LIVE | Karmelo Anthony Trial: Jurors hear testimony on a Saturday

McKINNEY, Texas - Testimony resumed on Saturday in the Karmelo Anthony 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 trial is expected to last approximately two weeks. If convicted, Anthony faces a maximum sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison.

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10 a.m. 16-year-old student athlete

A 16-year-old student athlete who knew Metcalf from middle school took the stand next. He said he was sitting under the Memorial tent that day and scrolling on TikTok. He recalled Anthony sitting down next to him and saying something like, "Crazy weather, huh?"

He said another teammate noticed Anthony and asked him, "Who's this guy?" The teen said Anthony replied, "I'm a nobody." The teammate replied, "If you're a nobody, then get out of our tent." The teen testified that Anthony responded saying, "F--- y'all."

The teen testified that Anthony repeated "F--- y'all. I'm not going ot leave. Y'all are a bunch of pu--ies. Y'all not going to do anything." He said Anthony also threatened, "Touch me and see what happens." Metcalf told him, "I'm not going to fight you."

This teen, who said it was his first track meet, testified that Metcalf didn't do anything to get stabbed in the chest.

9:40 a.m. 15-year-old student athlete

The next teen to take the stand was a 15-year-old from Memorial High School who was also on the football and track team. He said that Metcalf was "like a big brother" to him.

"We all told him to leave," the teen said, referring to Anthony.

He testified that Anthony got "irritated" and "tried to provoke us" as he was asked to leave. 

He remembered seeing Metcalf falling down the bleachers with blood on his chest. 

He also said that when the team returned to the bus, everyone was crying.

"We couldn't believe what happened," he said.

"Did Karmelo Anthony act in self-defense or commit murder?" the prosecutor asked.

"He committed murder," the teen said.

9:10 a.m. Student testimony continues

The first witness to take the stand on Saturday morning was a 17-year-old Memorial High School student athlete. He was initially under the Memorial tent but was walking down the bleachers when the deadly encounter happened.

"You know you're not supposed to bring weapons to a track meet, correct?" the attorney asked.

"Yes, sir," the student replied. "You don't expect to see someone get stabbed at a track meet or an event."

He testified that he didn't see anyone crowding Anthony. He didn't expect a fight, and he didn't see any reason for Anthony to stab Metcalf. He said the stabbing was not self-defense.

"No, sir. That's lethal force against non-legal," he said.

Under cross-examination, defense attorney Toby Shook pointed out that the teen told a police detective that he remembered seeing Anthony under the team's tent before. The teen clarified that it was about a year prior and that he saw Anthony "pass by." He admitted to the defense that Metcalf could look intimidating because of his size.

9 a.m. Trial resumes

Judge John Roach is holding court on a Saturday to help move the trial along. At the end of the day on Friday, he said "the lawyers are being fantastic" and "moving along great." Prosecutors planned to call about 35 witnesses in total.

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 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 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 StabbingCollin CountyFriscoCrime and Public Safety