A teenager from Texas has been found guilty of murdering a 17-year-old track athlete from a competing school, following a high-profile trial that captured national interest well beyond the Dallas suburb of McKinney, where both teenagers were students at different high schools.
The jury dismissed claims made by Karmelo Anthony, who argued he acted in self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf last year in the bleachers of a stadium. Anthony, now 19, did not take the stand. The trial relied heavily on testimonies from other students, who reported that the clash began when Anthony refused to vacate a tent belonging to Metcalf’s team during a rain-soaked meet.
Anthony is now facing a potential life sentence.
The trial attracted large crowds eager to witness the proceedings, which took place under tight security in Collin County’s courthouse. Both Anthony and Metcalf were students at separate schools in Frisco, one of Texas’ rapidly expanding cities, known for its numerous modern educational institutions and state-of-the-art athletic facilities.
Witnesses recounted that Metcalf had demanded Anthony leave the tent, and in response, Anthony allegedly reached into a bag and drew a knife. One student recalled Metcalf’s final words to Anthony, “You don’t have anything in that backpack. It’s Frisco.”
One teenage witness recalled Metcalf telling Anthony, “You don’t have anything in that backpack. It’s Frisco.”
Outside attention on the case spread, in part, over social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Prosecutors and defense attorneys told jurors that the case had nothing to do with race.
Instead, prosecutor Bill Wirskye called the stabbing a “sneak, surprise attack” and accused Anthony of egging on the confrontation. Mike Howard, an attorney for Anthony, said his client acted in a “split second of fear, chaos” after Metcalf made the first physical contact.
The stabbing happened on a rainy morning in April 2025. Teenage witnesses said the confrontation began after Anthony sat under a tent belonging to the track team of Memorial High School, where Metcalf was in his junior year.
Other students competing at the meet testified that several athletes told Anthony to leave the tent and that he was the aggressor. When Metcalf told Anthony he needed to move, Anthony reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.
Metcalf then pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony reacted by pulling out a knife and stabbing Metcalf in the chest.
One teammate told jurors that Anthony was “distraught” after the stabbing. Judge John Roach Jr. ordered that the names of teenage witnesses not be made public.
“I was hearing him say, ‘I told him not to touch me,’” the teenager said.
The parents of both Anthony and Metcalf have said they were good students who planned to go to college.
____
Associated Press writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
