On Tuesday, June 9, Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison by a Collin County jury that found him guilty of murder in the stabbing of Austin Metcalf. The stabbing of Metcalf, just 17 years old when killed by Anthony at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, occurred in 2025. Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving half his sentence.
Metcalf’s family roundly sounded off on Anthony as the trial ended, yelling at him and reminding him of how much he had stolen from them by slaying their son. Metcalf, for reference, had reportedly asked Anthony, a member of an opposing track team, to leave the team tent of his (Metcalf’s) team. Anthony responded by refusing to stop trespassing, and stabbed Metcalf to death.
19-year-old Karmelo Anthony broke down in tears as the sentence was read, which soon turned to the Metcalf family unloading on him for how he shattered their lives with his decision to murder of their beloved son and brother, describing how that shattered their lives.
Jeff Metcalf, father of Austin Metcalf, screamed at Anthony from his place in the courtroom during the victim statements, noting how horribly Anthony’s actions had impacted the family. “We were robbed,” he yelled, with court officers approaching him but letting him finish his statement.
Further, Jeff Metcalf noted how much the public response that Karmelo Anthony’s family instigated had sickened him, adding as he did so that a ridiculous gag order had prevented him from defending the public reputation of his murdered son. Doing so, he declared, “The public response sickens me, especially when a gag order doesn’t allow me to defend my son.”
Continuing, Mr. Metcalf noted, “This was never about race or politics, but what you did was to choose to make it about both. We all bleed the same color. You are free to make choices all of your life, but are not free to not face consequences. They weren’t bullies and they weren’t racists.”
Still not done, Jeff Metcalf told him, “You failed your parents, you failed yourself, and you failed society. You don’t belong.” He added, concluding with a sneer at the murderer, “I forgive you, but I do not forgive what you did. You can’t even look me in the eye, but you can stab my son in the f-cking heart.”
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Hunter Metcalf, twin brother of Austin Metcalf, addressed Anthony as well. “I just want some respect if you could look me in the eye,” he said to Anthony. Anthony looked up at him. Hunter told him, “I want you to realize how much pain you caused me and my family. You let the devil take over you in the moment.” Hunter added, “Now I want everything taken from you. You took everything from me. I wake up every morning and his door is still shut.”
Austin’s mother, Megan Metcalf, noted that Anthony’s sentence was far too light, something with whcih many online agreed. “You may have been sentenced to 35 years behind bars. You should feel lucky,” she told Karmelo. She added, “I’ve been sentenced to a lifetime without my son.”
Watch Fox News Channel’s reporting on what happened here: