Karmelo Anthony Trial: Austin Metcalf's family speaks after 35-year sentence

McKINNEY, Texas - Karmelo Anthony, the teenager convicted of fatally stabbing fellow student Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

A Collin County jury convicted Anthony, 19, of murder Tuesday in the April 2, 2025, killing of Metcalf, 17, at Kuykendall Stadium.

Following the sentencing, Metcalf's family delivered emotional victim impact statements, speaking directly to Anthony and addressing the public for the first time since the verdict.

Austin Metcalf's family delivers victim impact statements after Karmelo Anthony sentencing

What they're saying:

After Anthony was sentenced, several members of Metcalf's family described the lasting impact of his death and the loss they continue to endure.

Metcalf's aunt was the first family member to address Anthony.

She said April 2, 2025, is a day she will never forget and recalled receiving a phone call from her sister, Austin's mother, that continues to haunt her.

"The impact of his death is permanent," she said. "We will never know what he could have been."

She also spoke about Austin's twin brother, Hunter.

"My heart breaks for his twin brother," she said before asking Anthony, "Why could you not have just left?" She added, "Reporters will move to other stories. For our family, this is not a story. It is a reality forever."

Austin Metcalf's mother says she faces a lifetime without her son

Megan Metcalf reflected on raising her twin sons and the final moments she shared with Austin before he left for the track meet.

She said she packed him a snack and hugged him that morning, never imagining it would be the last time.

"Now I only have videos and memories of his laugh," she told Anthony.

"You may have been given a sentence of 35 years. You should feel lucky. I've been sentenced to a lifetime without my son."

Austin Metcalf's father addresses Anthony and public reaction to the case

Jeff Metcalf described his son as a friend, leader and warrior.

"Since the day he first grabbed my finger, he had my heart with it," he said.

He recalled watching both of his sons compete together and spoke about the scholarship established in Austin's memory.

Jeff Metcalf also addressed what he described as harassment directed at his family following the case. He said he has been the target of six swatting calls and that Austin's mother has been targeted twice.

"With a gag order, I can't defend myself when people want to tear down my son's memory. That time is over," he said.

"I said from Day 1 this was never about race. It's about right and wrong. We are all humans. We all bleed the same color. You will face those consequences starting today."

Speaking directly to Anthony, he said he has forgiven him but believes accountability was necessary.

"You failed your parents, yourself and society," he said. "You don't belong in this community."

He then added, "You can't look me in the eyes, but you can stab my f--ing son?"

Austin Metcalf's twin brother speaks directly to Karmelo Anthony

Hunter Metcalf asked Anthony to look him in the eye as he addressed him in court.

"I would really respect that," Hunter said.

He said he has struggled to understand why his brother and best friend was taken from him and described his efforts to find forgiveness through faith.

"Now I want everything taken from you," he told Anthony. "You took everything from me."

"You still have air while my brother is six feet under," he added. "I wake up every morning and his door is still shut."

Collin County district attorney reacts to verdict and sentence

Local perspective:

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said the verdict brought accountability for Austin Metcalf's death.

"Today, justice was served," Willis said.

"A year ago, when this senseless murder unfolded, I said that it had struck a deep nerve in Collin County and far beyond. I asked our community to ignore all the noise and instead be levelheaded and patient as the process worked. And today, the process delivered accountability."

Willis thanked jurors for their service and said the verdict sends a message that violence will not be tolerated.

"This verdict sends a clear message. Violence like this won't be tolerated in our Collin County community," he said. "We remain committed to protecting our schools and standing with victims and their families."

Karmelo Anthony verdict: Jury finds teen guilty of Austin Metcalf's murder

What we know:

Earlier Tuesday, a Collin County jury found Karmelo Anthony guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco.

Prosecutors argued that Anthony intentionally stabbed the 17-year-old Memorial High School student during a confrontation at Kuykendall Stadium on April 2, 2025. Anthony's defense team maintained that he acted in self-defense.

How many years did Karmelo Anthony get?

Dig deeper:

After hearing testimony and reviewing evidence presented during the trial, jurors rejected the self-defense claim and returned a guilty verdict. The same jury later sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison.

What happened between Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf?

The backstory:

Investigators said the confrontation 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 when Metcalf, a Memorial student, reportedly told him to leave. Investigators found no evidence the two teenagers knew each other before the encounter.

According to an arrest report, witnesses identified Anthony to a school resource officer shortly after the stabbing.

The officer wrote that Anthony repeatedly claimed he was acting in self-defense.

"I was protecting myself," Anthony allegedly told officers.

According to the report, Anthony also said, "He put his hands on me."

After officers referred to him as the alleged suspect, the report states Anthony responded, "I'm not alleged. I did it."

The report says Anthony later asked officers whether Metcalf would be okay and whether the incident could be considered self-defense.

Frisco track meet stabbing

The case gained widespread attention on social media in the days following the stabbing.

Anthony maintained his self-defense claim while being held in jail on a $1 million bond. A judge later reduced the bond to $250,000, citing his lack of a prior criminal record.

Three days after Anthony was released from jail, his family held a news conference and called for a reduction in public hostility surrounding the case.

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

Public attention intensified when Austin Metcalf's father attended that news conference. Police later escorted him from the event after organizers said he was not invited.

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