.

Jurors earlier heard harrowing testimony from Collin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Ventura, who detailed the "gaping," fatal 2-inch stab wound to Austin Metcalf’s heart. Student witnesses from Memorial High School also took the stand, describing Anthony as the aggressor who provoked a confrontation and refused to leave their team's tent before the stabbing.

The defense quickly launched its case by calling Anthony's track coach and teammate, who testified that mingling under other schools' tents during downtime was a common practice in the "organized chaos" of track meets. However, under cross-examination, defense witnesses conceded that a student would be expected to leave a tent if asked, and agreed there was no reason to bring a knife to a track meet.

Day 2 Recap: Teenage witnesses testify after jurors watch arrest, bodycam video

Eyewitness Testimony:

The state presented testimony from first responders, law enforcement, and several teenage eyewitnesses. A responding paramedic testified that Metcalf never regained consciousness, having been found with no pulse. School Resource Officer Eduardo Cortez recounted arresting Anthony, who was caught on body camera video stating, "I'm not alleged, I did it. He put his hands on me." Law enforcement later recovered the weapon—a blood-stained 3.5-inch folding knife—and Anthony’s backpack from the stadium bleachers.

Multiple student witnesses from Memorial High School testified that Anthony was the aggressor. They stated that Anthony entered their team tent to escape the rain and refused multiple requests to leave. The situation quickly escalated as Anthony verbally provoked Metcalf, stating, "Touch me and see what happens." Witnesses noted Anthony kept his hand hidden inside his backpack, warning that he had something. When Metcalf finally pushed or shoved Anthony's shoulders, Anthony immediately stood up and stabbed him in the chest.

Defense Strategy:

The defense focused heavily on a self-defense narrative, using cross-examination to highlight discrepancies between the students' courtroom testimonies and their initial police statements. The defense established significant physical differences between the two boys, noting that Metcalf outweighed Anthony by 50 to 60 pounds.

Crucially, the defense emphasized the physical positioning during the altercation: Anthony was sitting down with his bag on his lap, surrounded by roughly 20 people in a crowded tent, while Metcalf and several teammates stood over him. Trial consultants note this spatial dynamic will be vital for the jury when evaluating the self-defense claim.

Day 1 Recap: Jurors watch video, listen to 911 calls

Opening Statements:

The prosecution and defense laid out two completely opposing narratives to the jury during their 20-minute opening statements. Collin County Assistant District Attorney Bill Wirskye called the incident a "provoked, unjustified murder," arguing that Anthony entered a closed team tent uninvited, provoked a confrontation, and launched a "sneak attack" with a hidden knife before fleeing. 

Wirskye explicitly noted that the case is not about race or self-defense. Conversely, defense attorney Mike Howard argued that Anthony acted out of a "split second of fear and chaos." Howard described Anthony as an honor student working two jobs who remained seated until Metcalf and his twin brother confronted him, maintaining that Anthony used the knife strictly in self-defense because he felt cornered by a group turning on him.

Grainy Stadium Video:

Jurors viewed surveillance footage provided by Frisco ISD from multiple stadium angles. The video showed a figure identified as Anthony entering the Memorial High School team tent, followed by a brief scuffle and Anthony fleeing the scene as coaches and students gave chase. 

Memorial High School track coach Robert Starr testified to the sacred nature of team tents, comparing them to a sports bench where you just do not go in uninvited. He became visibly emotional on the stand while describing the immediate aftermath of the stabbing.

Chaotic 911 Audio:

The afternoon session turned deeply emotional as the prosecution played a chaotic 911 call from the scene. In the audio, Liberty High School football coach Joshua Rebmann, a military veteran who administered CPR, could be heard shouting, "Stay with me, Austin." 

The state capped the day with a powerful visual display, presenting the physical, blood-stained jacket that Rebmann used to apply pressure to Metcalf's wound. Legal observers noted that displaying the bloody jacket right before adjournment left a staggering, lasting impression on the jury.

Jury Selection Recap: No Black jurors selected; defense raises racial challenge

Jury Selected:

A 12-person jury with six alternates was finalized Wednesday afternoon in a Collin County courtroom. The selection process resulted in a panel of 11 women and seven men. There are no Black jurors.

The final phase of jury selection grew tense when defense attorneys lodged a formal objection during the second round of strikes. The defense argued that the state improperly struck down three potential Black female jurors who were "similarly situated" to a white female juror allowed to remain on the panel.

Prosecutors strongly denied that race played a factor. Assistant District Attorney Dewey Mitchell clarified that all three women were struck because they listed their occupations as educators. Because the fatal incident occurred at a school-sponsored athletic function involving school-aged children, prosecutors seemingly did not want traditional educators on the panel.

State District Judge John Roach Jr. ultimately sided with the prosecution, allowing the strikes to stand. While one educator was successfully seated on the 12-person jury, she is an esthetician at a trade school and does not work with high school-aged children.

Self-Defense vs. Guilt:

During jury selection, both sides were given one hour and 45 minutes to question potential jurors.

Assistant DA Mitchell pressed the pool on whether they could listen to the evidence with an open mind and follow the law to render a verdict, even when dealing with a young defendant. The questioning took an unusual turn when Mitchell asked if race could affect anyone's ability to determine guilt. After a handful of people admitted it could, Mitchell noted that in his entire career, he had never had to have such an explicit conversation about race with a jury panel. One Frisco ISD educator in the pool was excused after stating the case "hit too close to home."

Howard, the defense attorney, immediately signaled that the entire trial would pivot on whether Anthony had the legal right to defend himself. Howard, who referred to his client by his nickname "Melo," questioned the pool on whether they would penalize Anthony if he exercised his right not to testify. He also gauged their feelings on prison sentencing, noting the minimum threshold for a murder conviction is five years.

Continued Coverage

• Day 3: State rests after jurors hear testimony on a Saturday
• Day 2: Teenage witnesses testify after jurors watch arrest, bodycam video
• Day 1: Jurors watch stabbing videos following opening statements
• No Black jurors selected for Karmelo Anthony murder trial
• Jury selection underway for deadly Frisco track meet stabbing
• Jury selection to begin in death of Frisco student

No Cameras Allowed

The case has received widespread attention. Fueled in large part by online speculation and misinformation, the proceedings have become heavily racially charged. For months, the case has played out in the court of public opinion, prompting demonstrators from both sides to gather outside the courthouse Monday morning.

To keep the proceedings orderly and minimize outside influence, court officials have banned cameras inside the courtroom and will restrict electronic devices once testimony begins.

Frisco Track Meet Stabbing

The backstory:

Witnesses reported that the physical confrontation between the two teens began during a regional track meet at Kuykendall Stadium. Anthony, a student at Centennial High School, was sitting under the Memorial High School team tent. Metcalf, a Memorial student, reportedly told him to leave. Investigators found no evidence that the two young men knew each other prior to the incident.

An arrest report detailed Anthony’s interactions with law enforcement in the moments following the stabbing. According to the document, witnesses pointed him out to a school resource officer, who located Anthony on the north end of the track.

"I gave the suspect instructions to keep his hands up in the air. During this time, the suspect said verbally out loud, ‘I was protecting myself,’" the officer noted in the report. The suspect also stated, "He put his hands on me."

After the officer mentioned to colleagues that he had the "alleged suspect" in custody, Anthony interjected: "I’m not alleged. I did it."

"He put his hands on me. I told him not to," Anthony continued as officers escorted him out of the stadium in handcuffs. The report states that Anthony later asked officers if the victim was going to be okay and "asked if what happened could be considered self-defense."

In the days following the stabbing, the case exploded across social media platforms. Anthony maintained his self-defense claim from jail, where he was initially held on a $1 million bond. Twelve days after his arrest, a judge reduced the bond to $250,000, citing his lack of a prior criminal record.

Three days later, Anthony's family held a press conference urging the public to lower the emotional temperature surrounding the case.

"I don't know why we are being targeted and discriminated against before a fair trial," said Anthony's mother, Kayla Hayes.

Public attention intensified further when Metcalf's father attended the family's press conference. He was ultimately escorted out by police after organizers stated he was not invited to the event.

Frisco Track Meet StabbingFriscoCollin CountyCrime and Public Safety