Austin Metcalf’s father says he feels a measure of pity for the teenager convicted of killing his son, speaking after Karmelo Anthony’s request for a new trial was rejected.
Jeff Metcalf said Tuesday that Anthony, 19, facing years behind bars, is part of a broader “tragedy” born from the fatal confrontation.
“I feel sorry for him just due to the fact that his life is pretty much ruined,” Metcalf told ABC. “It’s a tragedy that he has to be in prison.
“I don’t feel sorry for what he did, though. He needs to be held accountable.”
Still, Metcalf stressed that his family continues to bear the deepest and most permanent loss following Austin’s death.
“I got handed a life sentence,” he said. “We don’t ever get to see Austin again. We don’t get to talk to him, we don’t get to hug him.”
By contrast, Metcalf noted, Anthony “still gets to see his family” even while serving time in prison.
Anthony was found guilty of murder in June and sentenced to 35 years in prison for the killing of 17-year-old Austin during a high school track meet last April.
Anthony sought a retrial, centered around an off-the-record agreement between prosecutors and his trial defense team concerning potentially damaging evidence about both teens.
Austin Metcalf’s father acknowledged that he ‘feels sorry’ for his son’s killer after the convicted murderer’s bid for a new trial was denied
Karemlo Anthony was convicted of murder in June, with the jury rejecting the lesser charge of manslaughter over the death of Austin Metcalf
He was sentenced to 35 years for killing 17-year-old athlete Austin Metcalf while at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas
However, the attempt was rejected Saturday by Kaufman County Judge Michael Chitty, who came out of retirement to handle the motion.
In the interview, Metcalf said that Anthony’s murder case ‘was really never about guilt or innocence.’
‘It was about how long you’re gonna do,’ he added.
Austin’s father also revealed that he had forgiven Anthony ‘the first day it happened.’
‘Had to,’ Metcalf said. ‘If I didn’t, I’d be eaten up. I’d be angry. I might go do something.’
‘I’d be looking for revenge,’ Metcalf continued. ‘What if I lost control of my emotions? What if I found him and killed him?’
Metcalf pushed back on people who have claimed that Anthony did not receive a fair trial.
‘There are people in this world that will believe whatever they’re told,’ Metcalf said. ‘They follow. They’re sheep.’
Metcalf’s father revealed on Tuesday that he had forgiven Anthony ‘the first day’ the murder happened
Anthony’s bid for a retrial was turned down on Saturday by Kaufman County Judge Michael Chitty
Anthony’s defense has claimed he was denied a fair trial because of pressure to waive his right to testify, improper jury instructions and restrictions on public access to the courtroom.
Metcalf also revealed that he felt like questions about race entered the trial when he was asked to leave a press conference last April where Anthony’s parents spoke.
‘Because to that point, I never looked at it as a black and white thing,’ Metcalf said. ‘It was a right and wrong thing.’
He added that the questions he had were about ‘where’ Anthony’s parents were, how he was raised and what had caused his son’s death.
‘Not, “Oh, he’s black, he must be guilty.” It never even crossed my mind. It doesn’t matter. I don’t see color,’ Metcalf added.
Still, Metcalf admitted that he did not picture having a conversation with Anthony’s family.
‘I don’t think they would be up for that,’ he said. ‘I would have thought they would have reached out to me. They would have offered some sort of condolence. Some sort of remorse, some sort of accountability. But that’s not the way things played out.’
He added: ‘We’re obviously different people and we choose to parent differently.’
Metcalf said that his son, Austin, was ‘in a cemetery’ while Anthony ‘is in a prison cell.’
‘I don’t know what we would have to talk about, to be honest,’ he continued.
Anthony’s attorney for his June murder trial testified during an appeal hearing on Thursday that Austin had previously faced charges for assault causing bodily injury
Metcalf also addressed the off-the-record ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ to keep damning allegations about Anthony, Austin Metcalf and his twin brother out of the murder trial.
‘We’re not gonna drag stuff from what they did in fourth grade, we’re not gonna drag stuff from this guy’s character,’ Metcalf said.
‘They had 20 pages on my boys. I read it,’ he continued. ‘They had 75 pages on Karmelo. I read that. If it would have came out in court, I think he would have got more.’
Mike Howard, who represented Anthony at his June murder trial, testified during an appeal hearing last Thursday that he had criminal information on Austin and his twin brother, Hunter.
A document presented in court showed that the defense had photos of graffiti allegedly created by the twins and another boy.
The graffiti featured phrases including ‘KKK,’ ‘kill all black people,’ ‘Heil Hitler’ and the N-word.
Austin could allegedly be heard admitting to a police officer in bodycam footage that ‘we did some stuff, we did some vandalism.’
Howard testified that the Metcalf twins received 12 months of probation for the alleged incident.
Witnesses testified that Austin Metcalf told Anthony to leave his team’s tent 15 times while at the track meet last April. It was a rainy day
A photo of the knife used in Austin Metcalf’s killing was released to the public during Anthony’s murder trial
Anthony’s former attorney also told the court that Austin had previously faced charges for assault causing bodily injury.
Howard said Austin had been arrested in May 2018, while still in elementary school, for allegedly shoving a girl to the ground and injuring her shoulder badly enough to need hospitalization.
State Prosecutor Bill Wirskye pointed to text messages that he alleged exposed Anthony’s obsession with violence and his habit of starting fights.
‘There is a text message where he fantasies about stabbing someone and licking the blood off the blade,’ Wirskye told the courtroom.
Hours before Austin Metcalf’s death, Anthony’s ex-girlfriend reportedly told an assistant principal that he was stalking her.
A message recovered from Anthony’s phone that day showed him sending her a photo of a knife with the message: ‘I’m lowkey on the verge.’
Wirskye said Anthony’s parents had enrolled him in a special program for children who struggled to control their aggression and ‘keep their hands to themselves’ when they lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Anthony and Austin Metcalf were athletes for different high schools in Frisco, a Dallas suburb, where teams were competing at a track meet on a rainy day last April 2.
Anthony sat under the tent that belonged to Austin’s team. Witnesses testified that the 17-year-old told him to leave 15 times.
That led to a confrontation between both teens, during which Anthony reached inside a bag and said: ‘Touch me and see what happens,’ per a police report.
Witnesses said Metcalf pushed Anthony, who then stabbed him with a knife in the chest.
Anthony claimed during his murder trial that he was defending himself. His defense has said they will appeal the denied retrial.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Jeff Metcalf, Anthony’s attorney, Russell Wilson II, and Collin County First Assistant District Attorney’s Office prosecutor Bill Wirskye for comment.
